Puppy nutrition from birth to 4 month old

Good puppy nutrition should start right from the moment they are born. In fact pups get an excellent source of puppy nutrition and antibodies right from their mothers. In the first 24 hours after they give birth, a female dog will produce a liquid called Colostrum. This is the same liquid that women produce right after they give birth but before their milk comes in. In this colustrum are antibodies that the mother has been exposed to by the vaccinations she has received. So if you have a mother who is up to date with her vaccinations, her pup will be protected at least until they are old enough to begin their vaccine schedule. Usually the antibodies will stay in a pup’s blood until they are a few weeks old.

Without colostrum a pup’s chance of survival can be drastically reduced. Colostrum is a source of protection and nutrition and is also playing a part in maintaining the fluid level in your pup. In order for a new pup’s heart to work, it needs a high volume of fluid. Colostrum helps balance this all out.

Puppy nutrition: milk

After the first 24 hours and mother will start producing milk for their pups. Most experts agree that a pup should just nurse for about 3 to 4 weeks until their puppy teeth start showing. Once their teeth start coming through, you should start adding in solid food because nursing might start to become too hard for the mother with their puppy teeth. Puppy nutrition is now composed of his mother milk and some solid puppy food.

Most vets and breeders recommend that puppies are kept with their mother and their litter until they are at least 7-8 weeks old. By this time they are old enough to be weaned from their mother and ready to begin their new life with you. There are some questions to ask your breeder (if that is who you are buying your dog from). Double check and make sure the pup nursed for the first 24 hours. This way you can rest be assured that they got colostrum. Also ask your breeder or wherever you are buying your dog from what kind diet the pup has been on. Find out what kind of kibble the pup has been getting. Most of the time, a breeder will send you home with a bag of kibble and leave it up to you to determine if you want to stay with that kibble or use a new one. Switching is your choice. Some people switch because the kibble the puppies were on at the breeders have had bad reviews, others switch to a cheaper brand. If you do switch, you make sure your puppy is still getting the nutrients it needs.