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The best food in the world to feed puppies is their own mother’s milk. It is totally “complete and balanced” and is the most nutritious food for puppies. The milk from a nursing female canine is higher in fat and protein than both cow and goat’s milk. It also contains all the nutrients puppies need and in the proper balance. A young puppy’s digestive tract is designed to digest this whole food perfectly and until a puppy is four weeks of age, their digestive system is not properly equipped to digest any other whole food.
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| Occasionally it does become necessary to feed puppies food other than mother’s milk before they are four weeks of age. This can be because of a lack of milk production, a large litter, or an illness in or the death of the mother. Although it is impossible to reproduce mother’s milk exactly, in instances where it isn’t possible to feed mother’s milk, the food substituted should be as close to it as possible. |
One suggested formula is:
– One pint of goats milk
either fresh or evaporated
If evaporated, be sure to dilute as directed with water
– Two egg yolks
– One teaspoon Flax Seed Oil (or 2,000 mg of Salmon Oil)
– 1/2 teaspoon Berte’s Ultra Probiotic Powder
– Four to six tablespoons whole milk plain yogurt |
| The egg yolks offer the extra needed protein. The Flax Seed Oil offers the extra fat and Omega-3 fatty acids, and the Ultra ProBiotic Powder and yogurt provide the beneficial bacteria needed for proper digestion. Be sure to shake the mixture well and serve it to the puppies at room temperature. |
| Once the puppies reach four weeks of age, other foods can be introduced and added to their diet. Start with the above mixture and begin adding a bit of raw hamburger, cottage cheese and some pulped or steamed vegetables. Some good vegetables to include are dark leafy greens, carrots, summer squash, cabbage, and broccoli. Use vegetables sparingly in the beginning as they will affect stool size. As the week progresses, you can also add in tiny bits of beef kidney, beef heart, canned mackerel, a small bit of liver and add both yolk and egg white. |
| I also introduce chicken necks at this time. I remove the skin, and cut the necks into four pieces. You can leave some of the necks whole for recreational chewing too. Pork neck bones are also good for chewing and entertainment. Later in the week, I introduce chicken wings, cut into two or three pieces. |
| Once you have begun to add in other foods, if the mother is still willing to nurse, please allow her to continue. Her milk is still the perfect food and is a wonderful addition to the weaning diet. However, the mother may refuse to clean stools after other foods have been added to the puppy’s diet. This is normal. It is very helpful to the mother, if she is still nursing, to trim the nails on the puppies every few days! |
| I generally offer the puppies four or five meals per day. I give one meal of raw meaty bones, one of vegetables and red meat or mackerel, and the other meals are “snack” meals of goat’s milk, yogurt, eggs and cottage cheese. |
| In addition to the foods, I also add in to the puppy’s diet the following supplements: |
| Berte’s Daily Blend for the B Complex vitamins, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin A and Vitamin D which helps metabolize calcium. Berte’s Daily Blend is very palatable and comes in a convenient powder form for easy measuring and mixing with food. Small and medium breed puppies get 1/4 teaspoon twice a day and large breed puppies get 1/2 teaspoon twice a day. |
| Berte’s Green Blend for the additional minerals and phytonutrients that are needed. Small and medium breed puppies get 1/8 teaspoon twice a day and large breed puppies get 1/4 teaspoon twice a day. |
| Berte’s Ultra Probiotic Powder to maintain a good supply of beneficial bacteria in the digestive system which aids in proper digestion. Give 1/4 teaspoon twice a day for small to medium breed puppies, and 1/2 teaspoon twice a day for large breed puppies. |
| Flax Seed Oil is given at 1/4 teaspoon two times daily for small to medium breed puppies and 1/2 teaspoon twice a day for large breed puppies (or you can give 1000 mg of Salmon Oil two times). |
| Berte’s Zyme is a blend of digestive enzymes which help break down and assimilate the food. Give small and medium breed puppies 1/4 tablet with the raw meaty bone meal and the meat and vegetable meal, large breed puppies give 1/2 tablet for these two meals. |
| For new puppies coming home that have not been raised on a raw diet, the transition is similar. Start your new puppy on small, frequent meals. A general rule of thumb is that puppies will need between 5% to 10% of their body weight daily, depending on the growth stage and metabolism of the puppy. |
| The Berte’s Ultra Probiotic Powder will help during the transitional period of the food change. Equally helpful for puppies and older dogs when switching them to a raw diet is Berte’s Zyme, a great blend of digestive enzymes that help break down and assimilate the food. |
| I recommend starting with four meals a day. Begin with introducing chicken backs, skinned and cut into pieces (or pound them with a hammer) for one meal. Another meal can be the pureed vegetables and red meat. The other two meals can be the snack meals of goat’s milk, yogurt and egg. |
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| Below is a sample diet, both for puppies raised on raw, and also puppies just starting: |
Meal One
– Goat’s milk (fresh or canned)
– One whole egg (yolk and white, no shell)
– Two tablespoons of whole milk yogurt |
| Mix well and serve at room temperature |
Meal Two
– Two or three ounces of either hamburger, liver, sliced beef heart, kidney or gizzards
– One tablespoon of whole milk yogurt
– One to two tablespoons of pulped vegetables, which should be mostly dark leafy greens such as collards, spinach, turnip greens or mustard greens. You can also use some carrots, cabbage or broccoli, squash, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts or canned pumpkin in a pinch. |
| Mix the meat and vegetables well. |
Add in the following supplements:
– Berte’s Daily Blend (1/4 teaspoon for small to medium breeds, 1/2 teaspoon for large breed puppies) |
| – Berte’s Green Blend (1/8 teaspoon for small to medium breeds, 1/4 teaspoon for large breed puppies) |
| – Berte’s Ultra Probiotic Powder (1/4 teaspoon for small to medium breeds, 1/2 teaspoon for large breed puppies) |
| – Flax Seed Oil (1/4 teaspoon for small to medium breeds, 1/2 teaspoon for large breed puppies) |
| – Bertes Zyme (1/4 tablet for small or medium breed puppies, 1/2 tablet for large breed puppies) |
Meal Three
– Goat’s milk (fresh or canned)
– One whole egg (yolk and white, no shell)
– Two tablespoons of whole milk yogurt |
| Mix well and serve at room temperature |
Meal Four
– Three to five chicken necks or two to three chicken wings |
Add in the following supplements
– Berte’s Daily Blend (1/4 teaspoon for small to medium breeds, 1/2 teaspoon for large breed puppies) |
| – Berte’s Green Blend (1/8 teaspoon for small to medium breeds, 1/4 teaspoon for large breed puppies) |
| – Berte’s Ultra Probiotic Powder (1/4 teaspoon for small to medium breeds, 1/2 teaspoon for large breed puppies) |
| – Flax Seed Oil (1/4 teaspoon for small to medium breeds, 1/2 teaspoon for large breed puppies) |
| – Bertes Zyme (1/4 tablet for small or medium breed puppies, 1/2 tablet for large breed puppies) |
Meal Five
(Bedtime or Play)
– Pork neck bones. These bones are a good choice for recreational chewing. |
| Eventually you will begin to phase out the milk and egg meals. The puppies will usually go down to three meals per day fairly quickly after you get them home. When you phase the first milk meal out, add the egg into the meat and vegetable meal. The second milk meal can be phased out around the time the puppy reaches four to five months of age. |
| I have found it important and necessary to be flexible with the puppy’s meals and the different food ingredients because each puppy is different. The amount of food they eat may vary depending on the growth stage they are in, teething time, etc. Their personal preferences will also vary. Some puppies may want more vegetables while others will turn their noses up at them. Watch the puppies closely. They will let you know what they need. |
| The two most important balancing factors in the diet is raw meaty bones, which provide the proper calcium to phosphorus balance and other minerals, and a variety of food items, which include a variety of meats (red meat, poultry, fish and organ meat), eggs, vegetables, and dairy. |
| Finally, a primary concern with changing a puppy’s or a dog’s diet is gastric upset. The first order of the day is to fast the puppy for a few hours and then introduce the meals in smaller portions. Be sure to reduce the fat for a day or so. Should your dog have some gastric upset, here are two simple home remedies to help with tummy upset: |
Diarrhea
The primary cause for diarrhea is over eating. Use plain canned pumpkin to help firm stools. Give dogs weighing up to 30 pound 1/2 teaspoon, dogs 30 – 60 pounds one teaspoon and dogs over this weight about two teaspoons to a tablespoon. |
Vomiting
Boil cabbage for about 15 – 20 minutes and let cool. It can quickly help to settle the stomach. Give at two 2 CC’s (one teaspoon equals 5 CC’s) per 10 pounds of body weight as needed. |
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