How To Make A Weaning Porridge For Puppies?

Dogs have different nutritional needs depending on the stages of their life. Weaning baby food for puppies is ideal to respect their first food transition and prepare them for adult life.

Weaning period: what is it and how long does it last?

The weaning period is the first food transition in a dog’s life. The animal undergoes organic and behavioral changes, which gradually prepares them to give up their mother’s milk, but weaning is much more than a new diet, since during this period the little ones prepare to be independent from their parents.

Puppies  must know the outside world to develop their abilities and instincts for survival, and it is essential that they have security and confidence in themselves to grow healthy. Once three weeks after their birth, the puppies enter a new stage of physical and emotional growth.

All this marks the beginning of the weaning period, which extends and ends between the eighth or ninth week of life. Your stomach begins to enlarge and become more resistant, which allows a greater and better capacity for ingestion and digestion. In addition, his first baby teeth begin to appear; so they can be hungrier and more restless.

Their developing curiosity makes them observe and imitate certain habits and behaviors of their mother. It is common for them to be interested in smelling and tasting the food provided in the female’s feeder, but the pups do not yet have the ability to chew and fully digest solid food.

Healthy breastfeeding

In a healthy bitch,  lactation extends from the birth of the puppies to six or seven weeks. The most intense period occurs between the second and third week, which is when the puppies are prepared for subsequent weaning. To guarantee the quantity and quality of the milk produced, it  is essential to provide adequate nutrition for the mother.

The goal is to meet your nutritional and energy needs, and thus maintain good health. For this, it is recommended to offer a balanced food, with adequate proteins. The female can start with this feeding days before parturition and must consume it until the end of lactation.

The importance of respecting the weaning age

Unfortunately, many breeders do not respect weaning for profit, and  puppies are forced to separate from their mother before their first 30 days. In this way, they do not naturally experience the transformation of their organism, but a radical change of environment and habits.

All these  bad practices tend to have serious consequences for the physical and emotional balance of the puppies, and must be taken into account by the owners.

Physically, the puppy stops receiving the essential nutrients and antibodies present in mother’s milk, which weakens the development of its immune system and makes it more vulnerable to countless pathologies.

It should be noted that emotionally, abrupt separation from the mother often causes feelings of fear and insecurity when arriving at a new home.

Prepare weaning porridge for puppies

It is important to provide a gradual change to the puppies, as it prevents disorders in their digestive and immune systems. It is also essential to use high-quality balanced foods in the porridge.

The same food that the mother consumes during lactation can be used, but the ideal is to adapt them to solid food for puppies, which will be offered during their first 12 or 18 months of life. Initially, the weaning baby food should contain 70% mother’s milk and 30% solid food.

The lactation period

The puppy can begin to taste this puree from his third or fourth week of life, when his baby teeth have begun to come in. The porridge should only replace one of the daily feedings of breast milk; in no case can they be all, as it is important to offer a balanced diet.

When it reaches its seventh week of life, the puree should be 100% solid food. To prepare it, just add hot water to the right amount of food and let it rest for 30 minutes. Once the porridge is at room temperature, it should be homogenized and offered to the puppies.

Already around the ninth week, the puppies will be properly prepared to consume and fully digest solid food.

Finally, in case of adoption, the weaning baby food must be prepared with special powdered milk for puppies. This preparation can be found in pet stores and veterinary clinics.