Content
- There is no better milk for puppies than breast milk
- Optimal milk levels for puppies
- Homemade Mother's Milk Recipe for Dogs
- How to give breast milk substitute to newborn
The first milk that a newborn dog or cat receives should be colostrum, early lactation breast milk, which provides a large amount of nutrients and defenses, although this is not always possible. Sometimes, the mother's death, her rejection, the abandonment of the puppies, or different combinations of these factors, will make us need to know how to act in these cases. We know that the first days of life for little ones are vital for them to face the world and we cannot waste time.
Here at PeritoAnimal, we present a homemade recipe for making breast milk for a puppy or cat. Without a doubt, breast milk is irreplaceable, as long as it comes from a healthy bitch. However, in the myriad of circumstances in which we may find ourselves needing to feed the puppies, this article will be helpful in this arduous task.
There is no better milk for puppies than breast milk
Without a doubt, in all species (including the human species), breast milk is irreplaceable. All the nutrients that little ones need they are offered by the mother, provided she is in perfect health. We will not try to replace this act of love and yes, only in cases of need.
Fortunately, today there are milks for puppies or newborn cats on the veterinary market capable of replacing breast milk in emergency cases.
But, before talking about breastmilk substitute for dogs or cats, we need to clarify some basic concepts about milk and lactose: in recent years lactose has been frowned upon due to intolerances and/or allergies in people. So we animal lovers question it too. But lactose is nothing more or less than a sugar found in the milk of all mammals, vital for good nutrition.
In the intestines of puppies an enzyme is produced, lactase, which converts lactose into glucose and galactose, essential for providing energy to puppies in the first few days. This enzyme is disappearing of the intestine as it gets older, making it unnecessary to consume milk as the time for weaning approaches. This would be the justification for the intolerance to milk that occurs in adults.
For that reason, we must respect the weaning age so that our puppy grows as healthy as possible and does not have to face lifelong illnesses.
Optimal milk levels for puppies
To better assess or understand the puppy's nutritional needs, it is necessary to clarify what we will find naturally in breast milk, whether from bitches or cats[1]:
A liter of bitch milk provides between 1,200 and 1,300 kcal with the following values:
- 80g of protein
- 90g of fat
- 35g of carbohydrates (lactose)
- 3g of calcium
- 1.8g of phosphorus
Now let's compare with one liter of whole cow's milk, industrialized, in which we will find 600 kcal with the following values:
- 31g of protein
- 35g of fat (higher in sheep's milk)
- 45g of carbohydrates (lower in goat milk)
- 1.3g of calcium
- 0.8g of phosphorus
Observing the nutritional contributions, we can highlight that the composition of cow's milk is half of our pets' milk supply, therefore, we must double the amount. It is necessary to be aware that, when using cow's milk, we are not feeding the puppies properly.
For more information, see this other article on feeding newborn puppies.
Below is a homemade recipe for a breastmilk substitute for dogs and cats.
Homemade Mother's Milk Recipe for Dogs
According to veterinary neonatologists, breast milk recipes for puppies, both for dogs and cats, must be composed by the following ingredients:
- 250 ml of whole milk.
- 250 ml of water.
- 2 egg yolks.
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
Mix ingredients and offer to pet. However, we emphasize that the ideal is to opt for breast milk formulas that can be found in pet shops and other stores with pet products or the formula milk for newborns that the veterinarian suggests.
How to give breast milk substitute to newborn
Before starting this type of feeding with a breastmilk substitute for dogs or cats, it will be essential weigh the puppies (with a kitchen scale, for example). We are often not sure if they are in the first or second week of life and what is important here are the caloric needs:
- 1st week of life: 12 to 13 kcal for every 100g of weight/day
- 2nd week of life: 13 to 15 kcal/100g of weight/day
- 3rd week of life: 15 to 18 kcal/100g of weight/day
- 4th week of life: 18 to 20 kcal/100g of weight/day
To better understand the table above, we will give an example: if my puppy weighs 500g and it is a Golden Retriever, it must be in the first week of life, as it still has vestiges of the umbilical cord and it crawls. So he must consume 13 kcal/100 g/day, which would give 65 kcal/day. So recipe 1 would last for 2 days. It will depend a lot on the size of the animal and the choice of diet.
As we can see, the needs change, and as normally the puppies would nurse from the mother about 15 times a day, we should calculate around 8 artificial feedings a day, or every 3 hours. This is common in the first week of life, and then feedings can be spaced out until we reach 4 doses, in the third week, when they will start eating baby food and drinking water.
The care and feeding of newborn puppies must be very intense, especially when they are younger. don't forget to have a veterinarian at your side to help and guide you in this exhausting and loving task, it will be fundamental, especially in order not to forget any stage in terms of its creation.
If you want to read more articles similar to Mother's milk for a puppy or cat, we recommend that you enter our Nursing section.