: Feeding your puppy

Feeding milk

Mother's milk is an essential source of nutrients for young puppies up to the age of 4 to 6 weeks. Dog's milk has a very different nutrient profile than that of cows or goats, and it is not suitable to substitute the mother's milk with cow milk. If the bitch does not produce sufficient milk, please contact your veterinarian for a commercially available milk substitute, which has been specifically designed for dogs.

Milk is not an essential part of a puppy's diet once he has been weaned. Many puppies and adult dogs cannot efficiently digest the milk sugar, lactose, and this can cause digestive upsets such as diarrhoea. If you are not sure whether your puppy can tolerate milk, dilute it with water before you offer it to him for the first time.