Cross Breeds

How long do newborn puppies feed for from the mother?

My puppies are 5 days old and the mother does not stay in the welping box any more. I put her back in there to help them feed but I am not sure if they are satisfied and that is why she gets out, maybe to take a rest. I just want to make sure they are ok, can anyone help?

Public Comments

1. Five days is too young. They must be fed. You may have to feed them if mama won't.
2. You should really call your vet.
3. 8 weeks is best
4. It is best to consult your vet. In the meantime: If this is your female's 1st litter, it's typical (for some) not to want to stay with the pups. Newborn pups need to nurse at least every two hours! You can supplement their feeding with Milk replacer (with collustrum) by bottle feeding. Females usually start to wean the pups around 4-5 wks of age, which is when you can introduce gruel (soaked puppy food mashed to a thin oatmeal consistancy).
5. It varies from breed to breed. Most dogs are weaned anywhere from six to eight weeks. If your female is refusing to feed her babies you are going to need to call your vet ASAP. Puppies at that age go down hill very quickly. You may need to bottle feed the puppies with special formula that you vet can give you. It is going to take a lot of time and effort. It is normal for the mother is leave her babies for potty breaks, food breaks, and just plain little breaks, however she will be in the box with them nursing them often.
6. The first thing you need to do is weigh those puppies. weigh them every day.. By doing that you can keep track if they are gaining weight ok. You should have weigh them the day they were born and ever day after wards. Mommy dogs seem to know what they are doing and if the puppies are sleeping and not crying then they are fine..Just weigh them today and weigh them every day. If you notice them losing weight you need to take them into the vets to have them check out and they will tell you what to do to help them gain weight. Weighing puppies is a sure way of noticing if things are going wrong. Like I said if they are not crying, hungry puppies cry, and sleeping then they are fine.. Don't forget to weigh them every day.