3 Week Old Puppy Help

I've never hand raised puppies so I can't offer any helpful advice. Have you asked your vet about it?  I would be a little worried about the pup who isn't eating as enthusiastically. Again, a vet check up might be wise.

I found this article and thought It might be helpful to you.  You may already know everything in it already.  www.peteducation.com/article.cfm

Good luck and I hope everything works out for these pups. Are you fostering them for a shelter or rescue?  

Rescue, the mother got sick and can no longer care for them.  The pups have been seen by different vets and none were offering a great deal of support that the pups would survive due to the severity of the mother's illness.  However, the two pups are seemingly healthy.   Once the pup decides he wants to eat he will take off and down the bottle but he 'plays', for lack of a better word, with the bottle before he eats.

I hope they do well. That article suggests at three weeks you can make a mush using the milk replacement and kibble and water. It gives the proper ratio. Maybe that would work for the one who would rather play than eat.  That's going to be messy. :)  It's so nice of you to take in these orphans.

@JackieG

I hope they do well. That article suggests at three weeks you can make a mush using the milk replacement and kibble and water. It gives the proper ratio. Maybe that would work for the one who would rather play than eat. That's going to be messy. :) It's so nice of you to take in these orphans.

When I start pups on food it is typically at three weeks.

I will grind up the puppy food in a blender until it is powder. then sift through to make sure you remove any larger pieces. add in puppy formula or milk replacer. I have my own receipt for milk. you want to warm the milk before adding to the dry food and add enough milk that it will be very, very runny. adding the powdered food will start them on eating a more substantial meal and you'll be feeding them less times as their bellies will be full.

They will make a huge mess, be prepared. they will wear more then they eat so make sure you are giving them at least a cup of wet soupy mix.

I take the gruel and put it on their tongue with my finger to start them out, let them roll it around in the mouth. then we they get the idea that it is food I will put their heads down to the bowl. I use a glass pie plate.

as they get used to eating, about 5 weeks you can pretty much just soak the food with water until soft and they'll go to town on it.

the reason you don't want to heat up the dry food mixed with milk is because it lessens the nutritional value of the food.

Much luck!

Thanks for the help!

Any time!

Have you started them on the gruel?