Can give your newborn puppy milk?

If a mother dog won't nurse, or can't produce enough milk for her litter there are puppy milk replacement formulas (such as powdered Esbilac formula) available at larger pet stores, or from a vet's office. You should not use cow's milk to feed puppies.

A home-made puppy formula can be made:

One 10oz. can of whole goat's milk is acceptable, but not straight out of the can.

3 oz. sterilized water

1 raw egg yolk

1 cup of plain yogurt (not skim or fat free)

1/2 Tsp Karo Syrup or Corn Syrup (NO HONEY!)

Place ingredients in a blender and blend or use a wire whisk. Be careful to not over blend and create a milk shake full of bubbles.

Warm formula to body temperature (dogs are around 101 degrees). Discard any un-used formula. This is a thick mixture - use a stomach tube to tube feed or enlarge the hole in the nipple for easy access for the pup. Store formula in the fridge and discard leftovers after 7 days.

If at all possible, you should let new born pups nurse as soon as possible, so they can receive Colostrum. Colostrum is the milk that the mother produces the first days after birth. It is very thick, yellowish-cream in color, and rich in antibodies that protect the puppy against disease.

Your vet can show you the correct way to bottle feed the pups, if you don't know how.