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View Full Version : Puppy milk and other feeding. How long for?


Maddy388
Jun 4, 2012, 02:00 AM
My miniature dachsund puppy is just over 2 months old, and we still give her some lactose free milk after each meal.
When is it normal to stop giving milk and keeping to meat and biscuits?
The breeder we had her form was giving the puppies raw chicken wings for teething and chewing. I'm worried about the bones, but so far, she takes all the wing leaving the bones neatly behind. Is this more of a concern as she gets older, and should I stop giving them?
Thanks in advance.

shazamataz
Jun 4, 2012, 03:07 AM
She doesn't really need the milk now if she is on a balanced puppy food and just regular lactose free milk wouldn't be as beneficial as formulated puppy milk anyway. Though if she really enjoys it you can give it as a treat.

Chicken wings are good, she will be able the crunch the bones up eventually but if she is picking them clean now she is at least still giving her teeth a work out.
Just be careful of the small bone in the wing and that she doesn't try to swallow it whole. Once she is big enough I prefer feeding chicken necks to chicken wings, I find they are safer but that's opinion.

You can also give her beef bones (raw) but introduce in small amounts at first to avoid an upset stomach. I know several breeders who plonk bones in the pups pens before they are even fully weaned.

Maddy388
Jun 4, 2012, 03:33 AM
Much appreciated, and for suffering my typo in the thread header! Brain goes faster than my fingers, or vice versa!

She does have chicken neck already, we just kept doing what she was used to. Wing one day, neck the next, mince meat and Royal Canin mini puppy biscuits as the staple diet, but will need to change to a cheaper puppy biscuit, so any ideas on brands that are good, but don't cost an arm and a leg would be handy too, though I appreciate you may not be able to advertise brands.

Will slowly finish milk in stock, and heed your warnings on the wings.
Thanks.

shazamataz
Jun 4, 2012, 04:50 AM
Hehe no problem, I fixed the typo for you :)

Royal Canin is good, mine used to be on that as puppies, but it is rather pricey for what it is as you say. I'm in Australia so I can't really help out with brands, we don't get a lot of the same ones as the US. Check back though as we have several knowledgeable members in that part of the world on here! If you do happen to be in Aus mine are just on Supercoat and do really well on it (a little too well, my poodles are overweight haha).
It sounds like you are doing a great job keeping a nice balanced diet and giving variety.

Maddy388
Jun 4, 2012, 05:02 AM
I'm in Aus too, so that's great thank you.
It's been over 20 years since we had a pup, and nearly 13 years since our last lovely blue cattle dog died, and broke our hearts, so it's taken a long while to take the plunge again.
We accept the responsibility as absolute, and hate it when others think of their pets as toys, or decoration, but enough of that.
You're providing a great service.