For handraising puppies. which is better? commercial puppy formula or home made?

[Fran101]

I know that i could buy a couple of puppy formulas at petstores (ebisilac, ect..) but I was wondering if home made is better, and if so.. any recipes you recommend?

The puppies will probably be unhealthy, orphan pups that I will be getting are either strays or confiscated for abuse.
(the shelter has an orphan puppy handraising foster program)
so I will really need a formula that will help them thrive and get through it.

Since this is my first litter ill be raising, im not going to start TOO young, im thinking atleast 2 1/2 weeks

 

[Maxy24]

I really wish someone with experience would answer your posts here but until then...You could always ask the person who had them before you, if they look healthy when they pass them onto you chances are they are doing something right.

I found this, don't know if it's reputable though (but the guy does seem to advocate raw so he may know a thing or two about nutrition): Bottle Feeding Puppies

They talk about tubing but you just have to use a bottle, pay attention to how big the nipple whole should be, it should drip slowly like a leaky faucet not stream out.

Check this as well (I didn't look at all the links but it seems to have what you are looking for in this and your other breeding section thread): Bottle-feeding and hand-raising newborn orphaned puppies, whelping supplies, and recipes for supplementing new born orphans - from Chinaroad Lowchens of Australia


Again I know nothing about this personally other than they need to be warm, dry and need to have their backside rubbed with a warm, wet, soft cloth/cotton ball to go potty. So if anyone comes along and contradicts what the links say, go with them.

 

[Fran101]

Thanks for the links
Bottle Feeding Puppies

I found this formula, i think im gonna go with it:

Bottle Feeding Recipe

11 Calories per CC

1. 10 oz. of Goats milk

3. 1 raw egg yolk

4. 1 cup of whole yogurt

5. 1/2 Tsp Karo Syrup or Corn Syrup


The website has a bunch of helpful stuff. Im gonna look over like every website and see what I can learn


Im just confused on how to go about heating the formula, the website says it should be 101 degrees. that seems like really hot for a pup!

 

[Maxy24]

Well when you think about it at 83* a pool is still pretty cool, that's what I consider a good pool temp. I bet you'd just go about it the same way as a baby bottle, stick the full bottle in a pot of warm/hot water. That gets it at least up to human body temp (for human babies) which is only a few degrees different from a pup's temp.

 

[Zoom]

Puppies temperatures are usually about 102-103 anyway. We feed human babies bottles that are around 98 degrees, body temperature, so a 101 temp for pups sounds right.

Looks like a formula I've seen posted here at some point, so I think it's ok. But I'm not a puppy expert by any means.

 

[RedyreRottweilers]

puppy formula should be NO COOLER than 100 degrees!

Fran, the recipe you posted is the one I use. I would also add liquid baby vitamins (I use the ABCD drops) and also a good digestive enzyme support. I like the one from Nature's Farmacy - Originators of DOGZYMES Products

Best of luck on your adventure!

 

[Fran101]

thanks red, im gonna check that out

How would I go about warming it up, and how would make sure its the right temp?

Im trying to figure out what exactly ill need and so far ive got..
- Heating pad
- Scale to weigh pups every day
- Thermometer to make sure formula is the right temp
- Towels for them
- Newspaper
- Bottles for formula
- Ingredients for formula
- Some toys for them
- Hamburger meat, when i start making gruel to wean them off of


..anything else you guys can think of?