My 4-week puppy's mom stopped nursing. How much should I feed?

AT 4 weeks old it is good to try to start feeding them so they can be weaned by 6 weeks old. Each puppy is different and may take to it a different times. I would try dry puppy food mixed with water so it is soft, then feed them. They may not eat at all and play in it. If that happens, skip a day or 2 and try again. You may have to place some in their mouths to teach them. They will still nurse despite being fed so it does not have to be a lot of food as they are little and can't hold very much. The better they get and the older they are, you can decrease the amount of water added to get them used to dry puppy food.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! At this stage you can try to feed him puppy food. You can water it down to make it softer or just feed him the wet kind. If he is not wanting to eat that yet, you may have to start him on a milk replacer until he is a bit older (perhaps a few more weeks) and try solid food again at that stage. Have a good night!

Puppies get weaned between 4 and 6 weeks, so it is probably just time! I recommend mixing water with canned puppy food (or dry puppy food) to make it really wet and mushy. The puppies will often play in it and then lick it off their paws. Here is a helpful article: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2108&aid=887

A toy-breed puppy this age should be eating every 3-4 hours, since they are prone to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) if they go much longer than that between meals. As Flynn gets older, you can gradually work towards feeding him less often until you are only feeding twice a day as an adult. As far as the amount goes, this will vary with every brand depending on its calorie content. If you look at the back of the food bag, it should have guidelines for how much to feed per day based on your puppy's age and weight :)

You could wait another week or two to see if the mother will wean them soon. If she hasn't weaned by 8 weeks, then I would recommend doing so yourself by completely separating them by a door or baby gate. Continue to offer the puppy food, try mixing it with water or puppy milk replacer and allowing them to play in it. They may not be hungry if they are still nursing.

Ideally, they should stay with the mother and litter until at least 8 weeks of age. This can prevent behavioral issues as they get older. They can start weaning to solid foods beginning at about 4 weeks of age. If they can stay with the mother and litter while weaning, this would be best for them in the long run.

In general, grain free food is not recommended due to a potential link with heart disease. I recommend to feed a brand like Royal Canin Chihuahua Puppy (it's ok that he is a mixed breed) or their regular small breed puppy formula. Purina ProPlan also carries small breed puppy diets. The amount to feed is on the back of the package. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.