My 1-month puppy cries for food. Is cow milk okay for his diet?

Congrats on your new puppy, Honey is very cute! No, it is not right to feed her milk, especially cow's milk. Dairy productions should never be fed to dogs due to GI upset, and milk alone is not a balanced diet for a puppy. It will not be providing her with the nutrients she needs to grow properly. Puppies need higher amounts of protein, calories, and calcium than adult dogs, and a puppy formulated food will give that to her. It may be that she isn't used to puppy food yet, and I can give you a method to try to get her used to puppy food. To help her get used to puppy food, I would soak a high quality puppy formulated dry food in warm water until soft. Then mix that with puppy formula such as KMR to make a mush the consistency of oatmeal. Over the next two weeks, gradually increase the amount of dry puppy food and decrease the amount of water and KMR you use until she is eating the dry puppy food only.

It is very concerning that a puppy of Jackie's age isn't eating much food. Cerelac is not an appropriate diet for a dog, he needs a puppy formulated food. Puppies need higher amounts of calcium, calories, and protein than adult dogs, and a puppy formulated food will provide that for him. When he's 12 months old, he will need an adult dog food. I do not recommend feeding him anymore celerac, and put him straight onto a puppy food. Brands I recommend include Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. As for milk, it causes GI upset in dogs, so only give him water. You can add water to his dry dog food or feed him a canned puppy food to get more water into his diet. Finally, I'd have him seen by a vet for a health check. As I said above, it is concerning that he isn't eating much, and a check with the vet is always recommended. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Puppies naturally explore the world using their mouths. Chewing on himself may be related to itchy skin caused by fleas or excessively dry skin. If you are not familiar with normal puppy behavior, I recommend to read a few books so that you will be better educated and know what to expect and how to recognize a problem. You should be feeding Jackey a commercial dog food meant for large breed puppies. If you are feeding one of these diets already, it is fortified with the needed amounts of calcium, phosphorus, proteins, calories as well as the other needed nutrients. Giving additional supplements can actually hurt Jackey’s bone development and I recommend to not give him calcium supplements or any additional milk. If you want to feed a homemade diet, you need to consult a veterinary nutritionist. Large breed puppies are prone to several growth abnormalities and it is especially important to feed proper diet right now while the bones are developing and growing. Royal Canin makes an excellent diet called German Shepherd Puppy and it is formulated to meet the appropriate growth requirements as well as the often sensitive G.I. tract of the breed. You would feed this diet once he is six weeks old. There is another formula called Baby Dog that is appropriate for puppies less than 6 weeks old. You should also consult your veterinarian for his routine deworming, and to check out potentially itchy skin. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

No, I don't recommend that at all. A one month of age, he is old enough to be weaned onto puppy food. To help Rudy wean and to get used to dry food, I would soak a high quality puppy formulated dry food in warm water until soft. Then mix that with puppy formula such as KMR to make a mush the consistency of oatmeal. Over the next two weeks, gradually increase the amount of dry puppy food and decrease the amount of water and KMR you use until he is eating the dry puppy food only.

There are commercial puppy formulas that are the best option, but there are some homemade puppy formulas as well. I am attaching a handout below on caring for orphan puppies. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=576 It recommends the following formula for puppies if a commercial formula is not available. "Makeshift Formula until Commercial Formula can be Obtained Puppies 1 cup whole milk 1 tsp. salad oil 1 drop multi-vitamins (if you have any) 2 egg yolks" Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

It is best to give Fido a formula specific for dogs as giving regular cow's milk can cause diarrhea and dehydration. Most pet stores will carry formulas such as KMR for puppies along with feeding instructions on them.

Puppies are usually weaned off of Mom around this age so yes he can survive just fine. He should be eating puppy food since he likely has all his puppy teeth, just double check since some pets are late bloomers. I would suggest a high quality dog food such as Hill’s Science Diet, Royal Canin, or Natural Balance. You should feed him three times a day and the amount of food fed should be based off of the guidelines right on the bag of the brand you choose. You can go with a canned food for now then switch to dry (if desired) when she is around 7-8 weeks of age. Best of luck with your cute puppy. Take care!