weaning

We've had an eventful ride so far, Taika, these puppies & I. I never knew whether Taika was going to wash her paws of the babies and depart, leaving me to it. Then there was the worry that she wasn't producing enough milk. But by the time of the 2-week milestone, I realised that all was finally well. Taika had learned her job and was performing it well (if a teeny bit begrudgingly). She was cheerful, enjoying her walks but also hurrying back to the pups whenever she heard them squeak. The puppies were growing fast & fat and developing just as they should. I no longer needed to provide extra milk for anyone nor did I have to do the bottom licking anymore. Ahhh, at last I could relax and enjoy the whole experience. Apart from the worming, of course, which the puppies & I 'enjoy' alike.

And it was a nice 3 days while it lasted.

I think the puppies are growing teeth because Taika has started giving them a speedy feed, an even speedier wash and then hopping straight out of the box again. And there have been complaints. Loud ones. I think they're still hungry, so it's time to break out the weaning stuff.

In the past, on recommendation, I've always used Pedigree Puppy Porridge, which is great stuff. It comes in a 2kg tub of powder that you mix with water into a milky paste of the desired consistency, gradually getting thicker as the puppies learn to eat. Then they eventually graduate to softened puppy kibble. But I've been having difficulty finding a supplier with the porridge in stock and for a few terrible days I feared Pedigree had stopped making it around about the time they yanked their public support for dog shows. But no, they do still support breeders - just not in a public way. That's fine by me just so long as I can get that great porridge.

There were other brands of similar-sounding stuff available, but the last thing I wanted to do was risk using an untried product. What if it upset their digestion again? No, no, no.

So, while I'm waiting for the Pedigree tub to turn up, I've started in the labour-intensive manner. First, soak a few pieces of Arden Grange Weaning/Puppy food in just-boiled water. Some soften quicker than others. Some never do, fish them out. Mash up softened kibble with a fork until mush. Next, make up some Lactol milk and get it to the right temperature. Combine. Give to puppies.

The first meal wasn't very successful. I used a plate which had 2 major problems: (1) the stuff stayed in the middle of the plate and the puppies can only reach the edge of the plate; and (2) such a little amount of milky mush gets cold very quickly on a plate. Not appetising for puppies. The second meal was much more successful. These puppies are smart! They caught on straight away. I tried to take a video of them all eating (some from the plate, some from each other) but my primary concern was keeping the food coming, so the video didn't turn out very well. So I had another quick attempt after a couple of the puppies had given up. What are they eating from? The lid of the empty Lactol can.

Don't miss the growl at about 30 seconds.





And may I say what a relief it is to get my internet connection back after 48 hours beyond the pale. I guess BT were threatening not to reconnect us until Sunday or Monday just so we'd be grateful beyond complaint when they got us back online earlier than threatened. Phew! Quite apart from my blog & Facebook addictions, there is the small matter of the financial year-end for work. I really, really need online access to my work computer at the moment.