The most common mistake when choosing a substitute for mother’s milk for puppies is using low-fat cow’s milk. In fact, this substitute is very common. Dog and cat milk contains high amounts of fat and energy, and by feeding low-fat milk to orphaned puppies, we are essentially causing them to suffer from malnutrition. Puppies will have to consume a large volume of low-fat milk to obtain enough calories, leading to diarrhea, malnutrition, and even death. Noise, restlessness, and anxiety are other signs of insufficient calorie intake in puppies. In this article, we will discuss the best substitutes for mother’s milk for puppies. Stay with us. 
When is a substitute for mother’s milk necessary for puppies?
Every newborn puppy receives its nutritional needs from its mother’s milk before it can eat solid food; however, sometimes, for various reasons, the mother’s milk is not available to the puppies. For example, the mother may not be present around them for any reason, or she may refuse to feed the puppies. Sometimes, older puppies may drink more milk than the smaller ones, and the smaller one may not get enough milk. In these cases, we use a substitute for mother’s milk for puppies.
How to use a substitute for mother’s milk
The best approach is to provide the mother’s milk to the puppy for at least the first few days after birth; however, if this is not possible for any reason, you can switch to bottle feeding. In this section, we will review two recipes for making a substitute for mother’s milk for puppies.
Emergency homemade substitute
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cow’s milk, equivalent to 240 milliliters;
- 3 egg yolks;
- 1 drop of high-quality oral multivitamin;
- 1 tablespoon corn oil, equivalent to 15 milliliters;
- A small amount of salt.
Mix the ingredients thoroughly and heat to a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius. Store the mixture in the refrigerator when not in use and discard any leftovers after 24 hours.
Homemade substitute
Ingredients:
- Half a cup of cow’s or goat’s milk, equivalent to 120 milliliters;
- Half a cup of water, equivalent to 120 milliliters;
- 2 to 4 egg yolks;
- 1 or 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil;
- 1 gram of calcium carbonate;
Mix the ingredients thoroughly and heat to a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius. Store the mixture in the refrigerator when not in use and discard any leftovers after 24 hours. In addition to the mentioned methods, you can also use specialized puppy milk powder as a substitute for mother’s milk for puppies. Milk powders provide the necessary organic and mineral nutrients for puppies and can serve as a good substitute for mother’s milk. These milk powders are sometimes used as supplements for mother or nursing dogs as well.
Additional tips
During the feeding process for motherless puppies, make sure to consider the following tips:
- Adjust the diameter of the nipple hole on the bottle to ensure that the milk flows out at a speed that is not so fast that it causes choking, aspiration, or pneumonia and not so slow that feeding becomes difficult for the puppy.
- When feeding, hold the puppy in a horizontal and neutral position and gently massage its back or belly.
- Puppies should be fed every 2 to 4 hours, with each feeding being 10 to 15 milliliters.
- If the puppy has diarrhea, decrease the amount of milk powder.
- Always warm the milk to a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius.
- Monitor the speed and amount of feeding. Overfeeding can lead to diarrhea, bloating, aspiration, and failure.
- Clean the bottles and nipples after each use and boil them in hot water to sterilize.
- No substitute should be used for more than 24 hours.
- If the substitute for mother’s milk for puppies has been at room temperature for over 1 hour, discard it.
Final thoughts
The best source of nutrition for any newborn, whether human or animals like dogs and cats, is mother’s milk. Sometimes, for any reason, puppies cannot receive mother’s milk. In this article, we reviewed substitutes for mother’s milk for puppies. We provided two immediate and homemade recipes, and in addition to those, you can also use specialized puppy milk powder for feeding.
