So I was wrong again.... this is becoming a habit. Since I am basing most of my knowledge on what I can research on the internet and the reading my vet gave me, I am sorely lacking in practical experience. I read that weaning should happen around 5 weeks and that is when the mother would decide it was time. Betty was still feeding the puppies, but I noticed that a handful were getting slender and losing their puppy chub. I've been watching Betty and keeping her locked in with the puppies at night and for periods throughout the day to encourage her to feed them, but I started to suspect she either did not want to or did not have enough milk. I admittedly am not an expert Mastiff milker, so I really cannot tell how much milk she is hiding in there but based on the puppies condition I decided to take a chance. I was cuddling them earlier and noticed their bottom teeth had started coming through.
I mixed some puppy milk replacer (Esbilac, crossing my fingers the large canister holds out till they can eat dry.), a little extra water, and a cup of Earthborn Hollistics Puppy Vantage and let it soak for like 30 minutes. I figured, if they didn't eat it, no big deal and I at least would know if they were ready or not. I didn't want to do puppy mush (pureed milk, dog food, and sometimes other additives) since it is a huge mess, and Betty was still nursing. So I put down the pan, and it was like feeding a group of velociraptors. They stampeded towards the food and dove right in. They started with drinking the liquid up but devoured the entire pan of food and liquid ravenously. I realized after I put it down that the pan was too small for all of them to eat at once, and ran to make another pan of food for them to make sure everyone got some that was hungry.
They are still uncoordinated and felt the need to step in the food pan while they ate, or walk through it to get to the other side. All in all they did not make that big of a mess since it was just soaked kibbled, and I am worrying less about them not getting enough to eat. Looks like we are beginning weaning today. I will offer them another 2 pans at dinner, and then 3 times a day while still allowing Betty to nurse until she is done with that.
Here are some pictures of the insanity:
I cannot even see the pan...
They had no shame in crawling right over each other while eating and face planting their siblings into the food.
Can finally see the food pan...
Green collar is a dick....
Added the second pan of food... it needed a bit longer to soak before they were interested in it.
It is now ready apparently.
)
