Am i going to hurt anything if i wean my pups

[wyolion]

Am i going to hurt anything if i wean the pups off their mother i have taken the two pups that were doing the best off and am thinking about pulling the rest is that going to be ok? They are started on puppy food, just dont want anything to happen to the mother. They are about to be seven weeks old this next week.

Thanks Nate

[livetohunt]

They and her will be fine. I just keep an eye on them make sure they are eating good I would also give them some milk replacer and it wouldnt hurt to give some to the mom to just to help her rebuild vitamins she hos lost. Also as long as the pups cant get to her at all you can rub some Preparation H on her tits every day and they will dry up nice and tight. It might not seam like a big deal but as she gets older they will hang down lower and get cut and ripped on stuff.

[larry]

That poor gyp having to nurse for 7 weeks. Start em on food at 3 and yank mom out at 4-4.5 next time and they will still be fine.

[FullCryHounds]

Pull the pups at four weeks?? Since every Dr./Vet or professional will tell you they need 6-8 weeks, why in the world would you do this? Pups need mothers milk for proper development when they are still 4 weeks old, why in the world would you take a chance and possibly hinder the pups debelopment and pull them at 4 weeks. This is another one of those "but my grandpa did it and its fine". There's a lot of things that some of the old timers did that have been proven to be wrong, this is one of them.

[hamilton10]

Pups should be left on mamma until they are 6 weeks old. They should also be offered puppy feed soaked in milk as early as 3 weeks and fed all they will eat twice a day along with mamma milk. If this is done they won't even slow down when they are pulled off mamma. I have weaned some as early as 5 weeks and although none got sick or died they didn't do as well as litters weaned at 6 weeks.

[wyolion]

Thanks for all the advice i had a few calls no the pups last night and they want them them today so i am loading all but two up. I had started them on puppy food in milk about two weeks ago and afterwalching them last night i dont think they are even using her now.

Thanks again
Nate

[MT Hounder]

Had old friend tell me at three weeks he would introduce pups to a stew of puppy food, powdered milk and rice cereal. Let the cereal become soft before giving it to them. He would leave the pups on the mother until she weaned them. Usually by 8 weeks. Sometimes it was by 5. I think as long as thy were started on this stew they were fine, and getting all they needed.