Canine milk replacers

It may sound simple enough to offer milk to newborn puppies, but various pitfalls await the unwary, as Emmanuel Fontaine describes.
 

Introduction

You finish performing the ultrasound scan, smile at the client and say “Congratulations! She’s pregnant.” This scene could occur in any veterinary clinic, but as you hang up your ultrasound probe, remember: the consultation is far from over. In fact, a new – and very important – conversation with the owner is about to begin. Part of it will focus on canine neonatology, and how to properly care for newborn puppies, and a useful mantra is “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. During the discussion, milk replacers are an important factor to include in the topics covered – and in fact milk replacers should be part of any maternity “toolkit” – but various questions arise at this point. Which one to pick? What are the important factors to check? What are the best ways to use them and when should they be used? This article will aim to answer all these questions and allow the veterinarian to feel comfortable advising owners in the clinic.

What’s the best milk replacement for puppies? 

Look for nutritional adequacy

Many owners assume that any milk will be suitable for newborn puppies. The milk in their fridge, a human baby milk replacer bought at the local grocery store, a home-made formula using a recipe found on the Internet… those are options that will often be considered if the owner has not been properly briefed. It is therefore important to let them know that their bitch’s milk is very specific. This is because canine milk, when compared to other species, is more energy dense, has higher levels of minerals (e.g., calcium and phosphorus) and contains more protein (Table 1). It is obvious that cow’s milk or goat’s milk (the latter being an Internet favorite) are quite different in composition, and they do not offer the proper nutritional balance to sustain healthy growth in newborn puppies. [...]