What is a dish of gruel for puppies

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated November 18, 2024

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How to Make Puppy Mush or Puppy Gruel: Vet Approved Recipes & Tips

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When your puppies first begin eating puppy food, you will have to soften it for them. This is often called puppy mush or puppy gruel due to its consistency and look. They cannot yet handle completely solid food, so it has to be incredibly soft and mushy. Slowly, the mixture can be adjusted to fit the puppys life stage.

Luckily, this stuff is straightforward to make and takes no more than what you already have lying around your house.

Puppy Mush Recipes

There are several ways you can go about making puppy mush, though many of these recipes are incredibly similar. Several breeders will have one recipe they swear by. However, all of these recipes are appropriate for most puppies.

You should use the same food you use to feed the mother, as this food might have affected her milk flavor or smell. If the new food tastes and smells closer to what the puppies are used to, the odds are that they will take to eating it faster.

Image Credit: Larysa Snihirova, Shutterstock

Puppy Gruel Ingredients

The first step to making gruel for puppies or puppy mush is to choose the perfect ingredients. The ingredients matter substantially when it comes to feeding your puppies properly. There are a few essential ingredients any puppy mush is going to include.

Firstly, youll need some high-quality puppy dog food. The food must be designed for puppies, as this sort of formula contains more of certain nutrients that puppies need, like DHA. It also has a different protein and fat level which is essential to support the puppys growth. You will also need water, make sure it is clean, drinking water. The amount of water will depend on the food. Some take a bit more water to become mushy, while other types take less. Experiment to figure out the best amount of water for your mushs desired consistency.

You will also need a puppy milk formula. Some breeders use goat milk instead, which should work similarly. You dont want to use cows milk, as it can upset your pets stomach.

To feed about 6 to 8 puppies, youll need 2 cups of dry food and about 12.5 ounces of milk. The exact amount of water will depend on how mushy you need to make the food.

The milk, water, and kibble make up the base of the recipe. However, there are several other things you can add as well. Many of these things are considered superfoods, but whether they do anything is debatable. Scientific studies have not been done on these ingredients, so the benefits of adding them are not known.

Many breeders add broccoli and dog-friendly seeds. These are added to increase the dog foods overall nutritional value, as they are deficient in calories but high in nutrients. Types of organ meat are also added, but you have to be careful about pets overeating vitamin K and other vitamins. Organ meats are a little too high in certain circumstances.

Some breeders may add raw meat, but this is not recommended because it can introduce diseases that the puppies arent yet prepared to deal with.

In most circumstances, it is best to use a high-quality puppy food that is already complete instead of adding in a whole bunch of superfoods. If youre using good puppy food you shouldnt need to add in extra stuff.

How to Make Puppy Mush

Now that youve figured out what ingredients youd like to use, its time actually to make the gruel. Firstly, you should add the puppy food and puppy replacement milk to a bowl. Mix the food as much as possible and let it sit for a few minutes. This will soften the kibble and make it easier to mix.

If you dont have a blender, you will need to add warm water to soften up the mixture. If you have a blender, you dont have to spend as much time waiting for the kibble to soften. Instead, throw it all in the blender (single-serve blenders and Ninja blenders work well for this purpose).

A hand mixer works as well, though not necessarily as well as a blender. A potato masher works incredibly well. Your goal should be to get it about oatmeal consistency.

How to Feed Puppy Gruel

Now that the puppy gruel is made, you should place it in a few very shallow pans. Regular baking sheets work just fine, as do pizza pans. Some specialized puppy-gruel pans are available, but these are pretty unnecessary in the large scheme of things.

Put the food in an area that you dont mind getting dirty. If the ground is cold, lay down a towel. Then, lay the puppies near the gruel. Dont shove their heads in it, but they should all be able to find it quite easily.

Let the puppies eat at their rate. In the beginning, it may be relatively slow. When the puppies are no longer interested, you can take it away. Usually, puppies will fall asleep after they are full.

FAQ

When Should Puppies Begin to Eat Puppy Mush?

In the beginning, puppy mush will not be the only food your puppy is eating. They may not get many calories from the puppy mush at first as they try and figure out how exactly to eat it. It can be more complicated than you might think, especially when youre a little puppy!

For this reason, the first introduction of puppy gruel isnt meant to provide many calories. Instead, its to introduce the puppies to solid food so they can begin getting used to it.

Usually, this should begin when they are around 34 weeks old. However, the timing will depend on the mother somewhat. Eventually, the mother will stop feeding the puppies as much as she begins to wean them. This is your sign to introduce solid foodas in mush or gruel.

Some mothers will never initiate the weaning process, though. In this case, introduce the mush in week 4 anyway. The puppies will need to be weaned, even if the mother doesnt seem like she knows how to start the process.

You should take the time to gradually change your puppys diet, starting with only 10% gruel and 90% mothers milk. Slowly shift this ratio until your puppy is eating 100% solid food by the age of 8 weeks. The amount of gruel and its consistency should be gradually modified in line with this goal and timeline. Gradually reduce the amount of liquid used to make the gruel until its consistency is that of wet food, and simultaneously increase the amount of gruel/food your puppy eats as the mother weans it. The mothers milk will dry up around 12 or so weeks, so the switch needs to be made entirely before then.

How to Teach a Puppy to Eat Puppy Gruel

Transitioning a puppy from their mothers milk to mush isnt a matter of teaching.Instead, the puppies typically figure it out through exposure. Your job will mostly be to expose the puppies to the food and ensure that the correct amount is available. You may also need to ensure that all the puppies get the appropriate amount, especially if some pups seem to be bullied away by their siblings.

The most youll need to do is coax the puppy to try the new food. You may put some on your finger and then offer it to the puppy, who will likely try and suck your finger, consuming the gruel in the process.

Understand that puppies will not quite understand how to eat effectively for some time. For this reason, youll need to prepare for plenty of clean-up. The puppies will likely get more on themselves than they actually consume. For this reason, youll need to ensure that you have plenty of towels and prepare to support their learning process.

It may take a few times for some puppies to even try a little bit. However, you should continue to offer it regularly. Repeat exposure is exactly how puppies wean, even if they dont eat very much at first. Eventually, the puppy will recognize their new food and recognize it when you offer it.

There will be little actual teaching when it comes to weaning the puppies. Instead, your job is to offer the right food and provide puppies with plenty of chances to eat it.

Image credit: Parichart Patricia Wong, Shutterstock

How Often Should Puppies Eat Puppy Mush?

Puppies are growing quickly, but they only have small stomachs. Like human babies, they need to eat a little bit often. Even if it doesnt seem like your puppies are consuming much of the gruel, they are likely taking in a decent number of calories.

Preferably, the puppies should eat the mush three to four times a day. This is a lot and will require plenty of clean-up from you. If the puppies are tiny, you may need to increase this amount but lower the amount of food you offer at one time. Be sure to weigh the puppies as they grow to ensure theyre on track. You may need to adjust their food intake based on this information. More is not necessarily better, as it can cause health problems down the line if the puppies develop too quickly.

Throughout the puppys development, you will want to increase the amount of food per meal but lower the overall meals. They should be eating only two meals a day when they are ready for their new homes, though smaller breeds may still need three meals a day.

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Featured Image Credit: Switlana Sonyashna, Shutterstock

How to Make Puppy Gruel and Puppy Mush for Weaning Puppies

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Taking care of newborn puppies is a gift that not many people get to enjoy.

You get the chance to see them open their eyes for the first time, test out their tiny little legs and bond with their mom.

During their first few weeks of life, they experience many firsts.

It takes them a bit to get used to everything, especially when it comes to fighting for a spot during mealtime when they all drink their mothers milk.

What happens when milk isnt enough for them anymore?

Thats when its time to make puppy gruel and puppy mush.

Check out how to make both and why theyre crucial for puppy development.

What is Puppy Gruel?

When puppies grow to three or four weeks old, its a good time to get them off their mothers milk.

Their mom may start producing less milk as her body returns to its pre-pregnancy state.

They also start developing their baby teeth, which makes their mom less inclined to feed them.

Even when their mom is done with her milk, puppies cant transition directly to dry kibble. It would be a shock to their digestive system.

Instead, they should step into the world of puppy gruel.

Puppy gruel is a highly nutritious soft food that most puppies enjoy.

It can be made a couple different ways, depending on what you have on hand.

How to Make Puppy Gruel

Before you pull out your canine milk replacement, recognize a puppys need to learn to eat solid foods.

Gruel is the first step in that process, so here are a few ways to make it.

Option 1: Use Puppy Kibble

If youve already bought your bag of dry puppy kibble, dont toss it out.

You can use it to make puppy gruel if you take a little bit out at a time.

Puppies need protein, fat, phosphorus and calciumduring their first few weeks^[1], so check for a kibble brand that emphasizes those nutrients in its food.

After youve brought the food home, its time to take out your blender.

Pour two cups of puppy food into a big bowl and soak it all with a 12.5 ounce can of puppy milk replacement. Let it sit for ten to fifteen minutes, or until the kibble is swollen and soft.

Dump it all in a blender to blend it into a liquid or mash it with a potato masher until the kibble is broken up.

Option 2: Use Baby Rice Cereal

Vets recommend using baby rice cereal for puppy gruel if you dont have kibble^[2].

You soak the rice cereal in the puppy milk replacement until its soft and mush it up into a liquid.

It may not have all the nutrients of kibble, but the milk replacement will step in to help.

What is Puppy Mush?

Puppy mush and gruel are often interchangeable, but the process for making them is slightly different.

How to Make Puppy Mush

At the end of week five and beginning of week six, its time to introduce the puppies to thicker foods so they get used to chewing.

Thats where puppy mush comes in.

Youll definitely want to use puppy kibble with their milk replacement.

Feed them the same two cups of food per meal, but decrease the milk replacement bit by bit.

The idea is that the kibble still soaks for around fifteen minutes, but doesnt dissolve or become blended. It should still be soft enough for them to munch on without putting too much pressure on their new teeth.

Every few days, continue decreasing the milk so theyll be used to eating dry kibble by the time their new parents pick them up.

The main bonus of using kibble at this stage is that the puppies will have a few weeks to get used to digesting the brand you choose.

If theyre sent home with a bag of that same brand, the new owners wont have any potty accidents to clean up from an upset puppy stomach thats forced to digest brand new food.

Tips for Making Puppy Mush or Gruel

The process of adjusting a puppy from milk to gruel to mush may sound simple, but there are a few important facts you need to remember while the puppies are in your care.

Add More Water

Between birth and four to six weeks of age, puppies may not drink much water.

Thats because theyre getting water from their mothers milk or the milk replacement.

As soon as you start switching them to puppy mush, when the liquid is decreased, theyll become thirstier.

Leave out extra water during the last few weeks with the puppies so they stay hydrated.

Although it may surprise you, water intake encourages the metabolic processes^[3], which keep each puppy growing on track.

If puppies are left dehydrated, their physical and mental development could become stunted.

Stick With Puppy Food

Some people believe that its fine to introduce puppies to adult kibble during the diet transition process but thats not true.

Puppy kibble is formulated specifically for a puppys needs^[4], which includes all the nutritional demands they need during their continuous growth spurts.

Adult dogs dont grow like puppies do, so their food is slightly lower in carbs and protein.

While thats great for what adult dogs need, it leaves puppies nutritionally lacking.

Stick with puppy food for the gruel and mush.

While most puppy food is designed for all puppies, it may be wise to get a breed-specific puppy food. Especially with certain breeds such as German Shepherds

Dont Reuse Mush or Gruel

Sometimes it takes puppies a bit to get used to eating their mush or gruel compared to sucking for milk.

While you can help them learn by bringing the food to their mouth for the first few mealtimes, you shouldnt reuse the softened food if they dont eat it all.

After kibble is soaked and exposed to air, it starts to lose its flavor and quality.

Its meant to be packaged, stored and served dry, so soaking it is like introducing a bag of dog food to moisture. It grows mold quickly.

If the mush or gruel smells strange after sitting in the bowl for even thirty minutes, toss it out.

Its always better to serve food fresh than risk the puppies eating bacteria or mold.

Conclusion

Transitioning puppies off of their mothers milk to kibble is easier than most people realize.

You dont need special formulas to make mush or gruel. Just use the puppy kibble or rice cereal you have on hand, combine it with puppy milk replacement, and your puppies will be good to go.

Have patience while they learn and the puppies will be just fine when they drive off to their forever home.