When should puppies start eating gruel

When Should We Introduce Puppies to Gruel + 5 Gruel Recipes

Gruel plays a huge role when it comes to weaning puppies off of their mothers milk, but when should we introduce it to our puppys diet?

So, when should we introduce puppies to gruel?We can start feeding puppies gruel as early as when theyre three or four weeks old. This is not going to be the only thing they eat in their diet because they will also be receiving the majority of the nutrition they need from their mothers milk at first.

But how much gruel should you serve the puppies, and how can you make the puppies eat the gruel when they have their mothers milk? If you want to learn more about that plus get five different gruel recipes, then continue reading this blog post.

When should we introduce puppies to gruel?

Gruel is a great meal that is going to help your puppy become more independent when it comes to eating. It is going to help your puppy wean off their mothers milk gradually and introduce them to solid foods.

Gruel is a semi-solid in which its consistency( how runny it is or how thick it could be) can be easily controlled. Of course, the gruels consistency should be super runny when it is introduced to the puppys diet for the first time.

But how are we going to do that? What is going to make your dog leave their mothers milk and encourage them to eat more solid foods? These are all great questions that I am going to start answering right now.

The perfect time to introduce your puppy to gruel is during their weaning periods. The weaning period should be implemented when the puppy is three to four weeks old.

During that time, the mother is going to be taken away from her litter box for a few hours at a time. As soon as the mother is removed from the litter box, a plate or pan of gruel is added to the litter box.

This timing is perfect because the puppy has no access to their mothers milk, but they have another food option that is easy to eat thanks to its soup texture.

How to introduce puppies to gruel?

We have discussed the puppys first gruel meal, but there is so much more than what just meets the eye. Though it seems like the puppy is going to eat the gruel when their mother isnt around to breastfeed them, that isnt always the case. But let us see how exactly were going to introduce a weaning puppy to gruel.

First things first, you should start by using the same nutritious, high-quality puppy food that they are going to continue eating after they are completely weaned off their mothers milk.

By giving your puppy the same type of solid food they are going to get weaned in agruel form while theyre getting weaned, you are going to make your life a little bit easier.

To turn the nutritious dry puppy food that theyre going to eat during their growth phase into the soup gruel they are going to eat throughout their weaning period, simply add warm water to the puppys food or add warm canine milk.

Make sure that the amount of liquids added is more than the dry food to achieve a soupy consistency.

The soupy texture of the gruel is crucial because it is going to be one of the factors that are going to encourage the puppy to start consuming semi-solid foods.

When food is moistened and warm, it is going to have a stronger aroma; thus it is also going to appeal to their taste sense, which helps the puppies get more encouraged to eat the gruel even more.

However, that is not enough. You will have to encourage the puppies to eat the first few times their mother is taken away from the litter box.

Dont worry. You can do this very easily by taking your clean, properly washed finger and dipping it into the gruel. Then, you are going to place your finger near the puppys mouth to encourage them to lick it. Once they start licking the gruel off of your finger, lead them towards the plate of gruel.

Please dont forget to leave a bowl of water inside the litter box. Once the weaning process has started, puppies are going to need water to get hydrated. Their mothers milk is no longer enough.

Here are the five different gruel recipes

Before we start talking about these different gruel recipes, let talk about the essential ingredients to make a gruel.

To keep it simple, let us say that all you need to make a gruel out of any nutritional food by adding warm water or canine milk to make the solid food mushier. Soupy foods are the perfect way to transition the puppy from living on liquid foods ( their mothers milk) to solid food.

Without any further ado, let us talk the five different gruel recipes that you can make for your weaning puppy and for your recently weaned puppy. Generally speaking, as the puppy grows older, the less liquid the gruel should have until the puppy reaches a point where they are perfectly capable of eating and digesting dry puppy food.

Recipe number one

You are going to need the following:

1. One and three-quarters of a teaspoon of powdered puppy food that is high in quality. ( To turn the dry puppy food to powder, just blend it in the blender).
2. Add a quarter of a cup of replacement canine milk formula
3. Add water that has a temperature of one hundred and five degrees ( the gruel is then going to be served to the puppies whencooled down a bit to one hundred degrees.

If your puppy isnt in their very early weaning phase, then you can also add this ingredient as well.

4. Add a tablespoon and a half of rice cereal. ( This acts as a thicker)

Now, mix all of the ingredients together with a fork and make sure that the gruel has a smooth texture before you serve it to the puppies. If you have a blender, you can blend all of the ingredients more efficiently.

Make sure you skip adding rice cereal to the mixture if this is your puppys first few gruel meals.

Recipe number two

This gruel recipe is literally going to bring all of the puppies to the plate of gruel. Dont believe me? Then just watch this video!

This five-step gruel recipe is so simple and easy to make. Here is what you are going to do:

1. Put two cups of high-quality dry food into the blender.
2. Pour two and a half cups of hot water intothe blender.
3. Allow the dry food to soak in hot water in the blender for ten minutes.
4. After the ten minutes are up, blend the ingredients together for two minutes.
5. Finally, just pour the gruel on atray or a flat plate and give it to your puppies.

P.S: Unlike the first recipe, this one could feed about six puppies. So you will have to do the math depending on how many weaning puppies you need to feed.

Recipe number three

In this recipe, we are going to use minced meat. Here is what you are going to do:

1. Put two cups of high-quality dry food into the blender.
2. Add a bit of boiled minced meat into the blender
3. Add a cup and a half of puppy milk formula.
4. Add a two and a half cups of warm water into the blender or just fill up the blender with warm water all the way to the maximum possible top.
5. Blend the ingredients properly, then serve it to the puppies.

P.S: Unlike the first recipe, this one could feed about six puppies. So you will have to do the math depending on how many weaning puppies you need to feed.

Recipe number four

This is yet another simple gruel recipe. Here is what youre going to do:

1. Put two cups of high-quality dry food into the blender.
2. Pour two and a half cups of hot chicken broth into the blender.
3. Allow the dry food to soak in the hot chicken broth in the blender for ten minutes.
4. After the ten minutes are up, blend the ingredients together for two minutes.
5. Finally, just pour the gruel on a tray or a flat plate and give it to your puppies.

P.S: Unlike the first recipe, this one could feed about six puppies. So you will have to do the math depending on how many weaning puppies you need to feed.

Recipe number five

This recipe is for puppies who are almost done with their weaning process. It is one of the easiest gruel recipes ever.

All you have to do is soak their dry food with a little bit of water only to soften it up. It wont have a soupy texture; it is only a little bit softer when compared to the dry food on its own.

Other questions related to it when should we introduce puppies to gruel

When should you wean a puppy?

The weaning process of puppy usually begins when they are three or four weeks old and ends when theyre about eight weeks old. The weaning process is a gradual one and should never be rushed.

If you want to learn more about the weaning process, like how it should be done, then make sure you check out my When Should You Wean A Puppy blog post.

When can you remove a puppy from their litter box?

A puppy can be separated from their mother and litter box when they are eight weeks old.

What happens if you separate a puppy from their mother and litter box before they turn eight weeks old?

Separating a puppy from their mother and litter box before they turn eight weeks old makes them prone to developing behavioral and mental issues.

Thats it for todays post. You should now know when to introduce your puppy to gruel. If you have any questions related to puppies eat gruel, them leave them as replies in the comments section down.

If you have recently started giving your puppy gruel, what gruel recipes is your pup enjoying the most? If you are comfortable enough to share with us your gruel recipes, then feel free to leave them in the comments section as well!

Sources

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

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

Learn more

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.

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.

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