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Milk Replacement Formula for Kittens

Do not substitute cow or goat milk for a high quality milk replacer, they are not equivalent. Do not feed raw egg whites, as a biotin deficiency may occur due to an enzyme in the white part of the egg which is destroyed with cooking. 

Do not use honey as it can contain the temperature resistant spores of Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that causes botulism. This could prove fatal to a kitten. This organism is a strict anaerobe, meaning that it only grows in the absence of molecular oxygen. The problem with infants (and animals) and honey, is that the small, intestinal tract of an infant apparently is sufficiently anaerobic to allow the spores to germinate into actively growing C. botulinum organisms. Essentially, an infant serves the same role as a sealed, airtight, contaminated can of beans as far as the organisms are concerned. There in an infant's body, the bacteria secrete the dangerous toxin that causes the symptoms of botulism.

Quite a few documented infant deaths have occurred due to honey. Most pediatricians recommend no honey for the first year so you know it would not be good to give any newborn animal honey. 

• Kittens need to be burped during and after feeding.  Hold them upright or over your shoulder and pat their backs gently. 

• Bottle or tube feeding must be done carefully to prevent aspiration.

• Kittens should not be fed while on their backs but while lying on their stomachs as they would normally nurse when the mother is present.

Milk Replacement Formula for Puppies

There are many reasons that a dog owner may end up having to hand fed a newborn pup. Sometimes the mother will die during delivery, she may get mastitis (milk fever), or she may even reject her own pups. When any of these things happen, it is up to you to make sure that the pup or pups is able to survive. There are several good puppy milk replacement formulas that you can buy at your local pet store or even Walmart. However, these can be very expensive especially if you are feeding a large litter. It is very easy and cost efficient to make a replacement formula for you pups using ingredients you probably already have around the house. Here are a couple different recipes that you can make at home.

Recipe #1

1/2 cup evaporated milk (never use whole milk,
it can cause diarrhea and dehydration)
1/2 cup boiled water-cooled
1 tsp of karo syrup
1 tablespoon of plain yogurt
1 drop of a pediatric multivitamin
2 raw egg yolks

Recipe #2

1 cup goat milk
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons Karo syrup
1 drop of pediatric multivitamin

Whichever recipe you choose, mix all of the ingredients well and use immediately or refrigerate for up to two days. Be sure to dispose of all leftovers after this time.

You can add the mixture to a special puppy bottle for most breeds, or use a regular human baby bottle for many large breeds. You need to check and make sure that the hole in the nipple is large enough for the mixture to pass through easily, but not too fast so that the puppy does not choke. For puppies that cannot suck on their own, use a medicine dropper. Make sure to angle the bottle enough so that the pup is not sucking in air.

Pups need to eat a lot, so be prepared to feed them about every two hours day and night. You'll probably need to give each pup about 30 milliliters of formula mixture for every 3 ounces of the pup's weight per day.

As the pups get older, you can decrease the frequency of feedings. After the first week you can start feeding them every three hours during the day and two feedings at four hour intervals during the night. You also should weigh each pup accurately every day to make sure they are getting enough to eat and gaining weight. Any pup that is lagging behind it's litter mates may need a few extra feedings daily. If the pups are crying constantly and trying to latch onto and suck things around them are probably still hungry and should be fed again.

During the first 48-72 hours pups require frequent feedings, around every 2 hours or so. After the first week you can start feeding them every three hours during the day and two feedings at four hour intervals during the night! Once you make it to week two, feedings can start to be at every 4-6 hours.

Another thing to remember is that new puppies are not able to have bowel movements or urinate on their own. They depend on the mother to assist them with this for the first few weeks of their life. Although a little messy at times this can be easily done by using a warm moist rag or cotton ball simulating the normal grooming that the mother would have done. This is a necessary and vital part of raising orphaned pups and you should try this before and after feedings. Usually by the age of 3 weeks the puppies own muscles in this area will have developed and this will no longer be necessary.

One thing you also want to remember is that small pups have an extremely hard time regulating their own body temp. Something you can do to aid in this is of course insulation. Also a heating pad set on the lowest setting or a simple twenty-five watt light bulb suspended over one end of the box can be extremely useful. However be careful!

Set up the pups box and use a thermometer making sure there is plenty of insulation between the pup and the heating pad or more space between the light bulb and sleeping surface of the box.

A dog's normal body temperature is between 101 and 102 Fahrenheit. So you don't want the area where the sick pup is going to recover over that temperature. If its too hot more insulation between the pup and the pad can be added and vice versus. Remember, do not leave the heating pad on 24/7, this can cause burns to the puppies skin.