How Much Goat’s Milk Should I Give To A Puppy?

The Short Answer is:

It is crucial to feed a puppy half of its body weight in goat’s milk every day if you are going to raise it on goat’s milk. This amount will need to be divided up because very young puppies eat several times a day (about every 4 hours).

In this article you will know the answer to the query “How Much Goat’s Milk Should I Give To A Puppy?“.

A puppys mother tends to it most of the time. 

It isnot always possible to do that in all cases.

Occasionally mothers die during labor or shortly thereafter so you are left with a whole litter to feed.

Other times puppies may be rejected by their mothers which means that you will have to intervene.

Some litters are so large that their mother can not possibly feed them all while others are just too small.

It is necessary to hand-rear a puppy when it can not be nursed by its mother.

Using goats milk for this is a popular choice.

I would like to talk about the importance of planning before discussing how appropriate goats milk is.

Failure to plan is planning to fail

You should buy goats milk the day before your pregnant buck gives birth if you intend to use it to hand rear your puppies.

If the worst happens and a puppy or a whole litter needs to be hand-reared you would not have time to rush out and buy goats milk when this situation arises.

There is no point in waiting for someone to rush out to the shop when a newborn puppy is so vulnerable.

You need to have a goats home and ready to use.

It should not be necessary for you to use it. 

The reason why puppies love goats milk is a bit more complicated.

Why is goat’s milk the best milk for puppies?

It seems that goats milk is the most popular choice for dog breeders who hand rear puppies.

Cows milk contains more lactose than goats milk and puppies with lactose intolerance should not consume cows milk.

Cows milk contains only .5% more lactose (compared to goats milk) but that is enough to make a difference.

The puppies will digest goats milk easily and comfortably while cows milk will cause a lot of discomfort and diarrhea for the puppies. 

What does goat’s milk contain?

It contains a whole range of nutrients that a growing puppy needs. 

I will list the five most important nutrients:

Fat content 4% 

Sugar 4.5%

Protein 3.6%

Calcium 13%

Vitamin D 12%

How long can a puppy drink goat’s milk?

A hand-raised puppy should be on milk for a similar amount of time as a puppy that is raised by its mother.

The puppy should only be fed milk for the first three weeks.

In other words our orphaned pup is only fed milk for the first three weeks.  

Following that soft “solid” foods are added to their diet with milk to top them off.

Until about week seven or eight soft solid foods and milk are blended together.

 By this time the puppy is totally dependent on soft solid food and no longer requires milk.

Dry kibble that has been soaked in warm water can be considered soft solid food.

As a puppy this kibble should be of good quality- which is very different nutritionally from kibble for adults. 

Should the goat’s milk be pasteurized or raw?

Dogs are a source of debate as to whether they should drink raw milk or pasteurized milk. In the process of pasteurizing milk we kill any potentially harmful bacteria. 

In contrast this is not as simple for dogs as pasteurizing milk also removes the lactase enzyme making it more difficult to digest. 

Additionally there are those who believe that after pasteurization milk loses many of its essential nutrients. 

The probiotics in raw unpasteurized goats milk are very beneficial to your dogs health so it can serve as a great addition to your dogs raw diet. 

You would be surprised at how much the environment in which the goat is raised affects the quality of its raw milk. 

Milk from goats that eat a lot of nutrients produces better quality milk while goats whose diet is limited in nutrients produce poorer quality milk.

But because puppies’ immune systems are still developing pasteurized milk is widely believed to be a safer alternative. 

Raw milk is believed to contain harmful bacteria that are killed off by pasteurization. Raw goats milk is also believed to contain plenty of nutrients but not to the same extent as pasteurized milk.

It is up to you to choose between the two options since both of them have their advantages. It is important to research where you will purchase your dogs milk if you decide to feed your dog raw milk. 

There are many producers of goats milk available but their nutritional value may not be as good as what is produced by local farms.

What other types of milk can puppies drink?

Our discussion of cows milk has already given us a clear understanding of its inadequacies.

However there is other milk that can be used with orphaned or rejected puppies.

Most commonly used is milk replacer which comes in powder form.

Breeders use these milk replacers more often than goats milk because they are cheaper and easier to store- unless your next-door neighbor is a goat farmer!

As a second option you can make homemade puppy milk which is mostly evaporated milk. 

Its true what I said. 

Our old-fashioned forefathers poured the same milk onto their porridge!

It has the same consistency as “Mums” milk and is packed full of fat making it an excellent base for puppy milk.

Nevertheless it must be blended with water egg yolk and natural yogurt. 

How much goat’s milk to give a puppy?

It is crucial to feed a puppy half of their body weight in goats milk every day if you are going to raise it on goats milk.

This amount will need to be divided up because very young puppies eat several times a day (about every 4 hours).

Due to the detailed instructions on the tin it is much easier to calculate how much milk replacer to feed a puppy!

Is goat’s milk good for newborn puppies?

In my earlier post I wrote that goats milk can be given to abandoned or orphaned puppies within hours of birth.

When a mother dog can not feed her puppies for whatever reason goats milk will suffice.

Being ready to go as soon as a litter is born is one of the things that breeders should have in their emergency kits.

Let me just briefly touch on the use of goats milk with adult dogs before I finish

Is goats milk good for Adult Dogs?

Remember that goats milk must not make up more than 10% of the dogs diet if you want to let an adult dog drink it.

The treat should be treated as such. 

While goats milk isnot bad for your dog it would not provide them with a balanced diet on its own.

The natural minerals in raw goats milk such as calcium vitamins and enzymes support the balance of bacteria in your dogs body. 

The right bacteria balance allows dogs to produce their own vitamins process their vegetable fiber faster and control their bad bacteria. 

Especially for sick dogs or sensitive eaters goats milk will soothe the digestive tract so that they can process their food more easily.  

If your dog is on a kibble diet you can also add goats milk to their dry food to keep them hydrated! 

Use goats milk in your dogs favorite frozen dog treat recipe. Here are some great ideas for frozen dog treats. 

Additionally goats milk is a natural remedy for allergies reducing itchiness shedding and flaky skin in dogs. 

A dogs diet can be made even more nutritious by adding fermented goats milk. As a result of fermentation your dogs milk contains even more probiotics which can boost his immune system. 

Make sure your dog is not lactose intolerant before feeding him goats milk. Just as with humans dogs can get an upset stomach if they eat too much dairy.

Try introducing dairy slowly to your dog and observe how they react if you are unsure whether or not they are lactose intolerant. Since goats milk is easier to digest than other types of milk it is possible for dogs with lactose intolerance to consume it.

Amanda (Author)

With over a decade of experience, Amanda is a distinguished dog trainer. Her expertise in canine behavior has transformed countless lives, fostering harmonious human-canine connections. Through compassionate and personalized approaches, she empowers owners to understand and connect with their furry companions, creating a legacy of joyful tails and transformed lives.

Osvaldo Maciel (Content Reviewer)

Osvaldo Maciel, a stalwart in the field with 14 years of experience, is a revered dog trainer. His journey is defined by a profound understanding of canine behavior, shaping unbreakable human-canine bonds. Osvaldo guides owners to connect with their beloved pets, leaving an indelible mark of happiness and transformation. His legacy shines through the countless lives he has touched.