when does the mom wean the babies

Question
How early can a mom yorkie wean her pups? They ar three weeks old and can you start them on pureed dog food?

Answer
Dear Blanche,

The absolute earliest you could wean the puppies is five weeks old.  Usually puppies are not weaned until they are almost eight weeks old.  The earliest is five weeks in order for them to survive but it is not recommended.  If the puppies are only three weeks old and the mother has stopped feeding them then there is something wrong.  Puppies are no different than humans in the respect that they need what the mothers milk gives them so they can grow up to be healthy.  Besides needing the special nutrients that their mothers milk provides there are additional benefits one of which is the ability to fight off disease.  If your mother has stopped feeding the pups you will need to take her to the vet immediately to find out why and so that the vet can put the pups on bottle feeding until they are ready to be weaned.  Do not wait to long at three weeks a puppy can starve to death in a short period of time.

Sincerely,

Melinda