question about my 4wk old maltese

Question
Hi I'm new to having a dog, I just got my maltese 3 days ago.
I've heard they need to be with there mother for about 8 weeks before they can leave, is that true? When can they start eating solid food? My maltese doesn't seem to poop but pees a lot?

I'm currently feeding him Esbilac and Royal Canin Puppy 33.
Since he doesn't have teeth yet I crushed the Royal Canin food for him and he is currently eating little at a time.

Is there anything wrong with what I'm doing?


Answer
Yes, puppies should remain with their mother and littermates until they are around eight weeks old. They need this time to learn to talk "dog" and to learn how to inhibit their bites... something they cannot do before they have teeth! Four weeks is WAY too young to have removed a puppy from its dam! Your puppy's breeder should be horsewhipped for letting puppies go this young!

I start my puppies on solid food at around four weeks, and I soak the kibble in hot water until the water is all absorbed. They don't eat a lot at first, but by six weeks they can gobble it down fairly well. They still nurse several times a day at this age, and I start cutting back on the nursing around 8 weeks of age if the mother hasn't already (my puppies are never placed early).

I don't know a lot about toy breeds, but I do know that they can get hypoglycemic and go into seizures if their blood sugar levels should drop, so they should be fed several times a day (like six). http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_toy_breed_hypoglycemia.html

I think you should return this puppy and wait a few more weeks before bringing him home (or get one from someone else). Has he been to see the vet yet? You should do that right away, and be sure to take in a stool sample.

Karen