Puppy Weaning/ Nursing

Question
Hi! I have a litter of 5 Jack Russell puppies who have made 15 days old and now their mother is no longer interested in feeding them. What is the best thing to do. The mom will feed them at night but refuses to at all for the whole daytime day (for the last 3 days she has done this). Do you have suggestions on a brand of formula I should buy? Or should I feed them formula during the day and let them nurse at night? How often should I feed them? And when is the best time to start transitioning them to solid foods? I've read articles some saying 3 weeks, 4.5 weeks to 7 weeks. My vet isn't in untill tomorrow, Monday, and I am getting a little concerned. They still seem healthy but they should be eating more...... or at least I fell so.
Thank you so much for your time,
Sharon

Answer
Hi Sharon

It's common for females to get tired of their pups.  It's best to let them have a good feed, then remove the female. Start with taking her out for a few hours at a time.  When her milk gets heavy she'll run back to her pups. If the pups aren't crying and squawking, then they have full bellies.  

3 weeks is a good time to introduce solid foods.  Start with a high quality canned food, something without grains. A fish based is the best. When you start let them eat once then let the dam in to feed.  3 times a day of good quality food supplemented with Mamas' milk is good.