Corwyn Pointers: Rowan's pups Day 4

Just a more specific update and some photos:

As I menioned in the previous post, the pups are all gaining weight and looking great. I can tell they are healthy as they are eating well, moving around the box quite a bit (even when sleeping there is a fair amount of activity). One good way to tell how the pups are doing is to pick them up and handle them. A healthy pup will wriggle quite a bit, often protesting his separation from his littermates. They feel quite heavy for their size - weighted and solid. At this age the skin should be supple and pliable, and the little ribs and hipbones should not be visible. So long as they can get around the box and nurse properly, I personally feel there is no such thing as "too fat" a puppy. The pups are now gaining about 2 ounces a day, which is nearly a 10% weight gain EVERY DAY so far. I have found this amount of weight gain to be fairly normal for my pups. I'm not sure whether it would be appropriate for every breed.

I have been supplementing the pups just a bit with some diluted goat's milk. This is a good-sized (altho not huge) litter and I want to make sure everyone is getting enough. Most particularly the smallest girl who is a good 5-7 ounces smaller than most of the other pups. I don't want her to fall behind. I know she's healthy and strong, and I want her to stay that way, so she gets a smidge extra a few times a day. Commercial puppy formulas are good, too, but I find the pups prefer goat's milk. It works best if diluted by 1/2, as goat's milk is richer than dog's milk and it can cause some constipation of not diluted. It's also a super supplement for the dam, rich in fat and protein. Later the goat's milk makes a great transition to regular food when it's time as the pups become accustomed to the taste and will eagerly lap up a gruel of goat's milk and kibble.

Here is a photo of "the pile" at day 1: