Hand-rearing a puppy is one of the very few things sold in a pet shop where getting it wrong has consequences within hours rather than weeks. Lactol is the standard answer to it — Beaphar have been making it for over 100 years — and it is formulated to sit as close to a bitch's own milk as a powder reasonably can.

It is a complete milk replacement feed, meaning it can be the whole diet for a puppy with no other source. Beaphar build it on highly digestible proteins, with vitamins to support the immune system, minerals for bone and muscle development, docosahexaenoic acid for normal brain development and vision, and dextrose as a quick source of energy. The same tub doubles as a complementary feed for a lactating bitch, or for a dog who is ill or recovering and needs their calories to be easy to take.

• 500g, 1kg or 2kg tub
• Complete milk replacement for newborn and orphaned puppies
• Built on highly digestible proteins
• Contains DHA, plus vitamins and minerals
• Dextrose as a quick energy source
• Also a complementary feed for lactating bitches and recovering dogs

Please involve a vet, early. Hand-rearing is not only about the milk. Newborn puppies cannot regulate their own temperature, need feeding through the night at intervals set by their age, and can go downhill in a matter of hours — so the feed is one part of a job that also involves warmth, weighing daily, and knowing what a puppy in trouble looks like. Beaphar print mixing and feeding instructions on the tub and those are the ones to follow. If you have found yourself hand-rearing unexpectedly, ring a vet today rather than at the weekend.

Who it's for: breeders, anyone who has taken on an orphaned or rejected litter, and owners supporting a bitch through a demanding nursing period.