A three to four week old puppy becomes strangled a minute or two after he starts to drink from the bottle- milk coming out his nose and mouth. Question. What else can I do to get the puppy to eat, either by bottle or softened food out of hand?

Sounds like the hole in the nipple is too big. I hope you are using the milk formulated for puppies and not human milk, as they are different. I'm assuming something has happened to the puppy's mother as a 4-week old puppy should still be with its mother. You might also try using an eye dropper. Contact you vet to see when you should start offering the puppy regular food.