Hi All

New here and looking for some advice. The vet has been out to check on my four 5-day-old puppies and mum. The vet feels mum doesn't have much milk and the pups are large and feeding voraciously. She suggests supplementing the pups with bottle feeds but do any of you experienced breeders know of anything that promotes milk production ?

I am adding puppy food to her normal feed and will change over completely after a few days but can you think of anything else I might do ?

Also if I do have to bottle feed (the vet is suggesting twice a day) will this affect their digestive systems if they carry on feeding from mum ?

Many thanks for any advice

Mel

The best way to stimulate milk production is to make sure the bitch has plenty of good food and plenty to drink, and allow the pups to suckle. Milk is produced by supply and demand; the more the pups suckle the more milk will be produced. If you supplement with bottles they won't be suckling as much and that will actively discourage milk production.

At this early stage you often can't express any milk because the bitch is making just enough for the pups to grow without draining her excessively. How are they behaving? Are they sleeping quietly in betwen feeds or are they crying and squirming around?

if you find she isnt drinking much give her goats milk to her water and make sure you soak her food in loads of water before you give it her ,the more she drinks the more her milk will come and the more pups suckle the quicker it comes through, good luck xx

When you say that you're adding puppy food to her normal feed - what is that?  I'm not sure why you say that you will change over in a few days.  As she should have been on puppy food for a few weeks by now.  Certainly before whelping.

Are you feeding dry?  She will need a soft food, something easy to get down, as her mouth will be sore from cleaning puppies.  I agree that goats milk will be good.  Is she eating well?  Are you holding her food for her, so that she will eat - as many bitches will not come out to eat, as their maternal instincts prevent them from moving away from pups so young.

I agree that it is far better to put decent nutrition into the bitch, not the pups.  Mums milk is best.  It's up to you to ensure she has the nutrients to make that milk.  Tempt her with anything she will try.  I use poached white fish, because I can poach it in half milk, half water, and it is soft.

Thanks everyone for the advice

I didn't put her on a puppy food because she is usually on a high protein high fat dog food (she is a working Siberian) supplemented with meat and fresh cooked fish and I thought this would be sufficient although to be fair, her appetite was up and down during her pregnancy. I did this with the only other litter I've had and didn't start on the puppy food until the pups were born as I didn't realise you should do it weeks before the whelping.

The food is dry but my dogs always get it softened.

She's eating well so far since having the pups and has been eating four meals a day with snacks in between.

The pups are sleeping happily and twitchily in between feedings.

I will pop out tonight and get some goats milk to try. You're right, she won't eat away from the puppies.

Thanks

Raw red meat and plenty of fluids.

I'm glad you all said about the feeding encouraging the milk. When the vet saw her and commented there wasn't much milk she had just fed. I've just watched the pups drink enthusiastically for 10 minutes, their little tails were waggling and there was no whimpering so it looks like they are getting some down.

I will make sure I up her fluids. When we are preparing them to run we bait water with fishy things to make sure they get a good drink a few hours before racing, I'll try something similar.

Thanks again

>I've just watched the pups drink enthusiastically for 10 minutes, their little tails were waggling and there was no whimpering

That's perfect. When they're all latched on, suckling and kneading away, with their little tails sticking straight out but drooping at the end, you know they're feeding well.

Off to ring you lol

> I've just watched the pups drink enthusiastically for 10 minutes

Yay!!  :-)  :-)  What do vets know!

So pleased for you, it can be a nightmare worrying about them.

As others have already said, you dont want the bitch producing too much milk yet, as this will cause problems(pups scouring)...little & often & you will surprised how much she is producing...as they grow she will produce more.

> I'm glad you all said about the feeding encouraging the milk. When the vet saw her and commented there wasn't much milk she had just fed.

Does your vet breed?  If not I would take what they say on this subject with a pinch of salt.

My Lexi with her first litter had hardly any visible boobs, never engorged/filled up, yet reared 7 puppies really well with an almost flat underline with larger nipples the only thing to show she was feeding the puppies.

Getting plenty of fluids into the bitch is important, as the mouth can gt sore from cleaning so I soak their dry food to a mush.

The best guide to whether a bitch has plenty of milk is content pups feeding frequently and a steady increasing weight gain after the first 2 or 3 days.

with their little tails sticking straight out but drooping at the end, you know they're feeding well.

Aww loved that - happy memories :-) :-)

I have no experience of breeding dogs but if they are the same as human mums bottle feeding reduces milk production as milk is produced on a supply and demand basis. ie the more the little one suckles the more milk mum produces.As long as mum is well and is taking in fluids and having a good diet all should be well
it takes alittle while to settle.
As I say i am thinking on the basis of both human and dog being similar in most things

Just a little update, the pups are now 7 days old and continuing to feed from mum who, as per everyone's great advice, is having all sorts of good things put into her and lots of fluids. Just weighed them and they have doubled their birth weight and range from 31 to 34 oz.

That is fantastic weight gain, I am happy with mine gaining an ounce a day in the first week, if they start out as 14oz pups.

thats brill :) well done ,their be running round before you know it LOL x

Just a quick ask re milk production my girl is raw fed what will encourage milk production she is producing milk.

You have posted on a very old thread (2010) which members won't be looking at.

I would suggest that you start a new topic of your own - then it will go to the top and you are far more likely to get a response.