My bitch gave birth on sunday 31/10 to five puppies.  All good weights for the breed - 7oz to 8oz.  It wasn't the easiest of births and for the first couple of days/nights she was over anxious and wouldn't leave them alone, licking, moving them about in the box etc the poor puppies found it difficult to settle.  She seems to have gone completely the other way now and lies outside the box even if the puppies are crying.  When she does go in to feed she can be out within a few mins.  The puppies are putting on weight but only  1/8th to 1/4oz per day.  My girl doesn't seem to have any milk which I think may be the problem.  She ate well during pregnancy and even the first night after whelping but then went off her food.  Today she has started eating a little but not enough to feed her and her puppies.  She will drink goat's milk with glucose and an egg yolk in and is eating chicken and tripe but she will not touch the high quality puppy kibble I am giving her as well, and yes I have soaked it.  Any ideas on how to increase her milk supply?  I really don't want to have to go down the route of supplementing or taking over feeding of the puppies as that will only make matters much worse regarding her milk supply

She will only get more milk if they feed more.  Have you cut their nails, as by four day they are often quite sharp.

Is the whelping box too hot for her.

I would make sure she went into the box at least every hour and sit with her plugging pups on and talking soothingly to her.

With my breed that are usually 10 - 12 ounces but often nearer a pound I would be content with 4 ounces in the first week with large pups and an ounce a day with the smaller ones, though would prefer an ounce a day and up to 10 ounces with the smaller ones..

In the second week I would want at least an ounce a day.

The amount of milk or fullness in her mammary glands has no influence on how much milk is actually being produced.

My Lexi id her pups very well, but in her first litter was almost completely smooth underneath, no boobs at all, just larger nipples.

Thanks for all that Barbara.  The whelping box isn't too hot I have a heat pad with plenty of room for her to lay down all around it.  Nails all checked.  I am making sure she is going to the box - OH and myself doing shifts ! I would expect this breed to double or almost double their birth weight in a week to 10 days but on these weight gains we will be nowhere near.  My other litter recently doubled by a week easily.
Anyway OH has just taken her to our vet for a check up - her temp is slightly up at 39.5.
It is upsetting to see little pups sucking for all their worth and getting nowhere and I think the discomfort is what is causing her to lose interest.  It is very frustrating when a bitch will not eat, the only way I have been getting food in her is to actually put it into her mouth  for her and stroke her throat in order for her to swallow!!!  She has never been the best eater and was amazed how well she ate during pregnancy.
See what the vet says
And thanks again Barbara for taking the time to offer your advice

It is very frustrating when a bitch will not eat

Have you tried raw red meat?  The old breeders always used to say that red meat makes milk.  Maybe an old wives' tale but that's what they used to feed, and so did I! :)

yes tried that, my dogs are fed mainly raw anyway but have some high quality kibble too.

I had a bitch have a litter here for a friend in the breed and she had been unwell ans would nto eat.  I had to do what you describe at the end of pregnancy and until pups were fully weaned.  Four times a day of ball of soggy food stroke throat swallow.

She had a C section adn needed calcium supplements.

That litter actually lost weight in the first three days and then some only had regained,a dn some put on a little birth weight by a week, and they weren't the big pups I have had in the last few litters.

They were all fine by 8 weeks and one grew to be a big boy despite the bumpy start, and become a champion, so they can catch up.

Hi zeeva is your girl drinking much? i found that 1 of my girls would eat but didnt drink much so her milk wasnt much at all ,i gave goats milk in her water and she drank alot more x hope your girl is ok ?

Thank goodness that she is at least taking the goats milk with egg yolk, that will help a lot. I always give that morning and evening.

My little trick in getting my girl to eat her dry complete puppy food, is to soak it in warm water and then add ham and scrambled egg (made from goats milk) to it, that makes her eat it every time or my favourite little trick is to roll fresh mince meat into balls and add the dry food to it, (like a muffin with chocolate chips added. :-D) I would roll about 20 add the dry food inside and outside the ball and boy does she wolf them down and any left can go straight in the fridge until the next feed. :-)

You have to use your initiative to get her to eat her food and try anything and everything. Try sitting next to her in the whelping area and feed her by hand too.

Thanks very much will try your trick with the meat balls tomorrow.  She had an anti biotic jab at the vets - her temp up a bit 39.5 and has come down to 39.1 just a while ago.  She does actually sound a bit wheezy when she's laying down feeding the vet did check her chest and everything seemed ok.  Do you continue to give calcium, I use callo cal d, and for how long?  She also has raw chicken wings which help with the calcium levels

Would not be giving Calcium supplements unless her calcium levels were showing to be too low, as supplementing in pregnancy actually can cause eclampsia as the body then does not call upon it's own reserves efficiently.

sorry you have misunderstood me.  She has had the litter 4 days ago should she be supplemented now with calcium

Not unless she is showing signs of Eclampsia, and is getting the appropriate amount in her food/drink..

thanks - can you do harm overdosing - just wondering if to supplement her as she's not eating so not getting calcium levels from her food but don't want to cause more problems or heaven forbid not give her enough and have eclampsia

Unnecessary supplementation can be harmful and it is early days yet with the eating and amount of milk being made using resources.

Just watch out for any signs.

A question directed to any of you with Veterinary expertise which I believe is on topic here.

In a newly whelped bitch where normal affectionate maternal behaviour and milk is lacking it is possible to easily obtain a test for low levels of the hormone prolactin? Also is an injection to boost prolactin levels available for the bitch?