I have a singleton puppy born last Wednesday. Weight born was 184grams. Weight today is only 206 grams so has only put on 22 grams. Puppy seems very lively. Mum is fairly attentive. Keeps her spotlessly clean but has had a couple of episodes where she has been very restless and anxious looking and would not settle to let puppy feed. I have made her lie down and connected pup who has appeared to feed OK. Should I worry that the weight gain is slow? Previous litters have gained about 20 -30 grams /day. although pup appears to be feeding should I try supplementing her?

I certainly would not supplement, she is gaining albeit it only slowly, just 1 days gain in 3 days, but as you say she was not fuly mothering pup.

If you supplement then the milk production will go down or even cease.

As pup is holding it's own and even gaining you need to spend a day or two literally plugging pup on every hour, even ig you need to wake it up.

I'm not sure if a C section was involved, but when I have had one they can be slow to start gaining.

Thanks. No C section. Absolutely text book birth. puppy seem strong but a bit noisy at times. she does seem to be feeding so I am surprised that weight gain is slow.
just checking my notes and puppy is actually 4 g less than yesterday lunchtime :(

Kep plugging her on more often, this is the method I always use with a smaller slower pup in a litter. 

Milk production is based on Demand followed by supply.

Also be careful to weigh at the same times, you will have small differences based on whether pup has just fed or not.

I agree that supplementing the pup will interfere with milk production. Try weighing the pup before and after a feed, that should give some indication as to how much milk is being taken in.

I would be supplementing Mum to improve the quality and quantity of her milk, give goats milk to drink as much as she will take, other calcium rich foods,yoghurt,cheddar/cottage cheese,vanilla icecream etc.

Do you have Vet/Nutrodrops, they give lots of calories without filling her up? I get them to eat all sorts of foods, chicken, lamb including any juices given off during cooking, pilchards, basically anything she will eat that is OK for dogs.

Puppy Kibble should always be available for Mum as it can be left out in hot weather when other foods can't.

If there is no improvement in 24 hrs then a trip to the vet may be needed to check the pup over and that it is not becoming dehydrated.

Keep us posted

She has only gone up to 210 grams this morning inspite of me encouraging her to feed as often as I could. I am afraid my nerve went and I offered her a bottle as she seemed to be not as lively this morning and I was getting too worried. She wolfed it down and had 10 ml very quickly. I will keep getting her to feed from mum too but I really don't want anything to happen to this girl so will hand rear her if I need to.

221 grams this morning.She had 4 bottles yesterday and is taking about 15ml each feed. She is also feeding from mum but not sure how much she is getting. Should I increase the bottles? or leave her slightly hungry to encourage the suckling on mum? I am wondering if just having one puppy is ot providing enough stimulation to the milk. But I can't watch Pippa (the puppy) fade away so feel I must do something.

If you are going to supplement then the pup must go onto Mum first as she will only produce what the pup takes off her and that increases as the puppy grows.

If you are going to hand rear then the pup will need to be fed every 2/3 hrs 24/7 as that is what she would do naturally.

Agree with Rhodach, but would add if she is a small breed then you need to feed EVERY 2 hours at the moment, that is 2hours between feeds, not 2hours from end of one feed to begining of next.

Have you checked Mums milk flow - is she sucking an maybe not getting a lot  out?

240grams this morning :)  She was not too keen on her bottles yesterday so only had about 30 ml all day. Maybe mum is now making some milk. I will not supplement today and see what she is like tomorrow,

Thanks for the update, she is going in the right direction, sounds like Mum is starting to produce more milk to fill her.

How many teats is she using? Rotate her round a few, they seem to have their favourites and go back to the same ones, the more that are functioning the better.

She goes from one to the other and is using most of them. She is not so keen on the big ones at the back or the little ones at the front. She is feeding much more strongly now and is a lot quieter.
thanks for your help

> She goes from one to the other and is using most of them.

That may have been the issue, she didn't give the let down reflex enough time and only getting the foremilk (the first bit before the richer milk comes down).

Keep plugging her in extra times.

Also a bitch's milk often doesn't come in fully until about day 3.  Restless puppies often suddenly become content around day 3.  With a large litter the big let down of milk on day 3 can temporarily affect a bitch's calcium reserves and make her go a bit "manic" and restless.

It's the same in people which is why the first three days you pretty much have to have them on the breast/teat as often as possible as there won't be much coming through, but the constant suckling will then bring they milk in.

I remember the feeling on the third day when you wake up feeling as if someone had placed bricks on your chest, LOL

253grams this morning with no extra feeds  She is no where near doubling her birth weight (184 so double is 368) yet and it now 8 days old but things seem to be going in the right direction.

Doublign weigth at 10 days is more realistic, but she had a slow start so up is good.

Are all breeds suppose to double their weight by 10days old? Mine have been 7.10-8.35ozs at birth but can't remember them being 1lb 10 days later, need to go and look in my book that I jotted allsorts down in before transferring to each pups own book.

I know, they do say double the birth weight in a week but non of mine have ever managed it. Its a lot in 7 days particularly in a bitch where the proper milk doesn't come in until the 3rd day. Mine have usually doubled by 10 days.