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Topic Dog Boards / Breeding / Underweight Mum
- By Hazenaide [gb] Date 27.03.14 13:41 UTC
Any advice would be appreciated. The Mum of my 6 week old puppies is very thin and of course I want to help that and feeding her as much as she will eat - puppy food and so on. Trouble is she is full of milk but does not want to feed the puppies. She does jump in, there are 10 of them, and it is too much for her so she growls and growls until she gets herself out again. They are weaned  really but of course go berserk when she goes in to them.
Of course I'm thinking the more I feed her the more milk she is probably making. Yesterday I found she had regurgitated her food for them. ( I was caught out there as first time she had done that )
I can't reduce her food but will her milk dry up naturally as she has stopped feeding them. I have never had this before because normally my Mums have let them feed a bit and have been the type to look after themselves in terms of eating. First time I've had a skinny whippet LOL to worry about.
- By Goldmali Date 27.03.14 14:59 UTC
I had a thread just recently -one of my bitches who currently has pups stopped feeding them entirely at 5 weeks. They are 6 weeks today and she has not fed them once in the past week. Her milk is now starting to dry up. I've cut her food down (cut one meal out, she still gets more then normal in her usual meals) BUT she is just at the right weight now. I've had others in the past look like skeletons at this stage. For them I found a couple of extra meals a day of chicken wings really help more than anything else. Doesn't upset the stomach and adds the weight on.
- By Hazenaide [gb] Date 27.03.14 15:27 UTC
Yes I did see that. I have had to put up the bigger gate on the Freedom pen because they are starting to climb out. Wish there was another gate size in between. Think we will have to make something.
I will cut out one of her meals but felt a bit mean as she is so thin. She has tons of milk there which worries me she is so heavy underneath.
Mine are also 6 weeks as at last night. I can't see her going in to actually feed them because she has become really upset by them who of course naturally all jump on her.
Thanks for your response - I don't want anyone to see her as a cruelty case !!!
- By JeanSW Date 27.03.14 23:14 UTC

>I will cut out one of her meals but felt a bit mean as she is so thin


We all have different opinions, and I feed to keep weight on.  People like Brainless still feed the extra, even when pups have finished feeding, as her breed recover coat more quickly,, and she naturally wants them back in the show ring.  (Apologies talking about you Barbara!)  I'm sure that Barbara will confirm if she sees your post.

I have never had a problem with milk drying up naturally, and have not had a bitch with mastitis due to the extra feeding after pups are weaned.
- By Goldmali Date 27.03.14 23:43 UTC
I probably didn't make myself clear enough -I would not cut your btich down on her food as she is too thin, and if the pups don't feed the milk will go anyway. My bitch is getting one meal less yes, but still double portions of her normal food twice a day, and her milk is going simply by the lack of demand for the past week. I cut the extra meal to not make her too fat. :)
- By Brainless [gb] Date 28.03.14 00:22 UTC
Yep I'd continue feeding what the bitch needs and the milk will go if she limits them. 

If she is going in and seems to want to feed them, but is overwhelmed, I found with a bitch in the past that letting a couple of pups out at a time to her that she was much happier as they didn't all descend on her at once.

She could still get away fi she wanted, but I let one pup at a time out of puppy pen, until all 9 were out and she was happy with that, but only fed for a brief time, just a coupe of times a day at this age.

Never had mastitis when bitch decided to stop feeding even when quite abruptly, only had it once with a 10 day old litter where infection had been tracked into hind glands when squatting low to ground when peeing in winter, so nothing to do with feeding pattern

As jean says I find I need to feed my girls extra even after pups weaned as the post partum moult takes them down in condition otherwise, and it helps coats to come back sooner..
- By MamaBas [gb] Date 28.03.14 06:54 UTC
By around 6 weeks, my mums were usually away from their litters, other than maybe (some) to go in to clean up after they'd been fed - and allowing 'comfort suckling' which once they started nipping, meant she wanted out FAST.

We've had mums who have regurgitated for their puppies, but I tended, with those sort, not to let them anywhere near their puppies for a few hours after they'd been fed - otherwise what went in just came out again.   Some people take their bitches off their puppies abruptly - we tended not to do this, finding to gradually withdraw mum was kinder to all of them.   And the less milk mum was required to provide, the more her milk did start to dry up, naturally.

Some bitches give their ALL to their litters, no doubt - and come off them looking dreadful, despite adequate feeding throughout.   10 puppies is a lot for her to have reared - good mum - but I think now, you need to do as above.   Feed her and don't let her near the puppies if she's upchucking what she eats especially.   And don't check her teats yourself either - milking her will only promote lactation.    If you are worried about how heavy she still is, talk to your vet.   And concentrate on bulk in her food, not protein?
- By Hazenaide [gb] Date 28.03.14 07:35 UTC
The pups are seeing the vet to-day - something I have never done before BUT -last litter un beknowing to me, one had a heart murmur ( later gone ) and caused all sorts of panic to the new owner. I will take her with me to get her check over. She caught me out regurgitating her food that time and would not now leave her to go in until a few hours have passed anyway. I am taking her with me so she does not panic about them so he can check her too.
I also have never had a problem at this stage so a new one on me. I tried one or 2 pups by the way but same result. Overall she seems a bit happier to-day and not constantly scavenging for food so perhaps the balance is there. Still heavy with milk though.
Prior litters the Mums have allowed a little suckling before scarpering but this one will not have any of it although she wants to go in and then gets really growly and just wants to come out which she is of course able to.
- By LucyDogs [gb] Date 28.03.14 10:25 UTC
Haha my girl wanted to regurgitate too bless her, like you say just keep her away for a couple of hours after feeding. Hopefully her daughter is now in whelp, I wonder what the older one will do as a granny if we are lucky!
- By Lexy [gb] Date 28.03.14 17:12 UTC
Sounds like your bitch has put her all into her litter, forgetting herself.
The mum of my recent litter did the very same(she had 9 pups). She looked extreamly thin but was getting as much as she could without an upset tum. I resigned myself to the fact that once the pups were weaned, she would then start to look after herself & not look like a cruelty case. It didnt take very long for her to start putting the weight back on.
Topic Dog Boards / Breeding / Underweight Mum

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