Hi,I have a litter of eight day old puppies. They have doubled their birth weight but two out of the three squeal loudly when feeding.  They seem content but I am now questioning whether Mum has enough milk. They feed every couple of hours.  She is  being fed just over twice what she normally has plus  plenty of snacks and goats milk regularly throughout the day.   Any suggestions as to what I can do?

Some do this,just greedy and frustration. Are the noisy pups dropping off the nipple after a feed and crawling off to sleep.... If so they are getting enough.

I have been having the same trouble although my pups are 2 weeks old and very, very active. The more mobile they get and as their eyes have fully opened, they seem to have doubled, if not tripled in volume.

I have also noticed that they get frustrated when they're too hot. I have the heat mat on all day but have the gas fire running on low too. According to most sources, the whelping box/room should be between 24 - 26ºc at this stage but mine are happier at 22/23º

The only other times they squeal, are if she's busy toiletting one and another needs to go too or if they're fighting over teats as there are 9 pups and 8 seats at the bar.

Hth

> I have also noticed that they get frustrated when they're too hot. I have the heat mat on all day but have the gas fire running on low too. According to most sources, the whelping box/room should be between 24 - 26ºc at this stage but mine are happier at 22/23º<br />

Very true with my breed, I have more often had to cool things down for them, to keep them happy.  Mine don't cope if the temperature in whelping box (have thermometer attached to side) is above 22'C/23'C as you say.

I'm finding that the mild nights aren't helping either brainless. I was up 5.45 this morning because the temperature had crept up to 25.7º in the space of 2 hours when I had actually turned off the light! Had to crack open a window a little and get mum nursing on the carpet to cool them down and help them settle in the end.

I tend to use an oil filled radiator with thermostat set for 20'C and central heating is off at night.

My heat pad is only A4 size so pups can bitch can move away from it, but I don't use it in mild weather in the day at all once pups are a week old, as I find they don't want to use it.

Temperature/heating - if the puppies are lying around the box, separately, they are most probably okay - it's when they huddle together that the indications are they are not.   And if mum's in the box, they should be okay, being able to huddle against her.   It's when she needs to go out that you have to make sure the ambient temperature in the box doesn't drop.   I have often draped a sheet across the back of the box, so at least mum can get away from directly under the brood lamp we use.   I find a brood lamp is good because it not only keeps the area warm, but dry!!  And often if they are feeling too hot under the lamp, the puppies will move to sleep under the pig rails.   Best indication that all is well is a content litter should be a quiet litter (unless with this feeding issue!!).

As for noisy feeding.   As long as they are gaining daily, and once fed, drop off the teat and go to sleep, it can be taken she's providing for them.  I have had the noisy feeders - frustrated at not getting the milk out fast enough, not that there's not enough!   They often dive from one teat to the next too as the one they were on is drained.   Sometimes with a big litter, as they get towards weaning time, it can help to supplement using either warmed goats milk, or bitch replacer milk - half on and half off.   But to be honest, and we've had up to 9 in a litter, usually mum can provide.

Thanks for you replies.

My box is 120x120cm and the heat pad is half. My problem is that mum is a 'career mum' and even though pups were 2 weeks old yesterday, feeds them and leaves them. I sit with her but even then she sits next to or across from the box. Even at night she sleeps with them between 11 and 3 and 5 and 7am but outside the box the rest of the time.

I turn the fire off if the temp gets higher than 25º and open the adjoining doors to let air flow through. Will probably look into something thermostat controlled for next time, if there is one!

Thankfully pups are all over a kilo now and doing well. Starting to squabble over the best spots at the bar now, using all 4 paws and chewing each other's legs now that eyes are all open. Am loving this 'quiet' time before they get more mobile, noisy and demanding!

Sounds normal to me my girls only stay in the box solidly for first 3 - 5 days, then snooze at the side trying to keep cool.

I'd say the heatpad taking up half the room is probably too much heat for her to stand staying with them for too long.  I use a 3 foot square (occasionally 4 feet square box) but only have a heatpad the size of an A4 sheet so I can keep it in the middle or one corner.  Plenty of room for Mum to keep of it.

Haha brainless, she actively chooses to sit on the heated side even when its empty right after changing the bedding. This is a girl who sits in the full heat of the sun in summer and has to be physically removed from in front of a fire when her fur starts to smell of burning!

All of my others find the coolest spot - the white, blue and traditional black and tan and yet this full black girl seeks heat. The hotter the better!

> and has to be physically removed from in front of a fire when her fur starts to smell of burning!<br />

My first Elkhound bitch was like this and did scorch a whole patch from one side once.