COULD ANYONE TELL ME WHEN MY 2 WEEK OLD LITTER WILL BE ABLE TO START LAPPING MILK REPLACER. AS MY BITCH WON`T ALWAYS STAY IN HER WHELPING BOX TO FEED THEM, I HAVE GOT TO THE STAGE WHERE I HAVE TO STAY IN WITH HER SO THAT I KNOW THE PUPS ARE FEEDING. SHE DID GET MASTITUS LAST WEEK BUT COUGHT IT EARLY AND TOOK HER STRAIGHT TO THE VETS, GAVE HER ANTI INFLAMMATORY INJECTION, ANTIBIOTICS AND CALCIUM TABLETS.

Admin edit: terms of service

Hi,

We start the beginnings of weaning about 4-5 weeks, but when their eyes are open and they are wandering around, you can encourage them to lap by putting some of the mixture on your finger and poking it into their mouth. If they like the taste, they will soon catch on.

Try to stay with the bitch as long as possible, as the bitches milk is obviously much better balanced than any suppliment you could give, but if the pups are hungry, you do need to help out a bit.

Good luck with them, what breed do you have? :)

manda
X

If pups weight gain was slowing or not as I would like it with alarge litter (I have started them lapping as soon as their eyes ate open, and certainly by 3 weeks, as I like to have them on solids before I worm them, which I do at 3 to 3 1/2 weeks.

Oncxe they are getting the hang of it I give them four meals a day. soak some puppy kibble and mix it into a gruel with the milk replacer, as straight milk makes them choke and splutter, and gradually the mixture gewts thicker as they take more food.

My bitch got a bit like that when pups were 2 weeks old I started them on advance weaning food at first they are now nearly 4 weeks old and taking 4 feeds a day Tyler is spending less time feeding them now, obviously she goes in at nights and a few times during the day but does not sit and nurse all the time

Janines

Hi Yvonne
I think most females get a bit bored around the two week period, and need a bit of coaxing, as some of the other breeders have said,youn need to supplement them now, I always bottle feed 4 parts evap milk to one part water at two weeks of age,afetr they've been on mum and in between, also I mosh pedigree pup food up and let them suck it of my finger, the sooner they get eating solids the better for the pups and mum, so there's no reason why you shouldn't start now,and by 4 weeks they should be on proper meals 4 times a day and off mum, just a bit of comfort sucking.
Congrats on your litter anyway.
Tracey

I HAVE BEEN BOTTLE FEEDING THEM ON LACTOL TODAY, AND WILL GET UP IN THE NIGHT TO SIT WITH TARA SO THAT I KNOW SHE IS FEEDING THEM. AND WILL TAKE HER TO THE VETS IN THE MORNING TO MAKE SURE THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH HER, WHICH I AM SURE THERE ISN`T BUT JUST TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE. SHE IS ON BETA PUPPY AT THE MOMENT CAN THAT BE SOAKED AND FED OR SHOULD I GET SOMETHING ELSE?

I started my pups on Litterlac at just 2 weeks old as mum had eclampsia in a previous litter I wanted to play safe..............as luck had it, mum went down with eclampsia when the pups were 3 weeks old, not as severe as before, but my vet said to keep her away from the pups, luckily by then the pups were quite happy lapping at the litterlac, mum was removed and the pups were fat and healthy!! Try your pups, once they get the taste there is no stopping them.

Good luck

HOW WOULD I KNOW IF MY BITCH HAD ECLAMPSIA? I DID GET LOTS OF BOOKS AND READ THEM BUT THEY HAVE GONE BACK TO THE LIBRARY NOW.

Hi
Dont panic if your female had eclampsia she would be in a bad way with the shakes and all co ordination gone to pot basically, it happens mainly in the smaller breeds and is always something to look out for, but your female sounds fine and re acting normally.
Beta puppy is fine to be soaked for them.
Tracey

THANKS FOR THE REPLY, I FEEL SHE IS WELL IN HER SELF I AM GOOD AT PICKING UP ON THE SLIGHTEST CHANGES IN MY DOG, LAST WEEK I HAD A LATE NIGHT VISIT TO THE VETS WITH HER COS OF THE START OF MASTITIS. ALSO ONE OF THE PUPS WAS A LITTLE OFF IF SO SHE WAS STRAIGHT TO VETS ASWELL, AND SHE IS BRILL NOW. BUT AT THE MOMENT I AM IN THE ROOM WITH HER AND SHE HAS FED THEM, AND PUPS ARE ALL SLEEPING AT THE MOMENT.

Ok that's great then :), lets hope you have a peaceful night :)
Tracey

Hi, I would try to keep the bitch in milk as long as possible, though of course if you have to supplement, then do so. Make sure she is having exersize now, even if its just ball games in the garden, as this promotes more milk. the more you supplement the less milk she will make. I would let her leave the pups first thing in the morning (7am?), making sure she is "empty" first and give them just enough lactol to keep them quiet for a couple of hours. Feed the mum, and then at about 10.30 take her into the puppies and hold her while they empty her out completely. If she doesn't clean them, then you will need to and then let her relax again for 2-3 hours after some exersise and repeat the process. Let them empty her and THEN top them up if need be, and continue this every 3-4 hours during the day, only supplementing them after they have emptied her out and they wont settle to sleep. This way you will encourage her to produce as much milk as possible. To produce lots of milk she needs a high protein ( ideally 40% of her ration should be fresh cooked chicken) and lots to drink. Give her the stock you have cooked the chicken in, when cooled, and she will drink more than she usually does. I cook the chicken joints in at least a couple of pints of water so there is "drinking stock" to spare. She should be eating at least 3 times her normal volume and maybe as much as 4 times. She should also be having extra calcium, get some from the vet if you haven't any. If this just wont work and you have to supplement more and more you can give baby rice mixed with lactol, made up like sloppy porrige as their first semi-solids, after a day or two of this you can add a raw egg yolk to the porrige once a day for extra vitamins/goodness. If she is having any biscuit/complete them this can also be soaked in the chicken stock.

Hi tara has got lots of milk. and am only trying to help her out by giving a couple of them a bottle if they are all awake and want food at the same time, as 11 pups are very demanding. At the moment she gets a little fed up with them and seams reluctant to feed them. She lie`s flat on her tummy so that they can`t get to her. I got up at 3 this morning and sat with her while she fed them, then again at 6.30. I also give her time away from them, i tried giving them lactol today to lap but a couple ended up being sick, is that normal? i was wondering if they drank to much. I am feeding her puppy food and giving her calcium tablets. Having said all that the pups are still thriving but i feel prevention is better than cure. i don`t want to see any going down hill at this stage,so that is why i ask for advice on this site as other people will have has simular problems. Thanks to everyone who has replied.

Hi,
Have you clipped the sharp curving points off the pups' claws? These can make a bitch very sore and reluctant to feed them - worth a try.
:)

Hi, thanks i never thought of that. i will ask the vet to do them in the morning.

WOW, 11 puppies, now I realise why you were thinking of supplementing! Hope they all do well. :-)

I would be careful about giving raw eggs to puppies!