Hi

Just wanted to know the process of drying up milk? My dog had her pups 4 weeks ago and she stopped feeding them 2 days ago. Her sacks are getting harder and they look like they are bunching up. They are also leaking alot! Is there anything i should do? This is her first litter and mine also so i was just wondering if this is normal. Thanks for all that reply

Jem

I'm curious as to why she has stopped feeding them, if she still has milk? Are the pup's nails making her teats and belly sore? If so, clip the pups' nails. You want the bitch to feed them less and less over the next 3 weeks, not suddenly stop.

My bitches become reluctant to feed their litters at about that age because the pups' teeth are so sharp, and will only feed them for a short while before pulling away and getting out of reach. They then stand to feed the pups, and when the pups have grown a bit taler they are happy to feed for a bit longer. The pups still get 'topped up' at 7 weeks!

I always leave it up to the bitch to wean the pups, and they've always done it most successfully.

You are risking her getting mastitis, unless there is a very good reason for taking the pups away from her, if so the vet will give her an injection help dry up her milk.

If there isn't a good reason then do as JG suggested put her straight back with the pups now and let her do the weaning process herself. My bitches have varied in this, but I had one who gave them a last quick feed as they were leaving for their new homes, but usually they wean them themselves gently over the next 3/4 weeks.

Jayne

Ever since the pups were born it has been a problem for her to feed them. She just didnt want to stay with them but i would sit there on the floor with her for hours so she would stay and feed. Two weeks ago they got thier teeth and i guess they are hurting her, as her stomach was very red and has some cuts. She would only feed them 2-3 times a day even if i sat there with her. Now she wont even go in with them. They are eating puppy food for the past 2 weeks as i stopped her gradually. The pups are fine and getting huge im just worried about her. Should i take her to the vet?? Thanks

Jem

The vet is your best bet, if she really can't be pursuaded to cut them down herself.

I was once told to get a product (I think it was called Lactulase or something, but could be entirely wrong!!) to dry up a bitch. I asked at the chemist for it, and was told that, yes it does work, but only because it is Epsom Salts, which are a laxative, so it works by dehydrating the bitch!

I never did buy it - I wasn't prepared to do that to her. Your vet may know of something that is kinder.

I just called the vet, she said that from what im explaining it sounds normal and it could take a few weeks to dry up. Im just worried cause it looks painful to me but the dog seems fine. I guess ill just take her in tonight just to be on the safe side. Thanks

Jem

Hi, if her breast are hard, hot and leaking milk she is on the way to mastitis. Unless you can get something from the vet to dry her up today let the puppies half empty her out twice a day - even if you have to hold her still. Cut her food down to half, right now, of what she would normally (before puppies) have and no meat or milk. If she is low on condition, dont worry you can start feeding her up again as soon as she has dried off.

My girl decided when it was time to stop feeding her pups, she gradually reduced the amount of feeding and also cut back on her eating and drink herself...........clever dog! She did look uncomfortable for a few days, but I kept an eye on her for mastitis, thankfully she didn't get it, then slowly her milk reabsorbed. During those 'big' days, she too was leaking milk, my vet said just to let the pups have a quick feed just to relieve the pressure, mum wasn't too keen on this, but she did stand for them for about 3 minutes and then was off..........lol.

You better have your bitch checked by your vet as she may have developed mastitis. This is an infection in the mammary glands (teats). The pups have a difficult time nursing as the infection blocks the drop down reflex, to my understanding, as well as passing the infection to the pups. I am working with a litter of 10 Standard Poodle pups that this happened to their mother. She had to have the pups completely off her so the infection wouldn't spread. The bitch's owner took her to the vet who prescribed a strong antibiotic to clear up the infection. The pups were then introduced to solid food mixed with evaporated milk mixed-in at different consistencies, very liquified to more solid now as they are now 5 weeks old.

This may not be the situation but much better to be safe than sorry. Her bags may just be so full that the puppies can't keep up with the supply. Again you probably will have to do some intervention to ease the hardness to start the flow again. :eek Your veterinarian would be the best person to consult but a couple of good reference books that people have told me about are "Reproduction in (or of?) the Dog" or "Book of the Bitch". You can also research this problem on the internet and find many good articles from very experienced breeders and verterinarian researchers from prestigious schools. They can give you specific descriptions to compare to what you are dealing with so a comparison can be made. Least but not last don't err on the side of trying to wean the puppies early until you consult your vet.

Hope this gives you some ideas, where to proceed. You can contact me direct if you so wish since I am dealing with a mastitis-infected bitch with a litter of 10 puppies who at the present just turned 5 weeks old as I mentioned earlier.

Margaret :) Canada