Hi everyone,

My bitch just had her first litter of seven puppies! All are very healthy and strong. But my father is concerned about them not getting enough milk from the mother. She doesn't have that great of a milk bar, I mean, the milk is there, but there isn't very much of it. But at the same time, but puppies are perfect and don't seem to be hungry. My father says that they are fine for now, but when they start to get bigger and have to eat more, the bitch is going to have trouble feeding them all on her own.

My question is, should I just let mom feed the puppies herself or should I help her out by feeding the puppies by bottle as well as nursing off of her? And if I should feed them with a bottle, what is the best formula to feed them? I live in America, so some formulas may not be available to me where they are to most of you in the UK. Please help, I want the bitch mother to do great and not struggle with feeding seven growing puppies all on her own, especially since it is her first litter. Thank you so much for any advice and suggestions!

-Tara

If they have just been born then the 'milk bar' wont be that big. Bitches lactation peaks when pups are about 4 weeks old. As long as the pups are happy, have little round tums and are putting on weight I wouldn't worry. If you start supplementing you could cause more problems than resolve.

Jesse

Hi. Congratulations on the birth of your puppies. So long as the puppies continue to grow and are not crying then I wouldnt worry about them not getting enough . Feed the mum plenty of extra good food and all will be well. Mother nature is a wonderful thing. There will be plenty for everyone. Stop worrying and enjoy your puppies.

You have eased my mind. Thank you very much for the help. I figured they would do fine, but Dad thinks otherwise. I'll tell him what you pros said and I'm sure all will be fine. Again, thanks for answering my question, and so quickly, too! I really appreciate it!!

My bitch had a large litter, and like your dad, I worried that she wasn't producing enough milk, as she never seemed to "store" any. The puppies however were fine, and any attempts I made to supplement were rejected. As long as you wiegh them daily, and the weight increases, they are fine. You will be left in no doubt if any are hungry - they can be surprisingly noisy! ;)