Hiya
I am new to this site my first post ;-) I have recently got a new puppy she is only 6 weeks old... She has fitted into the home really well and gets on famously with my bitch (Lilly) However she is suckling from Lilly, who has never had pups! My question is 1. Can she be producing milk and 2. Is it safe for this to happen she seems quite happy to lay there and let the pup suckle.
The new pup (Sky) is related to my bitch they share the same mother except that Lilly is 2yrs now.
Thanks Debs

Hi Debs, and welcome. 6 weeks is very young for a puppy to leave mum and the litter so it's not surprising that she is suckling on your older bitch. It is possible for Lilly to produce milk when she is being stimulated in this way but it's not likely, especially as the puppy is 6 weeks old, and even if she is she is probably not producing enough to feed the pup properly. So you need to be sure that Sky is eating enough of her solid food and is putting on weight steadily.

Most likely the puppy is suckling for comfort and Lilly is being tolerant in allowing her to. I wouldn't worry about it, but would treat Lilly and the pup as if Lilly really was feeding it - ie make sure that the pup's nails are kept well clipped and check Lilly's undercarriage every day to make sure that she is not getting scratched or sore. This is especially important if she is producing some milk. The pup's own mother would be stopping the pups suckling by 6 weeks so Lilly will probably decide that she's had enough quite soon and will start to drive Sky away when it tries to suck.

Thanks for the advice.. Sky is eating and drinking but the last few days she dosen't seem to want to eat the food she has a little and then walks away. Lillys teats are enlarged and dropped does this mean there is milk? Perhaps sky is not hungry because she is getting milk! Will this cause lillly any physical harm to her uterous or cause her mental problems with phantom pregnancys? someone suggested both the above.
Debs

It does sound as if Lilly might be producing milk then. Can you express milk from the teats? I shouldn't think it should cause problems to Lilly except the problems any feeding bitch can have with mastitis and scratched or bitten breasts. I don't know about mental problems as my very limited experience was deliberately giving much younger pups with  a non-maternal dam to an experienced and maternal bitch. But if Sky was still with the litter, mum would be chasing her away by now so that she eats solid food, so it might be worth having a word with your vet. If Lilly is producing enough milk to put Sky off her solid food, (s)he can give Lilly drugs to dry her up.

the purpose of false preganancy is to bring  other bitches into lactation to help feed the Alpha bitches pups, in order to reduce the strain, or to prevent the loss of pups should the mother die.  All bitches that have seasons will go through the same hormonal changes as a bitch that has been mated.  some show very little signs, but all will have some mammary development around the time they woudl have whelped, and some have full blown phantoms.

The bitch may be particularly maternal and enjoy this role, and I would leave it to her, as it is unlikely to conunue too long as the pup is at an age where it's dam would only be feding it very little primartily for comfort.

Whether this will mean your bitch is more likely than previously to have phantome preganancies in future is debateable, as the very presence of the pup may have had a difference, even if she wasnb't allowed to feed.

Definitely possible. Many years ago we had a sheltie bitch who "adopted" a kitten we brought home and produced milk for him! Funny thing was she absolutely hated any other cat!

It never did her any harm and for such a baby puppy it will be comforting and bonding if nothing else. As long as both are happy I wouldn't worry (but the pup should be fed normally as well of course).

Best wishes
Janet

At six weeks my bitch was still feeding all her puppies, although they were devouring their solid food as well. In fact she fed them all till they left - last one at 8 + weeks - and continued to feed Luke who we kept for quite a while after that. I thought she'd never stop! She just really seemed to enjoy feeding, so it's rather nice that your bitch has this opportunity, without the trauma of having had a litter. It must also be very comforting for the puppy who's left his mum so young.
Cathy.