My 3 GSD's have been switched to BARF for the last 18 months and the results have been brilliant.  Better coats (especially my male who had terrible itching), energy and poo!  They are 12, 7 and 3 and the 3yr bitch is expecting pups in just under two weeks.  I have consulted my holistic vet as to diet for my bitch whilst in whelp and also the puppies' diet but would be interested in anyone else's opinion?  If the lady who scanned her is accurate we are expecting approx 9 pups so not a small litter!  A few questions to start anyone off - age to wean, what to wean onto, when to introduce whole bones (chick wings and marrowbones, etc)?  Anyone used caulauphyllum or rapberry leaf to aid birth?

Hi - not sure about barf but I have used caulauphyllum before on my cat after a all day previous labour which tierd her out & the next labour was a bit quick to say the least! - but went very well.

I used it for me after as the results on my cat were so good - result?
9.5lb baby boy on the front room floor, while waiting for the midwife - total 1st, 2nd & 3rd stage 40 mins!
All my other labours were 11 - 29 hrs long (5 children)

I keep it in the house but think I will only use it if the labour seems prolonged in future!

Dunno about weaning pups, cos ive never had to do that....

But, i had Dill from six weeks old, and he was pretty tiny at taht age, he was managing fairly large chicken wings by 7 weeks (at six weeks he was chewing the meat off and chewing the tips of the bones up, but not the bigger bits).

I fed a mix of amp minced meats, a small selection of veg and the occasional bit of tripe, just so that i didnt overload him with rich foods. Previous to that, his breeder had the litter on vitalin for 2 meals, and minced beef or chicken with a raw egg for the other meals.

HTH

Em