My bitch still has a supply of milk - 3 pups have already left and 3 more go tomorrow then one Sunday, leaving one. She hasn't been in with them for a while now but she is a bit saggy!! Any advise please. Not had this problem before, will the milk just disperse?

Sweep ;)

Sweep, Dont have much experience in the matter of milk drying after weaning, but when cleos litter died she had started to produce milk, and her teats were getting quite hard as the milk had no-where to go. Vet suggested i hot compress them - as warm water as she will bare with lots and lots of salt, applied with a cloth on the area twice a day, for about 5 mins each time. Her milk dried up within 3 days and caused her no more discomfort...
Dont know if the milk will dry up on its own, but this method seems to allay any discomfort - hope that helps :)

Hi,

My bitch had a false pregnancy and I was advised to exercise her in short sharp bursts/lots of times a day as this helps dry the milk. I don't know how this works but it did.

Also it is possible for the vet to give something to dry up milk as if left it can cause mastitis(?) which is painful.
hope this helps
Kim

I had a lab bitch with this problem a couple of years ago, the milk was coming out like fountains. I was advised to feed very small amounts of food and only give a little water to drink. Also to exercise her well.
We did end up using Galastop which is given over 5 days and works very quickly. However it cost me £70 from the vets.

There was a product now for the life of me I can't remember the name but someone on here is bound to that has had children.

I remember that ( Humans) took one day after baby was born and it got rid of your milk.

You could buy it at the chemist. One tablet only did the trick. It was made of a natural substance so would be ok in the correct dose for a dog.

I am sure there was kelp in it.

It did work I rememner well..

I will ask my mum tonight on the way home form work if nobody else remembers..

don't know if offered much help...

Pam :-)

I don't know about this product but I do know something that helps human mum's who can't breast feed and are experiencing some discomfort, to say the least:)

Cabbage leaves:D Preferably white cabbage. When I had my second child the other womens partners's were bringing big bunches of flowers, balloons etc......mine walked in with a white cabbage I have never been so glad to see anyone in my life:D

Anita

my mother took epsom salts , and she found it worked on the bitches as well :D

hi, I wouldn't worry as she is feeding them less and less as puppies are leaving. In addition to the advice already given: reduce her meat /milk ration so that she is having very little protien or if she is fed on a complete feed replace about half by volume of cooked rice until the milk supply is greatly reduced. Lots of exersise and if you possibly can, take her swimming. Once all the pups have gone dont milk her unless the breasts are getting hard as you will just encourage more. She will almost certainly dry up quickly. I would remove her from the pups now, and let her feed them once every 24 hours, then 36, then 48 til they have gone, if she gets uncomfortable. Thats what I do and they never get uncomfy or get mastitis. Once she has been dry for 3 or 4 days you can adjust her diet gradually back to normal again.

Also, re the post about Galastop, no offence intended but I would NEVER give that to any of my bitches. Legalities prevent me from posting more clearly!

Just because she is saggy does not mean she has milk,
unless you can express some and see it.
Saggy is good. She may not go back to her former
shape. Some bitches do and others remain saggy.
The problem is the ones that have had lots of milk are
normally the ones that have saggy boobs the rest of
their lives.
Weaning to me is very important. I had one litter last
year and the bitch produced lots of milk, so I let
three pups go and kept three for an extra week. The
owners did not mind, and this worked.
I normally start weaning at three weeks. I do not remove
mum until four and half weeks during the day. Then at
5 weeks she is removed day times.
Then at week six, I let her go in for 3 hours the first night,
two hours the next night, until at 7 weeks, they are off the
mother. If a lot of milk is still present then I go into week
8. This has worked for me, and we always send off huge
healthy puppies. After a few weeks after the pups have left
we start giving lots of small walks to get the bitch back into
shape again. Do not feed too much protein like Westie said.
Also start cleaning the nipples with something gentle like
virgin olive oil, or a good moisturiser.
Nutkin

Great advice as always from you all - but I think I 'jumped the gun' and paniced a bit 'cos She seems to be drying up naturally. Typical.

Thanx all :)
Sweepx