Hello everyone, thanks again for the help and advice you gave last night when I was in a bit of a tiz during Freya's labour.  Of course Freya was cool, calm and collected, just me and the other half who were worrying!

I have another question!  Do you think the pups need a top up from the bottle?  They are all seemingly fit and healthy this morning, all the same size, but I worry that the more dominent pups will push the others back.  At the moment I can't tell them apart (except for one who has no stripes) so would offering all the pups a top up help?

Louise

If they are putting on weight then mum is coping fine and they probably wouldnt take it anyway. You need to use something to distinguish the pups for weighing etc. - do a search and you will find lots of suggestions

Hi

If they are all contented and feeding I would leave well alone in the mean time. I have not had such a big litter so someone who has may say different. I always think it is bettet for them to get as much from mum as they can especially in the first couple of days. You may have to help her out when they get a bit bigger. But it is amazing how the bitches can cope. Are you able to mark the pups in anyway so you can tell them apart? again someone with more experince will tell you how to do that. I have see pictures of coloured ribbons around necks so the breeder can see who is who.

If you think one is not getting enough to eat gently put it on the nipple and make sure it gets a feed.

Make sure mum has lots to drink and getting plenty of calcium that litter will take a lot out of her

You are certainly going to have your hands full in the future

Wendy

I haven't had a litter yet and Cavs don't generally have that many!! But my instinct would be to leave it for now as long as they are all gaining weight, and help out when they're older, possibly starting to wean a little early? If there's a couple not always getting a fair share, you can always put the big strong ones in a separate box for a short time, and let the little ones have a turn. I agree with Wendy make sure you can tell them all apart, and keep a close eye on the mum so she doesn't lose too much condition! :-)

Congratulations on your litter.

I always distinguish mine with a little blob of coloured nail varnish on the tails.  Then you can weigh them and check on each one's progress.  It is a big litter but Mum may well be able to cope.  The best thing at this stage is to make sure that Mum is getting lots of food, in this way she should be able to feed them okay and also not lose condition herself, there is no need for Mum to start looking 'shot at' if she is getting enough nourishment herself.
Best of luck, hope everything continues well for Mum.

Congratulations to you all, my girl had a big litter last year, as long as your girl is getting a lot to eat give scambled egg made with lactol or whelpi to help make milk for puppies.

I will try her on some scrambled egg and lactol now, Minnie.  She has been tucking into puppy food since she had her babies, so she has a good appetite.  I just can't imagine how this jumble of little stripey puppies can all be feeding enough, although I am sure they are all fine - they all seem hale and hearty, even one we almost lost just after birth is as rough as his brothers and sister now.  I will also try the nail poish on their tails to tell them apart - I'm glad we decided against docking! 

Any pictures of the litter yet? What breed are they? :-)

Hi Lucy, thanks for your help last night!  The pups are Weimaraners - how do you post a photo on here?

Sorry Lucy, sleep deprivation means I got you mixed up with someone else!  We are gluttons for punishment at the minute as due to really bad timing everywhere, we are also due to move house in 6 weeks (I am trying to pack) and we also have a 12 week old Great Dane puppy, who, thank goodness, is absolutely wonderful!

Thought you may be interested in a Gruel recipe that I have used before and my bitches love.  It is from an old Golden Retriever book and I continue feeding it as a breakfast treat to my bitch for about a week. It is a real restorative for the bitch after whelping.
1 cup of Porridge Oats
2 cups of water
1 Egg
a big spoon of Honey
a big spoon of restorative milk drink (puppy milk powder)
a big spoon of Glucose
Put in a saucepan, bring to the boil until thick then dilute with a cup of milk and cool.

Leave the egg out on the next meals.

Bitches love it and it gives them a good boost and helps the milk.

One day I'll know enough to really be of help! :-)

No idea how to post pictures on here, but you can always pm me if you've got any pics on your PC! :-)