Hi everyone.

Help everyone!!!
My bitch is 3 days post C.section and doent seem to have enough milk. Pups are feeding constantly..which I know will help..but not gaining, and although they are fairly content, I think she should be full of milk by now. Last litter she was huge.

She reallly isnt drinking enough, I give her whelpi and offer water in her box..she wont stop to eat or drink out of it...but isnt drinking from the water bowl as usual. No where near enough.

Can I give her dilute stock (from a cube) to flavour water and entice her a bit more???

I soak their food to the point it won't take any more water.  Also offer ti regularly in their beds.  I have found post C section that milk comes in slower and often pups don't start to gain for about 3 days, usually having lost some initially, though have only experienced 3 sections, but this seems to be the experience of others i have spoken to.  Not only is the bitch affected by GA but the pups are too.

Stock cubes are very salty so I wouldn't advise using them.  Could you make her some home prepared chicken soup (or any meat / fish base).  Also try adding honey to water, if nothing readily to hand you could try giving weak, slightly warm tea to get her going.

I had everything in that would allegedly tempt my girl to drink immediately after whelping :rolleyes: and finally got her to take some weight watchers carrot & coriander soup :D

First couple of days even with normal delivery are colostrum - if you get her drinking and pups suckling milk should produce on a supply and demand basis but there will be more experienced breeders than me here (never had the c-section situation thankfully) better able to advise.

HTH meantime.  regards, Teri

edited to add:  See that Barbara thankfully is around :) :) :)

Thanks so much for replying.

I have just given her some very dilute stcok, with some bread soaked in it. I agree it is not ideal as it is so salty. She liked that. Will try the honey though that sounds a good idea. I have found some in chicken breasts in the freezer and will make some stock from that.

Good news though, the pups are starting to poo. Bright yellow so thats a good sign that her milk might be coming in. It will only be 72 hours since delivery at midnight, so hopefully it will still come.

As I say the pups are fairly contented but don't look particularly plump.

Oh I love this forum...and your support..thanks so much.....helps such a lot when you're tired and a bit emotional!

Have you thought of trying a spray bottle?  I use one for mine at shows as my oldest wont go anywhere near a water dish.  Another one to try, but a bit messier is a drinks bottle with a sports cap, squeezing it gently into their mouths.  Mine love it and if they see someone drinking out of a bottle with a sports cap, stand with wagging tails waiting expectantly (or in the youngests case - jumping around and wooing)

Jill

My old favourite warmed goats milk with egg yolk or just goats milk alone, personally not met a dog yet that does not love it and lap up the lot! :-)

After whelping my girls have always had this last thing at night and LOVE it to the extent that they will leave the whelping box to investigate if it is a little late in being served.

I haven't got goats milk but will get some tomorrow. She won't drink whelpi now. However she is enjoying the chicken stock I made from fresh chicken. Not really eating though.

The pups are deffo not gaining so I have bitten the bullet and done a bottle feed all round. Hopefully this will supplement what they still get from her. Its a real problem though, there is almost no milk in her teats, and that's when she's newly turned over.

I am not at all sure she is 100% so I will take her to the vets in the morning I think for a check-up. Her wound is a bit wet, although not really pink. And she is on antibiotics.

Hmmmm I don't know what else to do.

Whoever thinks this is easy...try this for fun.

LOl just thinking goats milk as I was reading the posts ...mine love it . I would also put some glucose from the chemist in her water.

Kate, I was in a similar situation earlier this year, and came on CD asking everyone for advice.  I was shattered, and emotional, and upset that my girl didn't seem to have much milk.  Hang on in there, things do improve!  I found that my girl would only eat or drink if I fed her in the whelping box, so I used to hold a bowl of evaporated milk under her nose.  Diluted with warm water, it was so much more tempting than plain water, and helped her milk production tremendously.  I've never had any tummy upsets with evap either.  It was recommended to me by a breeder back in the 70's when I bred my first litter.

I must admit that I give mine half a pint a day of Nutrolac a puppy milk made from goats milk, but adding lots of water to the dry food so it is virtually swimming worked for me,a s I found one reason for reluctance to eat was that they get sore lips from the birth fluids and cleaning of the pups.  I always offer them their food and water in their bed, as you have to force them out of the whelping box for the first 3 to 5 days, a run for a pee and back in again.

Check pups are not dehydrated and as a last resort top them up a little after they have fed.  Put pups on the milkbar every time you walk past the box to encourage them to suck and produce the milk.

My Lexi had no visible milkbar with her litter never bagging up yet fed 7 pups really well.  If it wasn't for bigger nipples and the bare areas around them you wouldn't think she was nursing a litter, not like the big boobs her Mum had.

Hi Kate, I have a similar situation with pups 36 hours old and Mum not eating or drinking, she delivered her 3 pups within 50 mins and is very possesive of them (new first time Mum).  She has the added strain of fighting off Kennel Cough as well.  Her pups have actually lost weight going from 3 1/4 oz and 3 1/2 oz to all weighing in at 3 oz.  I have only been able to get fluids into her by using a syringe for water and hand feeding.

Good luck with your girl I hope all goes well.

Joan

Yes, Ellie preferred to drink from a bowl I held to her mouth in the whelping box for the first few days. I added powdered glucose and also soaked her food for the first few days, more because the BOTB said to keep her something easily digestible and I thought that might work!