After helping two different friends with bitches that required c sections and then emergency spey / hysterectomy, it left me wondering how is the decison made not let the pups suckle from the Dam.
First friend had one live pup no infection and bitch reared pup no problem, 2nd one had two pups who went to a foster mother becuase bitch had infection and vet said she wouldn't have any milk. With the foster they did suckle and maintained there weight of 4 and 5 ounces but lost condition, unfortunately they died at at 6 days.

If the two pups had the infection from there dam in the womb should they have stayed with her so that when they suckled they got the antibiotics via her milk?  They did suckle from her for 12 hours before she was seen by a vet who realised there was a problem and she did have milk, I know that she was on a drip and quite ill for the first 24 hours, but should the pups have gone back asap to there own Mum?

Unless it threatened the bitches health I would always say the pups should be reared by the dam.

My bitch had mastitis when pups were 10 days old and was on antibiotics for the infection, pups maybe had slightly loose stools from these but they were fine, maybe didn't gain quite as much as they might have but nothing you would comment on.

I agree with Brainless. My first bitch developed pyometra when her pups were 12 days old and had to have an emergency spey, but was desperate to feed her pups as soon as she came home after surgery. They didn't trouble her stitches, and despite mum being on antibiotics, all grew and developed normally.

Unfortunately few Vets really know enough about breeding and rearing to give advice on whether to allow bitch to feed her pups, but the ones that I have had who themselves breed have always said to keep Mum and pups together if at all possible and treat any infection, and if needed top pups up if supply due to fever is poor.

When my girol had the mastitits and I was stripping off infe ted milk the Vet told em the pups woudl avoid the gland that had infected milk, as they weren't stupid!

Brainless!!
It is time you wrote a book!!!
These vets will no experience in welping, bad advise! then charge you a silly amount, with low standard of care,
Is getting more common as the older vets retire.

Denese

My own knowledge on breeding is only partly practical, but a lot of reading of various kinds of texts on the matter, but that is because the subject is of great interest to me,a dn not jsut the reproduction of canines bt Rabbits in my youth too. 

I think there are plenty of excellent books about breeding, but most vets specialise in treating disease and know only the rudiments of breeding, and only as it relates to disease.

Unfortunately people assume Vets are oracles on all things animal,a nd some do not disabuse their clients of this view.  Some of the older Vets came from livestock backgrounds, farmers sons and daughters and breeding and animal husbandry was something they were very familiar with, this is not the case with many current vets, especially with some only doings small animal (Pets) work these days.

Brainless!!
It is time you wrote a book!!!

Hear Hear to that, if there is anything to know about dogs Barbara knows it :)

> Hear Hear to that, if there is anything to know about dogs Barbara knows it :

Not so I just know how to research.  Had a lovely Male teacher at school whose legacy to his pupils was a thirst for knowledge and how to research.

He was my form tutor for 5 years.