I have a bitch who whelped last Thursday. She's having a fair amount of blood loss (we're under veterinary monitoring). I don't raw feed, however, my dogs do get raw ... mainly as a topper to kibble. My bitch is refusing everything apart from minced steak/beef and liver. As vet said, her body is telling her what she needs.

I know there are plenty of raw feeders on this forum, but this question is to those who raw feed and also breed.

Someone today said that pups fed by a mum who has been raw fed may become 'noisy' as a result of the milk becoming acidic and may stop feeding. Is this the case? Our 6 day pups aren't noisy after feeding and they are feeding well.

I don't want to add supplements to what she's eating, I'm mindful of the blood loss so I figure red meat/liver will replace some of the iron. She's eating chicken, but I'm not too sure whether that will be nutritionally as good for her as the red meat - given her circumstances.

She's taking a little yoghurt, not interested in goat's milk, will eat a little fish ... absolutely refusing kibble.

Any suggestions as to anything else I may give her would be appreciated. Please bear in mind I am limited to what I can buy in the local supermarket or P@Home at the moment.

Many thanks,

My mums get as much fresh raw lambs or ox heart as they want, raw (previously frozen) minced beef and if the price is right ;-) raw breast of lamb.  I don't give them any meal (kibble) until the pups are weaned.  They also get rice pudding, goat's milk, natural live yogurt, scrambled eggs, tinned tuna in oil etc. Never had problems with acidic milk or nosiy puppies.  Don't give chicken (raw or cooked) as I find it gives my lot the runs.   

My bitches don't eat 100 % raw, more like 60 %, but I've never had a problem and I also know people who feed 100 % raw and breed and again never a problem. Sounds to me like an old wives tale. If pups wouldn't suckle from a bitch fed raw meat, how could the species ever have survived in the wild?

Don't give chicken (raw or cooked) as I find it gives my lot the runs.   

One chicken wing fed every hour was the one and only thing that cleared up severe diarrhoea in a newly whelped bitch I had. :)

I'll remember that goldmali ;-)  When I said chicken gave them the runs, I meant the dogs in general, not the nursing mums so I've never tried it with them.  Always worth another try.

Hi we breed and feed raw, our bitches when newly whelped have a milk mix recipe we got from Feed your pups with bones book by Billinghurst, also get minced chicken with bone, as find that for first few weeks they dont want to eat bone so they have it minced.  Tinned sardines/pilchards not in brine, eggs, cottage cheese, but always make sure they get plenty of the minced bones, always had bitches that feed the pups until the leave and have plenty of milk, pups are reared straight onto the raw as well. Never had pups become noisy from feeding from a raw fed mom

Tracy

Have finally got around to replying to your message.. :-)

Feed anything raw that she will eat.. the only thing I found slightly iffy was too much offal.. Most mums are a bit runny after whelping, due to afterbirths etc.. offal does not tend to help this :-)  but anything else is fine.. she may have gone off the kibble if her tounge/mouth is a bit sore from cleaning pups.. would she eat soakedand softened kibble, mixing some Pilchards and tomato sauce in for flavour? 

Warm tea with a touch of milk goes down well here. A tradition started by Emma who flatly refused all liquid but happily drank from my mug :-)  I now make them their pot of tea..

If you can get to P@H, the freeflow bags of Tripe/chicken/beef usually go down well.. Thats what my mums and pups are on at the moment, amongst all of the above :-)  although no longer needing to soak the biscuit

I have never had any problems with pups as a result of feeding raw.

I feed raw but have only had one litter whilst Mum was fed raw. Never had a problem with noisy pups or Mum getting upset tum. I wouldn't go mad on offal, a little is fine, raw eggs, oily fish, rice pud, goats milk.

PAH do freeflow chicken, tripe and slabs of lamb, rabbit, beef, turkey so there is a good selection.

I feed 100% raw and breed, no problems with mum or pups!

Thanks for all your replies and confirming what I was told is nonsense (basically)!!

I am now going to just give my girly whatever she will eat, she can be as fussy as she likes, and can have as much hand feeding as she likes :-) She ate 1kg of minced steak over a 24hr period, which probably isn't too bad considering her normal weight is 14.5kg, though probably less now. There are another 4 in the household who will ensure than any tried but turned up food doesn't go to waste!!

Thanks again :-)