Hi I have a very fussy DDB bitch who has just given birth to 10 puppies a week ago. She has lost quite a bit of weight and although every1 said her appetite would increase when she is feeding the pups and she would eat like a horse this is just not happening. She will eat raw chicken and raw eggs, which she pinched! and evertything else she is picking at. What can I give her to help her gain the weight she has lost? I managed to get a large tin of chappie down her yesterday mixed with a large pack of luncheon meat but I just feel this is not enough for her. In every other way she is fine, bouncing around and happy but she is underweight and it worries me. Please help I'm at my wits end!!!
Claire

With 10 puppies to clean it could be that her mouth is sore.
I found that mixing goat milk or puppy milk into food to make it really sloppy helped my bitch to eat

Her mouth is fine she is eating chicken carcasses and picking at other food. I just want to know what is best to try and give her to gain weight. I have been giving her welpi as well. Thank you for your response.

I used a recipe for gruel that i found on here to encourage eating. But to be honest i gave my bitch whatever she would eat and as much as she wanted. So if she will eat chicken carcasses and eggs then just give her those for the time being, keep trying with the complete but try soaking it as her mouth will be sore even if it looks fine. I also used Royal canin starter mousse on my bitch which i fed to her in the whelping box (more in the first week or so) while she fed the puppies.

Chappie usually appeals as it has that fishy smell like Kit e Kat . Small and often (torsion)  , with sardines, or pilchards, mixed with whatever soaked dry you choose. When the puppies are weaned she will eat in competition with them and may gain some weight then .White of eggs contains an enyzyme that destroys calcium so not good in quantity.

Thank you so much for your reply, I have been persevering with the chappie and this morning mixed in some smoked haddock which she was sniffing at. She did keep going back to the food and I have only put a small amounts so fingers crossed. She has eaten half a large tin of chappie and 4 pieces of fish mixed in now so even tho that's not enough for her size it is a start!!!

Thank you. I have made a shopping list for my husband when he gets home from work. Chicen is on the list and her favourite luncheon meat. He wil get some funny looks at the checkout in the amounts he will have to buy lol.

>She did keep going back to the food

Is she being fed away from her whelping box?  At this stage I am still hand feeding as mine are with the pups near enough constantly.  I do leave dry puppy food within reach, so she doesn't have to leave the whelping box, but hand feed regularly.  Scrambled egg, full cream rice pudding, anything that will tempt.  I literally hold the bowl under a bitches nose while she is nursing.

You could try the supermarket packs of value white fish.  Your girl won't mind that they aren't uniform in size!  :-)  I poach in half milk, half water, and mine are far more likely to eat anything that isn't hard.  They go off kibble like heck.

Thanks for all your replies. I have now found something she wil eat. Beta puppy mixed with tripe! Finding this out has cost me a small fortune but worth it in the end!

Good old tripe , my dogs love it , I don't usually suggest it as   some owners find it so loathsome to deal with..good luck with the pups and mum