Hi guys,
Wandering if anybody had any advice for me. I have just had my first litter of puppies (medium size working breed).  I am a vet nurse so everything has been done with great care. Anyway from the start things haven't gone to plan. Mum needed a c section and puppies have struggled to latch on so o have been bottle feeding.  Pups are 2 weeks old now still tiny and skinny even though getting a large quantity of royal canin babymilk.  I am feeding every 3 hours and they still are with mum. They have barely doubled birthweight but very lively.  Been wormed and vet checked.  Any ideas?
Many thanks Kelly x

Are they feeding off the bitch.  Has she milk?  Milk can be slow to come in after a section due to the effect on the pups feeding efficiently, and the bitch letting down the milk.

You say they are only just double birth weight so what has the rate of gain been.  Are they gaining, stopped gaining.

It was a mistake to take over feeding you should really have pre4severed with getting them onto Mum as often as possible at least half hourly in the first day or two, and not less than hourly.

Pups should not be topped up until they have had a good long suckle off Mum but not to much so that her milk supply can develop.  The idea is to slowly wean them off the supplement and encourage the mothers milk.

If these were my pups I would be putting them on Mum every hour to build up her milk supply waking the pups, and only feeding the formula every 4 hours.

I have started puppies on sloppy weaning food as soon as they eyes opened when the rate of weight gain was levelling off.

At 2 weeks you can start solids, so I would definitely do that now.

Sometimes it can take a little time for the milk to come in after a C.Section BUT  we've had quite a few births by this method, and in all cases, the puppies have been able to nurse from mum from the time they come home, if not when still with the vet after the surgery.   Actually I kind-of like having mum basically 'out of it' immediately after coming home, so I can latch the puppies on without her really being that aware.   The more they nurse, the more the stimuation should encourage lactation.   And they do way better feeding from mum.   Sectioned puppies can drop weight during the first 24 hours, but should pick up again.

I'd not be putting them onto solids at only 2 weeks, but perhaps that would depend on breed?    For me, their digestive systems are way too immature to be able to cope with anything other than mum's milk, replacer milk or even goats milk.    Hand rearing usually means bottling, or tube feeding every 2 hours right around the clock so depending on what, if anything they are taking from mum, I'd up the number of times you feed, UNLESS you can get them onto her, even at this later stage.

I guess if they are doing well otherwise, lively and not crying all the time, you'll just have to continue and hope they catch up eventually.   Are you checking mum's teats to make sure she's not running to mastitis if they are not drawing off her milk?

> we've had quite a few births by this method, and in all cases, the puppies have been able to nurse from mum from the time they come home, if not when still with the vet after the surgery.   Actually I kind-of like having mum basically 'out of it' immediately after coming home, so I can latch the puppies on without her really being that aware.

Exactly the same as MamaBas here.  In 40 plus years I've only ever had one bitch who was a bit of a pain, and I swear that it was because vet had not put them on my bitch right after surgery.  I usually go into the operating theatre to find my bitch in a heated unit and pups have been suckling while the bitch is still dopey.

I have feed puppies solid food at 2weeks using baby food and they usually take to with no problem. I had a bitch who got maturities (hope spelling is correct) but couldn't feed her puppies and after 2 weeks of bottle feeding 8 puppies I was exhausted and when this was suggested they never look back. They also drink replacement puppy milk from a dish a bit messy to start with but soon got the hang of it.