My girl gave birth between 12.30am and 4am yesterday. We noticed last night she had some swelling around the mammary glands nearest her hind legs. We whizzed her to the vets this morning. They could feel a hard mass so x rayed her to confirm she’d not retained a pup. Thank goodness she hasn’t and it’s a large poo.  Her temperature is normal and she is eating well. They have given her anti inflammatory and antibiotic injections and we have to return tomorrow. She is eating well but not drinking much. I’ve been giving her wet food, scrambled eggs with added water and goats milk. Any suggestions on getting fluids into her?  Thanks

Why did she need anti-inflammatory and antibiotic injections for what was a large poo!????  Please tell me there's something you missed out there or I might just start to lose the will to live when it comes to excessively invasive vets...

If you are adding water and goats milk to her wet food, she is probably getting plenty liquid from that.  If you want to see if you can encourage her to drink more you could try some liver water - just boil up some liver in a saucepan and give her the water it was boiled in to drink...

Thanks will try the liver water. They think she may have a touch of mastitis so that was the reason for the antibiotic and anti inflammatory jabs

It would be pretty unusual to have mastitis 24hrs after whelping(!) and very early signs are usually easily dealt with by putting the harder sucking pups on the affected teats and also using hot and cold compresses and cabbage leaves.

Any meds given to the bitch will get to the pups in her milk and, whilst their immune system and microbiome in their guts is immature and not yet formed, getting ABs in the milk - when not totally necessary - is really not a great idea.  Even if the ABs are considered 'safe' for puppies.  ABs nuke all bacteria, not just bad bacteria.  Puppies' guts are trying to establish colonies of bacteria based on the 'good' bacteria in their mum's milk and also the bacteria picked up through vaginal birth and through her saliva.  ABs are not going to support the establishment of 'good' bacterial colonies...

There is a time and place for ABs but sadly too often they are given before there is real need.

> Any meds given to the bitch will get to the pups in her milk and, whilst their immune system and microbiome in their guts is immature and not yet formed, getting ABs in the milk - when not totally necessary - is really not a great idea.  Even if the ABs are considered 'safe' for puppies.  ABs nuke all bacteria, not just bad bacteria.  Puppies' guts are trying to establish colonies of bacteria based on the 'good' bacteria in their mum's milk and also the bacteria picked up through vaginal birth and through her saliva.  ABs are not going to support the establishment of 'good' bacterial colonies...

^^    absolutely!!   Also agree re latching on the bigger stronger puppies to what couldl be a teat that needs draining.