hi can anyone help my jr has 2 puppies that are 10 days old, they seem to be doing really well, my bitch is eating well, but doesnt seem to be drinking enough, i have checked her milk and it appears she hasnt got much, at first she had lots of milk and as she only has two pups i was checking for any signs of mastitas, she is ok in that department, i have given her small amounts of milk as she drinks this but didnt want to upset her tummy with this,she wasnt drinking much water atall, i do have some whelpi milk i have at hand, does anyone think i should give mum this, and top up the pups as well, any advice would be gratefully received thanks

I have had a bitch with a litter of 9 and hardly any visible milk.  Teh idea is that the bitch will have the amount of milk the pups will need, so as long as they are content and gaining well then don't worry.

If you are giving her a complete dry food then you could do what I do to ensure plenty of liquid intake, I soak the food in as much water as it will take, and feed at6 least 4 times a day.

For my 20kg bitches I also give a half pint a day of pupy milk, so expect 1/4 pint would be fine for yours.

I use Nutrolac which is made out of Goats milk rather than cows milk, and it doesn't cause mum or pups any problems, whereas some of the cos milk based formulas have made them loose at some point.

If the pups are gaining weight & don't appear hungry I wouldn't worry too much. Bitches often don't appear to have enough milk but they are probably just good organisers! The ones who are dripping with milk are the ones more likely to end up with mastitis

I agree with everything already said.  Her supply will match the demand and 2 pups don't demand as much as 10, so if she had a full bulging udder you would be in for a mastitis.  If the pups are the correct weight for their age and are gaining steadily then that is all you want.  If they are not, then you could top them up with a bottle, but I bet they are fine as they are.

If you are still worried, feeding a good bit of raw meat with her food for a couple of days can produce a boost in milk production.