my dog gave birth yesterday and she wont lay out far enough for all of her pups to eat is this okay? how can i help her to lay out far enough? should i maybe start bottle feeeding occasionally to make sure they are fed enough?
2006-12-20 23:44:53 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
She may not know what she is doing. You have to keep in mind you are asking the opinion of people here. We are currently helping a Pekingese to nurse her babies. She doesnt lay properly and they do find teats, but they were not nursing like they should have. We noticed in the first 4 hours and took action with supplimental bottle feedings to the runt the first 3 days. They are nursing better, but not perfect. We still have to stretch her out, help the babies latch, and pet her to keep her laying while they nurse. Some dogs do not have the best maternal instinct, especially on the first litter. Watch the puppies closely. The bellies should be rounded out and full. The should look like they ate a walnut. If they are thin or just getting enough mile to survive, it can cause other health issues. Call your vet and tell them your concerns. Find an experienced local breeder and ask them to visit and give you advice. Nothing is certain in dogs and expecially not in puppies. The mom wont mind you helping if she is trying to learn, and she is odviously a house pet. One big thing to watch for is if the puppies cry a lot. They are like new born babies, they cry when they are hungry and they cry when they are cold. If you think they are crying too much, they probably arent eatting enough. This was what alerted us to the Pekingese. Good luck and remember no breeder did it right the first time and every time.
2006-12-21 01:29:36 · answer #1 · answered by mandimae76 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try sitting at her head and petting her while she nurses the puppies. If she likes it, you can gradually stretch her out while you continue petting her. Unless she's a normally skittish dog, biting shouldn't be a problem, but if it is, you may need to get a muzzle.
If after a couple tries she just completely refuses to move enough to let all the puppies nurse, you'll probably end up needing to bottle feed. Most puppies pick a "favorite" teat and only nurse off of that one, so it should be the same puppies each time that aren't able to nurse. You may want to put a collar on those puppies so you know which ones they are and can make sure they're fed.
2006-12-20 23:54:46 · answer #2 · answered by escpthemadnss 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I can guarantee you that the pups will find a teat to latch onto. If one is not available at the moment, it will fall asleep or keep rooting until one is available. Pups will take turns feeding and all will be okay. Female dogs only have 8 usable teats, if there are more puppies than 8 you will have to help make sure they all get milk. Don't worry she will regulate her milk flow to the pups demands, and there will be enough for everyone.
2006-12-21 00:03:26 · answer #3 · answered by a10cowgirl 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Be sure to watch that all the pups are nursing. My last momma had 7 and they were hanging backwards over the top of her nursing at times. They actually do better crunched up in the warmth of mommys belly.
If they are not able to get in and nurse at all then you may need to help them get attached to her by moving a leg out of the way. Be sure to feed mom lots and lots. If you did not free feed before you got her knocked up please do so now. She will eat for them and make enough milk for them as long as you do your part and be sure she gets an over abudance amount of food.
Please be sure to get everyone vet checked. Especially if you find they are not eating well a lot of puppies are born with deformities in their mouths that may prevent them from nursing. Be sure to get everyone spayed and nuetered between 6-8 weeks after the birth.
2006-12-21 00:06:38 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Leave her alone - she knows what she's doing! If a puppy were going hungry, it would be crying non-stop. Did you do any kind of research at all before breeding???
2006-12-21 00:46:23 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Better not mess with the mother dog, otherwise you will get bit. By all means bottle feed the pups, if necessary.
2006-12-20 23:48:26 · answer #6 · answered by WC 7 · 0⤊ 5⤋