handfeed puppies?

Question

my dog gave birth about 4 days ago, i was woundering if i could help my dog with feeding her pups, like buying a little bottle and hand feeding them? what kind of milk should i buy?

Answer 1

DON'T

Unless there is a health issue with the mom or the babies, don't interfere.

Reasons:
~Mother's milk is perfect for pups. Formula is good, but not perfect.
~Mother's milk contains valuable antibodies for the puppies. It keeps them from getting sick.
~Dogs/puppies need that bonding time. The pups may turn out insecure, or have other behavior problems.
~If you fuss with the milk supply (the pups eat less because they've had formula, she produces less milk), she won't have enough, and you'll be stuck getting up all night making sure they get enough to eat.

Basically, dogs are great mothers. Unless there's a problem, don't interfere.

NEVER feed dogs regular (cow's) milk. Get puppy formula from pet stores.

Answer 2

weigh the pups every day for the first few days and every 2-3 days for the next few weeks...

if some are not gaining weight, put them on the mother to nurse some extra times... 1-2 times extra, so they have a better chance to thrive. The more assertive pups will gain more weight faster. The less assertive pups might need some help. Mama should have plenty enough milk for all the pups she birthed. You should not need to buy puppy formula. If you interfere with her nursing by bottle feeding, you may screw up her nursing.

Bottle feeding should only be done if mama is sick or in serious distress.

Answer 3

Depending on the number of pups, she should probably do allright on her own. Just make sure she gets enough nutrition. I hand-raised one of my cats, so I have done a little research in the past on how to bottle-feed babies animals. I read that for puppies, the store-bought milk from petsmart is not really the best and that there is a much better recipe that you can make at home. I don't know where I found that unfortunately. It's on the internet, so search around.

Answer 4

Weigh the puppies and you can supplement feedings IF they are losing weight or not gaining over a week's time. If they suck constantly and cry and don't seem to find Mama's nipples though they try, she could be out of milk. However, if Mama isn't having problems, and the pups are doing okay, I'd let her do the feeding. You could help by bringing her water, making sure she has plenty of good stuff to eat, keeping her company, etc. Your job will come after they are weaned - and boy, won't that be a stinky job!

If you do need to supplement their feedings, use a formula made especially for puppies. Don't use regular milk. Buy the powdered stuff because the liquid stuff only lasts a day once you open it even if you refrigerate it.

Answer 5

you can buy replacement formula at wal-mart or most good pet supply stores . i've been bottle feeding my three and half week old chihuahua , the mom had little milk and then got an infection in her glands and died after several visits to the vet(wrong vet). the pup is growing good and strong so don't be afraid to try it. i've helped my other dogs over the years with good luck. i also found a lot of info by searching the web on the subject. good luck

Answer 6

Unless there is some medical condition that indicates otherwise, make sure the mother gets the quality nutrition she needs, and leave the puppies to her. Her milk will be better than anything you can come up with, and you will only interfere with something she can do perfectly well by herself. Again, the exception would be if there is some condition that prevents her from having an adequate milk supply. If that's the case, consult your vet.

Answer 7

The pet store sells formula for puppies. Do NOT feed them people milk. They need special milk made just for dogs.

Answer 8

You could.. But if she is able to feed them, the milk she provides is far better than anything you can buy in the store.. You shouldn't help feed unless you see them needing more than she can provide..