Your pregnant dog isn't producing enough for puppies she doesn't have yet or you are just thinking ahead?
Well, first it's important to make sure that she really isn't producing enough and if so it isn't due to a health concern. How newborn? The first few days the Dam produces something called colostrum. Colostrum is where the pups get the bulk of their antibodies from and is different in quantity and even consistency than the actual milk which does not come in until day three or four.
Over production of milk can be a problem as well so you would want some guidance and to be sure you are monitoring. They need a good high quality diet and lots of it for milk production. A little nutri-stat or nutri-cal is usually a good idea and also can help with appetite.
Nursing stimulates production. If you don't have many puppies you need to supervise and control a little more usually. I supervise every feeding anyway until 4 or 5 weeks or so but since I only have 3 or 4 pups (which is normal for my breed). I keep the pups rotating along the bottom 6 every couple of hours most of the time. You don't want to match the number of pups or can cause over production but fewer pups spreading out would mean they aren't nursing as often on each one so they produce less milk. You wouldn't want one or two pups nursing off of each one once a day or they are more likely to dry up and won't produce much so you have to find the right balance because they can't be nursing off of too few too much either. Yep, it's a lot of work.
If she still isn't producing enough and/or you have too many you need to have your vet teach you how to bottle feed correctly and all of those ins and outs (easy to make deadly mistakes) and help her and supplement the feedings. Always best to have all of that in place and have your supplies just in case before she even whelps. There is more information and links for you in the links below. Good Luck.
q3525724.html#a2810229 q4937218.html q7828212.html#a2108892
Well, first it's important to make sure that she really isn't producing enough and if so it isn't due to a health concern. How newborn? The first few days the Dam produces something called colostrum. Colostrum is where the pups get the bulk of their antibodies from and is different in quantity and even consistency than the actual milk which does not come in until day three or four.
Over production of milk can be a problem as well so you would want some guidance and to be sure you are monitoring. They need a good high quality diet and lots of it for milk production. A little nutri-stat or nutri-cal is usually a good idea and also can help with appetite.
Nursing stimulates production. If you don't have many puppies you need to supervise and control a little more usually. I supervise every feeding anyway until 4 or 5 weeks or so but since I only have 3 or 4 pups (which is normal for my breed). I keep the pups rotating along the bottom 6 every couple of hours most of the time. You don't want to match the number of pups or can cause over production but fewer pups spreading out would mean they aren't nursing as often on each one so they produce less milk. You wouldn't want one or two pups nursing off of each one once a day or they are more likely to dry up and won't produce much so you have to find the right balance because they can't be nursing off of too few too much either. Yep, it's a lot of work.
If she still isn't producing enough and/or you have too many you need to have your vet teach you how to bottle feed correctly and all of those ins and outs (easy to make deadly mistakes) and help her and supplement the feedings. Always best to have all of that in place and have your supplies just in case before she even whelps. There is more information and links for you in the links below. Good Luck.
q3525724.html#a2810229 q4937218.html q7828212.html#a2108892
