How do I get these puppies to eat?
mary asked:
My 2 year old female chihuahua gave birth to her first litter of 6 puppies about 2 days ago. 2 of them already died because they were so small and weren’t able to eat very much. Now there are 4 left, 2 of which seem to have gained a healthy weight, 1 is starting to gain a little weight but is still skinny, and the last doesn’t seem to gain any weight at all. For the two smaller puppies I’ve been helping them to their mother’s breast so that they can be fed because they can’t seem to do it on their own. I direct them towards the breast every time the other puppies eat. But even then they never eat very much. What can I do about this?
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My 2 year old female chihuahua gave birth to her first litter of 6 puppies about 2 days ago. 2 of them already died because they were so small and weren’t able to eat very much. Now there are 4 left, 2 of which seem to have gained a healthy weight, 1 is starting to gain a little weight but is still skinny, and the last doesn’t seem to gain any weight at all. For the two smaller puppies I’ve been helping them to their mother’s breast so that they can be fed because they can’t seem to do it on their own. I direct them towards the breast every time the other puppies eat. But even then they never eat very much. What can I do about this?
March 18th, 2009 at 2:15 am
I’d suggest trying to bottle feed them. You can buy milk replacer from the pet store. One kind is called esilbac. You will need a special puppy bottle to do this. I’d also suggest not breeding her again. When you have sick puppies, especially if some of them die, that is a sign that something is wrong.
March 20th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
take your mother dog and the pups to a vet right away or you risk them dying as well. get help now!
March 22nd, 2009 at 8:52 pm
well firstly i would get a vet!!!!
pronto!
he will probably suggest lactol replacment milk fed through a syringe….this happened to my bischon friese puppies
March 25th, 2009 at 4:21 am
PLEASE consult with your vet asap! I had a dog that had a very large litter once and I had to use milk replacer, but sometimes they just can’t take the bottle feeds. In that case your vet can supply you with the things you will need, and make sure you know how to properly use them. GL
March 28th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Why are you breeding your dog? There is a serious overpopulation of cats and dogs already. MILLIONS are euthanized every year in shelters, and those are the lucky ones. The unfortunates are abandoned to the street or worse. STOP adding to the problem, and SPAY your dog!
March 29th, 2009 at 12:51 am
Talk to your vet. Offer the weaker/smaller pups a nipple that one of the bigger pups has already gotten started. It takes a lot of a weak pup’s valuable energy to get a nipple flowing.
If they will nurse at all, mother’s milk is best. If milk seems to be in short supply I would supplement the bigger ones with formula.