New Mama

[cdain]

Hi, I'm new at this. My yorkie Sweet Pea just had 4 puppies early Sunday morning. So far two have died. My vet said to tube feed the other two but I have a friend who works for a vet who says it's too dangerous because they could aspirate. The mother won't eat so she doesn't have much milk but the puppies do try and nurse. Any suggestions? Thanks

[fannie]

I would start the mother on Esbilac immediately. Mix her up 8 oz. of it and she will gobble it down. That will also boost her calcium and help with her milk. Have you tried different kinds of food? I give mine canned Science Diet puppy about a week before and for 2 weeks after delivering.

I don't know much about tube feeding. My thoughts would be that if they are trying to nurse mom, then they don't need to be tube fed. Bottle fed to help suppliment, but not tube fed.

[Lacy's Mom]

If they are able to nurse, then I would not tube feed, I would bottle feed before they become to weak (and then you will have to tube feed).

Try boiled chicken (since you really need to get her eating quickly, go buy baby food chicken in a jar until you have time to boil the chicken), rice, cottage cheese for Mom, give her Esbilac, chicken broth, or mix your own formula of canned evaporated milk, equal amount of water, egg yolk, 1 T of Karo (corn syrup).

[cdain]

Thank you guys soo much. She won't eat chicken with rice or cottage cheese or chicken baby food - I put it on a plate and she scooted in across the room trying to bury it. I will try the baby formula and see if she will eat. The pups are trying really hard to nurse but when I give them the bottle, they want nothing to do with it.

[cdain]

Lacy's Mom and Fannie, you were so right! I gave her the baby formula and she drank it like crazy. If she won't eat anything else, will she and the babies be okay with her just drinking that?

[fannie]

One of mine drinks nothing but Esbilac for the first couple of days. She simply isn't interested in food. I bet that once she has the Esbilac in her system, she'll get more energy and be ready for food soon. I have really good luck with the Science Diet canned puppy food too.

[fannie]

Oh, and I give the milk twice a day for the first week, then back off to once a week after that if she looks like she's bouncing back.

[cdain]

Thanks Fannie, I sure am relieved to find something she will put in her body. We've lost two of the pups in the last two days and I really want to keep these two alive!

[fannie]

I'm glad it's working for you!

Are you supplementing the pups?

[cdain]

No, the vet never said anything about supplementing them. Two of them have died so we are left only with 2 but they have each gained about 1 oz since the were born. Is that good?

[fannie]

Yes, that's good. Are they nursing often, warm, active?

[cdain]

They are trying to nurse all the time but I don't know how much milk Sweet Pea has. Another question, the vet told us to tube feed them 2 oz every two hours around the clock. We are getting pretty tired. Do you think they need to be bottle fed in the middle of the night?

[fannie]

Here: http://www.debbiejensen.com/carepup.html

You might find all your answers there! I'm not sure how much to give the pups. 2 oz. seems like a lot!

[Lacy's Mom]

That does sound like too much, are they eating it? How much do they weigh? It's better to underfeed than overfeed a newborn puppy. The rule of thumb is 1 cc per oz. of body weight every 3 hours. If they are doing fine after 10 days, you can feed the last time at say 11 p.m. and sleep until say about 5 a.m. (that is if the pups will let you). Hopefully, you can get Mom producing milk. I would let the pups "nurse" as often as possible, this will help the Mom's milk come in. Maybe the pups are premature and her body just hasn't started making the milk yet.

I am really worried about the Mom not eating - take a look at this link that gives you tips on bottle feedings, but also gives you information on what may be wrong with Mom. What is her temperature?
http://www.cupidtownshowdogs.net/tipsonhandraising.html

Here's another link on just handraising.
http://www.leerburg.com/bottlefeeding.htm

[Chelsey]

I just wanted to say welcome, and best of luck with Sweet Pea and the babies!!