[bjh]

Originally Posted by Tkstout1

Hi guys...I have a few questions!
1. My yorkie had puppies a week ago yesterday and she doesn't eat/drink a whole lot, It feels like she is pretty boney, I actually have to sit with her and make sure she is eating and drinking plenty of water, is there anything I can give her to make sure she gets everything she needs to get back to normal? I went to a local pet store and bought some puppy dog food and I am feeding that to her ( I heard you were suppose to give them puppy dog food before and after they give birth) and I also asked if I should get this product called nutri-cal (which I also heard was good to give them) but they told me if I am feeding her the puppy food then I didn't need the nutri-cal.

I always give my momma a little Nutri-cal every day after they have had puppies. The extra calories does them good. It is important that your momma eats about 4 good meals a day. The last meal should be right before bedtime. Sometimes during the 1st week I also hand feed mine. I alway feed mine dry Chicken Soup Puppy food and dry Canidae mixed together then I add some canned Pedigree Lamb and Rice puppy food to that.

2. Is it pretty normal for the mom to leave her babies when they are sleeping? she checks on them every now and then or when she hears the babies making noises. Is it that she wants time alone?

That behavior is perfectly normal. The mommas cannot be expected to just lay there all the time. She need time to spend with you too and time to relax. Raising puppies is very demanding.

3. When do the pups open their eyes and ears?

Most of the time the pups eyes are opened at 14 days but some open a few days sooner or sometimes later.


4. When do I start feeding the pups regular dog food? When do they stop sucking the boobie?

The pups should be allowed to nurse the pups as long as the mom is willing, that is part of their social training. I always introduce my puppies to food at 4 weeks or as soon as they are starting to walk. I always grind up the dry puppy food in a blender until it is very fine then just leave a bowl of this food down for the puppies. I use the small double bowls they sell at Wal-mart and I put the ground up food in both sides. I use a separate double bowl for their water. The puppies will walk over to the food and start licking it. I never find it necessary to make mush during the weaning process. The pups will still be nursing from the momma so as the puppies start eating more dry food the momma will not be producing as much milk and before you know it, usually by the time they are 8 weeks old they are weaned. I always have my puppies in a big exercise pen with a board across one end so the momma can go in and out as she pleases. It is important that the momma can get away from the pups when she needs to during the weaning process.

This is my first litter, if you guys have any more suggestions please give them to me....Thank You

Good luck with you babies. Just keep a close eye on momma. Make sure she is getting a calcium supplement everyday. Also watch her breasts for signs of mastitis. If they start getting hard or lumpy she might need an antibiotic.