I agree on waiting on the tail docking. The pups will only be 4 days old on Monday....not too late at all. They are small, especially the boys. Give them time to plump out. No sense in stressing an undersize pup and your vet would likely agree.
I would watch out for the boys. They're both small so make sure they're getting enough milk. Often the little ones will try to nurse but aren't getting enough.
You could try expressing some of the milk on the swollen teats yourself to relieve some of the pressure. If they get too firm and tight, the pup won't be able to 'work' it and will leave it alone and then it just gets more swollen. Try hand expressing enough milk to make it slack enough for a pup to knead it, then put one of the girls on it.
I use a calcium supplement that is 1 tablet for a 20 pound non-nursing dog. I break it in half and feed 1/2 tablet twice daily. Sometimes I break the halves in half so Mom can eat it better. |