Its very nice to talk and compare notes with you too!
I myself would separate her during feeding times, in a draftfree area with plenty of bedding during feeding times. I think I would put her in that area with your miostened dry food for 2-3 hours to let her eat at her leisure(while u are at work). That way you can monitor if shes eating the food, with no mom or litter mates interference. Just try once a day at first if your afraid of her being separated from the group. I did sometimes let Joker eat with his litter mates but he never got his fill. They ate it all before he had a chance to fill up.
Yes I put nutracal right in with the formula, it was actually nutrdrops that was more liquidfied and mixed easy in the formula.
I see why you are afraid of the canned since her cleft palate is so far back, it would really be hard to bypass it with feedings. The only thing I can think of is if she eats, make sure you chase it with a bit of water and suction too to try to keep it as clean as possible. (no easy feat!) I think the earlier she starts eating on her own the better, because Joker did much better then. When he lapped Formula on his own, there was very little ever coming from his nose, when I force fed him it happened all the time. He did very well eating the canned and dry now, when he could control the way he ate. I think I would offer a small saucer of formula daily along with the dry mioistened food to her in the separate area. I think she needs the oppurtunity to have the time to learn on her own without everyone else trying to drink and eat her stuff. Due to the location of her cleft she may just be a baby who will need formula right up until she can get the dry hard. If she is getting canned food coming out her nose everytime when she is eating it on her own, she sure could get pneumonia easily. Maybe trying the formula in a cup on her own with the honey everyday might be a better choice for her after you monitor her.
My vet thought I was wasting my time on my puppy. But I dont feel I was. He does so well now I really dont think he will need surgery, since the cleft is so frontal. He knows how to eat to bypass the area. Your babies cleft I think is in a worse place, and its quite amazing how far you have brought her. Great job!
They say most experience somewhat of a close down around 5-6 months, maybe this will happen for your baby. I dont see any change in Jokers cleft right now, but hes still only 3 1/2 months.
I know about skinny! Joker looked terrible until he began to eat on this own. He was always covered in formula and he was sticky too! Now he is fat and fluffy, legs so short his belly almost drags the ground!.......lol Sometimes he was weak and would colapse on this back right leg if he tried to turn, but now he hops like a rabbit and there is no problem with that. If your girl is full of energy maybe she gets enough at this point from formula. But I encourage adding the honey!...........it worked better then the nutradrops for the Joker.
You might want to discuss with your vet about having antibiotics on hand if you decide to go with the regualr food along with her formula.
I would private message all this to you but I feel its important we keep it up on the board for the next person who needs some help.
For anyone who raises one of these puppies, they make absolutely one of the best companions in the world. They have been handled so much, their personailites are incredible and so are their social skills!
Ill post a Joker picture in the next few days.
Please let us know on how her feedings go!!! |