new litter....want advice on small pups feeding

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by crnp

he took a couple of sips of esbilac, tried giving big boy a little too and he didnt want any either. they both seem to be very content. Mom drank the remaining milk when i poured it in a bowl for her. ohhh.. nothing like round the clock observation and waiting to see how things work out. mom has definately not lost interest in either of puppies so hopefully everything will work out. No matter how much reading and research you do, you never seem to learn it all. It's always easier to give someone else advise, but when it's your own babies it seems like you forget everything. thanks for all the advise.

I strongly suggest no Esbilac, it has trace minerals and is causing shunts in our pups. No Just Born it causes premature cataracs.

The closests thing to Mother's milk is Goat's milk. You can obtain it from Wall Mart. It's right next to the evaporated milk. Mix it with equal parts of distilled water and a bit of Karo Syrup, serve at room temp. Don't forget to burp.

[crnp]

Really...the vet told me to feed the esbilac and not the goat's milk.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by crnp

Really...the vet told me to feed the esbilac and not the goat's milk.

There's an article I posted, I just can't remember where. I'll do a search. Per my reproduction vet......who is also a canine nutritionist.....no Esbilac or Just Born......Goat's Milk is the closest thing to mother's milk

Here's the link

http://laanimalwatch.blogspot.com/20...-contains.html

[crnp]

Thank you!!!! I will be taking mr unopened Esbilac powder back and head out to the grocery store tomorrow. I just reweighed little man and he is 2.9 oz at 24hrs old...we will see what he weighs again in the morning.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by crnp

Thank you!!!! I will be taking mr unopened Esbilac powder back and head out to the grocery store tomorrow. I just reweighed little man and he is 2.9 oz at 24hrs old...we will see what he weighs again in the morning.

You'll find that the weight gain will be a bit better.

Two years ago this coming October, I had to hand raise a litter (no, momma is still alive, but was very ill). I took the pups in for a quick vet check. I had them on Just Born and they were losing weight. I usually keep a diary of each litter; weight, temps, how much they are eating and what I'm feeding. He took a look at my book and began yelling at me....I'd never been yelled at by a vet, it's usually me doing the yelling. At that time I was informed of all this info and to put them on the Goat's Milk. Within two days they were gaining by leaps and bounds...sleeping well, just doing great. I use it today on my pups when I begin weaning them with Gerber's Rice Cereal.

[crnp]

How many weeks do you atrat weaning your pups, typically? What is your formula for mixing the goat's milk with rice cereal and do you feed it in a bottle or a bowl?

[crnp]

In the past, I used the canned goat's milk with my Rottweilers, and when I mentioned this to the vet today when asking about the yorkies, I was told it didnt have enough nutrition. My rotts always did well. Mom just always had more pups than she could feed. Thank God I only have one tiny this time. The big guy does very well and eats from mom- he eats like a pig. I am defiantely swapping back to the goat's milk.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by crnp

In the past, I used the canned goat's milk with my Rottweilers, and when I mentioned this to the vet today when asking about the yorkies, I was told it didnt have enough nutrition. My rotts always did well. Mom just always had more pups than she could feed. Thank God I only have one tiny this time. The big guy does very well and eats from mom- he eats like a pig. I am defiantely swapping back to the goat's milk.

My repro vet bred Poodles.....and very involved and up on canine nutrition.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by crnp

How many weeks do you atrat weaning your pups, typically? What is your formula for mixing the goat's milk with rice cereal and do you feed it in a bottle or a bowl?

I begin offerring at about 4 weeks....not expecting much but, introducing it to them. Take mom out of the whelping area for about an hour, what they don't eat mom will take care of. She'll lick them up too.

I make a soupy type of gruel.....not thick...

There's also a whelping pudding recipe, that's posted as a sticky in this section. I give it to my nursing moms and my pups when I begin weaning in earnest.

[crnp]

Mardelin,
just wanted to say thanks for everything. Little man has gained from 2.7oz to 3.3 oz in the 2 days since his birth and my big guy has gone from 3.8oz to 4.4oz. They seem to be doing well. I bought the goat's milk but have not had to supplement them since talking with you. I've been fighting mom's diarrhea and vomiting- had to take her to the vet for sub Q fluids today and she is finally eating something. She hasn't thrown up or had diarrhea in 5 hrs which is such a relief. Now if I can just get her to drink without being hand fed water.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by crnp

Mardelin,
just wanted to say thanks for everything. Little man has gained from 2.7oz to 3.3 oz in the 2 days since his birth and my big guy has gone from 3.8oz to 4.4oz. They seem to be doing well. I bought the goat's milk but have not had to supplement them since talking with you. I've been fighting mom's diarrhea and vomiting- had to take her to the vet for sub Q fluids today and she is finally eating something. She hasn't thrown up or had diarrhea in 5 hrs which is such a relief. Now if I can just get her to drink without being hand fed water.

Glad the pups are gaining now.

Did your girl get a POP shot after she whelped the pups? Did the vet give her anything for her diarreah and vomiting.

The hand feeding and getting a yorkie to drink after a whelp is not unusual. They are at times not willing to leave their pups alone for a second. This usually subsides about 3 days after.

[crnp]

Yes she got a POP shot. We have been at the vet evryday for the last 3 days getting IV fluids and IV abx for an unknown infection, All labs, xrays and exam were normal but spiked a temp 104.5 and no eating or drinking. The vomiting and diarrhea stopped after 2 days, but she got unsteady on her feet and just wont eat, otherwise she has been acting normal. The efevr is gone, the vomiting and diarrhea is gone, she is acting herself and the vet has no idea what was wrong other than an infection. She saw a couple of specialist and they are stumped too. Thabks again.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by crnp

Yes she got a POP shot. We have been at the vet evryday for the last 3 days getting IV fluids and IV abx for an unknown infection, All labs, xrays and exam were normal but spiked a temp 104.5 and no eating or drinking. The vomiting and diarrhea stopped after 2 days, but she got unsteady on her feet and just wont eat, otherwise she has been acting normal. The efevr is gone, the vomiting and diarrhea is gone, she is acting herself and the vet has no idea what was wrong other than an infection. She saw a couple of specialist and they are stumped too. Thabks again.

A bit of information. I had a girl go down on me a week after she whelped a litter. Ultra sounds, blood tests revealed nothing. Was on high dosages of antibiotics and IVs. She stablized after a week...and kept on antibiotics for a month. When she was finally able to be spayed, after her coagulation levels were with in normal limits, we did. Her spay was done with every precaution, cauturization, etc. What was found as that her horn was ripped, causing the infection. Thank goodness that because she was 5, it was already decided that this was going to be her last litter. If I'd had bred her again, she'd have died.