indigirl Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 A friend (agaisnt my advice) bred her 5.5yr old maiden boxer bitch. While both dogs are purebred and papered this is an unreg litter as my friend is not a reg breeder. However whats done is done and now Im concered about the bitch. After a very long and difficult labour the bitch eventually had a c-section on Sunday, and they have 7 healthy pups. The concern is that the bitch is extremely thin. I am unable to be there in person as they live on the NSW central coast. The vet expressed concern about the bitch looking very underweight, and now the bitch wont eat anything they have tried to offer her. They have tried stimulating her appetitie with nutrigel, offering her puppy miljk with raw eggs, raw beef and chicken, dog food - she wont eat anything. Does anyone have any suggestions what they can feed her that may get her eating? According to the vet she doesnt have an infection she jsut has a low appetite. The obvious concern is that if they cant get the bitch to eat then the pups will prolly not be getting enough milk. This bitch has historically always been ahrd to keep weight on, she jsut doesnt have a large appetite and tends to look thin. Its been more than 48 hrs since the c-sectiona nd I would have expected the bitch to take food by now. She is feeding and tending to the pups fine and mum and bubs appear settled and content. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Roast chicken? Lightly seared steak? nature's gift? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra777 Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 A bitch with pups that age doesn't generally produce gallons of milk and so doesn't generally need pounds of food. I would be more concerned with ensuring her calcium levels were kept up rather than fuss and upset her with constantly offering her food when she is obviously not wanting it. Warm BBQ chicken from the supermarket almost always works Warmed raw egg (or scrambled if she is known to hate raw egg) Above all else, calcium supplement. Lightly cooked "low fat" mince (still warm) usually goes down well too. I say low fat because it's usually dogs that don't like to eat much don't digest fat well, and the last thing she needs is a stomach upset. Put the food near her in the whelping box (wedge it in so the pups can't tip it or crawl into it), turn off the lights and leave her alone could be useful too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Raw egg, calcium syrup, nutrigel and powdered milk mixed together. Syringe it into her if necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Put the food near her in the whelping box (wedge it in so the pups can't tip it or crawl into it), turn off the lights and leave her alone could be useful too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigirl Posted June 14, 2011 Author Share Posted June 14, 2011 Thanks for the replies, have passed this info on to the owner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havasneeze Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 ice cream Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 A healthy animal won't starve so obviously she is feeling crap. Probably all the anaesthetic & sore too. 2 days isn't long & its a shock to the system & scary too for the dog. Warmth, somewhere she feels safe & a nice selection of various tempting foods within easy reach & she will eat when she is ready. If she doesn't drink anything that is a worry, straight on to vet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocolate Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 I agree with Christina. Poor girl must be feeling unwell, it is quite a shock to the system and needs recovery time. I would suggest pain relief if she isn't already on some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelby Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Mine are sometimes slow to eat after a caesar as well. I normally make them a gruelly type meal of raw mince with a bit of warm water and finger feed a few mouthfuls. She may need to just be left with something in the box as suggested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prydenjoy Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Mango hasn't eaten much since she had pups. Sardines or Salmon seem to get her appetite up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAG Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Also hand feeding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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