Mid Wife.

[luvinshep]

Hi everyone...just wanted to let you know I delivered 14 puppies today I am very proud of myself as it is only the second time....the first I was only helping the breeder.....but this time I was on my own, with a not so helpfull neopolitan staffy cross :cool: she nearly got me a few times, but I was too quick for her they were my daughters dogs puppies....I am now a little worried that they will all survive....how long will they stay with their mother....when will you wean them off her....a little help I could do with

Thanks in advance

Jan

[Mjosa]

:cool: Congratulations on a job well done. what a terrific size litter.

The bitch will need to be fed three times a day and make sure that she drinks plenty of fluid to keep up the milk flow for such a big brood, I would be getting some Sandoz liquid calcium and dose her according to the directions, so that she has a decent calcium supply as well.

Now for the other question on when to wean, I start that at 3 1/2 -4 weeks, and usually let the dam out for most of the day by the time they are five weeks old, and they become dependant on me for their food, I feed breakfast, lunch and dinner to the pups with drinks of lactose free milk in between feeds, and they have yoghurt with bush honey in it for supper which contains abc in it.

Best of luck, hope that all goes well, keep them babies warm as they can get chilled very quickly as they do not control their body temperature until they are over two weeks of age, and chilled pups die very quickly. I use an infra red lamp to keep pups and room at a good temperature.