By drh. Leonilla de Melo
It will often happen that bitch dies at the time of whelping, or has mastitis, or for some other cause cannot suckle her pups. It is important such cases that the puppies should had feed colostrums from their mother or from other bitch that had just whelped. The colostrums contain antibodies to various bacterial infections, is laxative, and rich in proteins, and vitamins. If this is not available then the puppies will have to be watched closely for the first week to see they are not constipated, and treated if necessary. In the absence of colostrums, puppies should be injected with 1 ml normal canine serum, to aim at providing some antibody protection. Canine gamma globulin can be used.
Bitch’s milk varies in composition from cow’s milk. Information bellow gives the analysis of an average of 13 investigators (Baines, 1981).
Component:
Moisture 77,2 %
Dry matter 22,8 %
Protein 8,08 %
Fat 9,76 %
Lactose 3,5 %
Ash 4,9 %
Calcium 0,28 %
Phosphorus 0,2 %
Iron 0,009 %
Calories
kcal per kg 1202
kJ per kg 5033
Ca : P ratio (1,27 : 1)
A mixture approximating this analysis by taking 225 ml of the top portion of settled unhomogenised whole milk and adding 1 egg yolk. The egg white must be used as it combines with biotin in the food and makes this essential vitamin unavailable. There are many other common recommendations, some of which are listed below.
Another mixture much recommended is fresh cow’s milk 800 ml, cream (12 % fat) 200 ml, 1 egg yolk, sterillised bone meal 6 g, citric acid 4 g, vitamin A 2000 i.u., vitamin D 500 i.u. puppies can only accommodate a small amount of milk at each feed, a maximum of 10 – 20 ml (2-4 teaspoon) at each feed. If possible, for the first day, give colostrums five times, then follow with prepared food at the rate of 1 ml per 30 g (1 oz) of puppy weight, five times in the 24 hours. This is a rough guide only and must be varied with the vigour of the young animal and with commonsense.
As a rough guide, feeds for a three-day-old puppy, roughly weighing about 200 g, would be five or six feeds a day of 2-4 ml each. For a puppy weighing 800 g at three weeks, feeds would be in the order of 50 ml each. Avoid overfeeding and consequent digestive upsets. A small nipple may be used, or administration may be carried out with an eye dropper, or a toy doll’s bottle, or a small syringe. The milk substitute can be injected slowly into the puppy. If feeding from a miniature bottle, the hole in the teat may be need to be enlarged to improve the flow so the puppy doesn’t suck air.
Food may be administered through a plastic urethral catheter and 10 ml syringe, otherwise use eye dropper or teat bottles. Eye droppers allow the puppy to suck the milk from the dropper rather than squeeze it. Dolls’ teat bottles are adequate but require a large hole in the teat. Small size babies’ teat bottles may be suitable for puppy.
Everything depends upon keeping the puppies thoroughly warm and caring for them with the proverbial ‘tender loving care’. Watch their response to the measures used, and vary according to “husbandman skill”.
References
Baines, F. M. (1981), Milk substitutes in the hand rearing of orphan puppies and kittens. J. Small Anim. Pract. 22:555-78.
Booth, R. C. (1961), Vet. Rec. 73:44:1095.
Hodgman, S. F. (1964), Canine and Feline Nutritional Requirements, Pergamon Press, p.123.
Nat. Acad. Sci., Nat. Res. Council (1962), Nutrient Requirement of Dogs, Publication No. 989. p. 3.
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