I'm new, and finally figured out how to post a question!! I have a 4 day old rott. pup that the bitch will not allow to eat. She keeps trying to push him out. There are 8 puppies all together, beautiful and rolly polly, but I need to find out the best way to suppliment the little guy. I am forcing the mom to let him feed several times a day, but he's much much smaller and just not getting the nutrition he needs. we live in a rural area, and finding good pet supplies is often a challenge. Can anyone tell me the best way to help him have a fighting chance? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

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Force her to feed him as often as possible.

Call your local vet and ask where you can find milk replacer.

If you have a wal-mart close, they carry it in the pet department.

thank you. I've been trying to make her feed him 10 or 12 times a day, but she almost refuses! She's big enough that holding her down is almost impossible. When he finally does get some milk he cries the whole time hes suckling.
Our vet isnt there today, is there something(not cows milk) that I can give him until then? We dont have a walmart here. Like i said.. were remote. ugh. I feel like I'm letting him starve if I dont help him today. Maybe I'm panicking to much.. just worried about him

Your vet or the local Wal-mart should have puppy formula and bottles (you can use doll bottles if no one has puppy bottles). You can also mail order additional puppy formula (I have ordered stuff from KV vet supply, but there are many companies that carry puppy formula) if it is hard to find in your area.

Call another vet or however many you need to or a feed store. I tried a whole milk, honey and who knows what else mixture (got a recipe from a book) but it gave the pups awful gas.

Goats milk would be a choice before whole milk, but I am with Lauren, call around. It is not something so rare that no on will have it.

When you find a vet office that is open and has formula schedule an appointment for the pup too. There might be a problem that the bitch is picking up on, but you can't tell without a vet exam. This is something that is very important and shouldn't wait until tomorrow.

Pull the pup straight away.

Forget bottle feeding for now, can cause way too many problems if you have never done it before.

Tube feed the pup.

We have a litter of 8 ABs at the moment - momma dog refuses to clean or nurse any of them. I sit on her several times a day, and during the night for the first 2 weeks to make her feed.

We had to pull one pup as he just wasn't getting enough. We have been tube feeding him, with some bottle feeding for the past 3 weeks.

The pup has a great chance IF you tube feed. Risks of novices bottle feeding can include over feeding and pneumonia just to name a couple, both of which can be fatal. If is VERY easy for a pup to inhale milk from a bottle.

Tube feeding is very quick, and very easy. Get a feeding tube from your vets (I use a French 8 at first) measure the tube from the pups nose to the last rib - mark the tube. Wet the tube with milk, and slide it down. At this age you really cannot go wrong as far as hitting the right spot goes. Once the pup hits 2 weeks, get a French 12 tube, if you stick with the smaller tube at this age, there is a chance you will not hit the stomach when you slide the tube down! You need to go for a bigger one!

At 4 days, I would go with about 10cc's every 3-4 hours, maybe a little more, maybe a little less. Increasing the amount as the pup grows. It is better to feed a little often, than it is to feed a large amount less often.

Remember to clean the pup before you start, make is pee and poop. Puppy replacer I have found can make them constipated - if this happens, just squirt a couple of cc's of warm soapy water up it's butt - then move, quick, b/c it WILL come shooting back out <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Just to add - once you take the pup off it's mother - don't put it back on - this can cause MAJOR digestive probs!

Originally posted by Lauren Woods:
Call another vet or however many you need to or a feed store. I tried a whole milk, honey and who knows what else mixture (got a recipe from a book) but it gave the pups awful gas. Whole milk is one of the worse things you can give a newborn pup. Not only will it give them the worst runs, but can cause big digestive problems... also it does not contain what a newborn pup needs calorie wise!