Feeding a litter tough
test for bitch's health

TO plan a sensible feeding programme for your bitch it is necessary to understand the demand for extra nutrition the time of gestation and lactation.

Lactation presents the biggest test of nutritional adequacy of any feeding regimen. The bitch must eat very large amounts of nutrients to produce sufficient milk of adequate composition to support the growth and development of her puppies. Extra energy and calcium is needed depending on the normal size of the bitch and the size of the puppies.

The bitch must obtain enough nutrition to maintain her own her own body weight and energy as well as the needs of the puppies. She will need to produce approximately 2.3 litres of milk a day for a litter of six puppies at four weeks of age. Therefore her total energy requirement is four times her normal maintenance requirement. It is recommended to feed such an amount of food in several small meals throughout the day.

Feeding a litter can be a huge drain on the bitch's own nutritional requirements. A large litter will need extra bottle feeding to supply the pups with all the needs of their fast-growing bodies.

There are two vital requirements in rearing orphaned puppies - suitable environment and nutrition. Ideally the temperature around the puppies should be controlled using an incubator, electric blanket or infrared lamp. After the puppies have eaten it is important to simulate the mothers tongue action on the ano-genital area, which stimulates reflex defaecation and urination. This can be achieved by applying a piece of cotton wool to the area.

At between 16 and 21 days the puppies will no longer require stimulation to urinate and defaecate. From 28 days or four weeks on they can completely control their own body temperatures.

Substitute milk for hand reared puppy: cows milk (homogenised) 300mls; cream one tablespoon; glucose one teaspoon; egg yolk one; bone meal one teaspoon; 1 ml multivitamin liquid. Cows' milk alone is not sufficient for a baby puppy's diet, so cream is added for the extra fat needed, egg yolk for the extra protein, glucose for the extra energy and bone meal for the calcium requirement of growing bones. The vitamin drops are added to provide the puppies with the vitamins that are not available in the cows milk.

Place all ingredients in a blender for 30 seconds then warm to body temperature (38 deg C). Pour into baby feeding bottle. Use a premature baby teat as this is softer and easier for the puppies to use. The puppies should be fed approximately 35 mls each every three hours during the first 10 days, with a break of six hours from midnight to 6am to let them rest. From about 12 days to three weeks the puppies will have increased their milk intake and should be allowed to drink as much as they will.

At this stage they can be hand fed at four-hourly intervals with an eight hours break during the night for rest. After three weeks a small amount of soft semi-liquid food can be introduced, increasing the amount daily. Water should always be available for them from this stage.

At four weeks of age the puppies should be having food twice a day and milk twice a day. At this stage the puppies can also have their first worming.

At five weeks the puppies can lap their own milk and their food intake can be increased to three meals a day. At six weeks the puppies can be fed four times a day and lap milk once a day.

The puppies should stay on four meals a day for the next couple of months and no longer need milk but should now drink only water. At six weeks of age orphaned puppies are weaned, or at seven weeks if lactating from their mother. At this stage the puppies can be vet checked, wormed, vaccinated and should be placed on a flea programme before they are placed in their new homes. - Nicole Mackie