My dog is getting really skinny after giving birth to a litter of 5. What should I do?

Question

My female Labrador, retriever mix just had a litter of 5 pups. She has gotten really skinny, and we don't know what to do with her. She had her puppies 4-5 weeks ago, and none of the puppies have had there shots. Is this normal or should I be scared of something. And what should i do to get her back to her healthy, and natural state.

Rose Schowalter · Accepted Answer

Very easyYour Dam should have been started on a high quality puppy food when she was 4 weeks into the pregnancy and continued to be fed puppy food for several weeks after the pups leave for their new homes.She should be fed 3 times as much than she had been before she was bred. It takes a lot for her body to sustain itself and to care for and produce milk for the pups.Because she is so thin now.. free feed her leaving food available all the timesYou should have done tons of research prior to ever thinking about breedingBoth the Dam and the entire litter should have started on a de-worming schedule when the pups were 2 weeks old.Take them all in to the vet for wellness exams, de-worming medications and ask them for information on the rearing of the pups and proper care of the Dam. The pups won't need their first vaccinations until they are 8 weeks old.

Rose Schowalter · Answer

She and the pups should have been wormed every two weeks starting when the pups were 2 weeks old. Have you been free feeding her? Nursing bit*** should eat as much as they want which means leaving food down for them all the time. At 3 1/2 weeks you should have started weaning the puppies to help her out by giving them mash (puppy kibble soaked in water) several times a day. She is a mixed breed dog- get her spayed after this litter. There is never any reason for an unexpected litter and only trash breed mixed breed dogs on purpose.

Rose Schowalter · Answer

When you feed the mother, make sure you have her in an area where the puppies cannot eat her food. A nursing dog with a litter of 5 puppies needs at least 3 times the amount of food she needed before pregnancy. She needs to be fed at least twice a day with access to clean, fresh water at all times.The mother needs good-quality, highly digestible food of at least 29 percent protein, at least 17 percent dietary fat and less than 5 percent dietary fiber. This is measured based on dry-matter weight, not calories. A dog who is feeding puppies requires at least this amount of calories per day.Medium Dog (21 - 50 pounds) 700 - 1500 Large Dog (51 - 100 pounds) 1500 - 2400 Supplements during this time is debatable. Ask your veterinarian before giving them.

Rose Schowalter · Answer

She should be eating a high quality puppy food for the pups. Boil a whole chicken for 2 hours and boil some brown rice. Mix together and give it to her with the puppy food. This keeps fat on her and if you fed her this during pregnancy she wouldn't be so skinny. This also keeps the weight on the puppies.

Rose Schowalter · Answer

Dogs that just gave birth to puppies need almost 3 times the recommended feedings a regular dog does. She is nursing her pups and having to feed them too. Give her lots of food, and plenty of water!

Rose Schowalter · Answer

The mama and the puppies need to be wormed and have their shots done. Mama's need to be on a good quality puppy food when they have babies. Get the mama on some good puppy food to get that weight back on her. At the age the puppies are now you can start supplementing their diet with softened (soak it in warm water) hard puppy food.

Rose Schowalter · Answer

If you had 5 babies nursing off of ya for 5 weeks wouldn't you be thin also?It's normal and I hope you have been feeding her puppy food since she got pregnant. Once the puppies are done nursing and if you feed her right, she should go back to her normal weight.

Rose Schowalter · Answer

Super Skinny Dog

Rose Schowalter · Answer

She should have been eating high quality puppy food in increasing amounts through her pregnancy and while nursing puppies. Didn't your vet recommend this?

Rose Schowalter · Answer

Phone your vet and get your puppies seen to!They need thir shots & de-wormed! It is IMPORTANT!Just give your female dog her usual food & plenty of fresh water.

Mr. Bertha Ziemann IV

My dog is getting really skinny after giving birth to a litter of 5. What should I do?

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