Struggling Bitch Needs Help

[jeffer]

Trying to look after a soi dog who gave birth to a litter of 11 last Sunday night. She is maybe 8 years old I'm guessing and has had puppies before but is struggling this time around. She is not surprisingly, weak and has now started bleeding from the nipple and there is pus about as well.

A vet has dropped by a couple of times to look at her and will come past again late today. He has given her anti-biotics and we are trying to hand feed the puppies with reasonable results I think, but I'm not an animal person. Seems to me the best idea is to find another dog to help with the feeding, at least for the next week. Any ideas on how to go about this? Have asked around but nobody including the vet knows of one here in the Rangsit area. Sent an e-mail to SCAD but being the weekend I'm not sure anyone will read it soon.

Suggestions anyone?

[patklang]

You sound agood man with a big heart,wish there were more.

Good luck with your quest,and keep us in touch on how mother and puppies are going on.

[bina]

actually, maybe (dont shoot me please) u could cull out some-- the ones that are really weak and struggling, and she can deal with up to about nine? --

fostering that many out will be impossible i think; and hand feeding next to impossible. then, where will u home them all?

1. improve the bitch's diet with cooked eggs, meat/rice whatever...

2. sounds like she has mastitis.... if one nipple is affected u can still place pups on other nipples by rotation (colour the pups so u can id each one-- use threads or magic marker even) for part of their meals, and hand feed the rest of the time... by three weeks u can move the pups to drinking from a shallow pan

3. puppy formula is best but lacking that goats milk, if not, then human baby formula can be ok. the vet can tell u what u may have to add to the human baby formula.

good luck

bina

[jeffer]

Ended up rushing the mother to the vet Saturday afternoon as she was in a bad way, very weak. Took a couple of days to try and settle a major infection before she was operated on last night. Something had happened before the puppies were born so I guess the weakened state of the mother due to so many puppies was the last straw. Came through the op okay I'm told, going to leave her at the vet for at least a week as don't want to stress her further taking her back and forth for change of dressings etc.

Four days of bottle feeding 24/7 was enough. Managed to get a couple of people who were interested in the pups to take some in early and continue feeding. Most went to a family who have a farm and apparently a sideline of raising dogs for sale. I've been assured by others they are good people who love animals and will take good care of them so that was the best option available. No way could we have raised 11 puppies, not enough room even if I wanted to. At least the cat has finally stopped throwing up all over the house in protest at all the freeloaders on the porch.

Got an e-mail back from SCAD with some suggestions and the advice that finding another dog to take over feeding would be difficult so things probably worked out for the best. All the puppies seem to be surviving okay so far so maybe they will all make it as it's nine days now since they were born.