Fostering or Rearing

If for any reason your bitch hasn’t got enough milk to satisfy a large litter, be unable to feed her puppies herself, or isn’t caring for her puppies for any reason, prompt action needs to be taken.

Hand rearing is one option available to you. Immediate expert veterinary advice should be sought regarding the correct equipment and which replacement bitch's milk powder will be most suitable.

If you are feeding puppies by hand as a supplement to the bitch's milk because the litter is too large for her to cope with, it is important to allow each puppy to feed at least once a day from it’s mother. The first milk produced by the bitch is called colostrums and provides the puppies with precious antibodies. Before feeding the puppies stroke the bitch with your hands first to disguise your own smell.

It is possible to return puppies to the bitch in between feeds without detriment; this would be the best practice ensuring that the puppies are handled to a minimum.

Never leave puppies alone that have been fed and placed in a separate container or box as the bitch may decide to leave her nest and climb into this, potentially resulting in the puppies being suffocated or squashed.

Whether you are supplementing your puppies or hand rearing them completely they should be fed at regular intervals of usually two hours for newborn puppies and up to three hours for stronger and older puppies.

It is important that all equipment used for the feeding of puppies is sterilised with boiled water and a well-known sterilising solution or tablets.

If the puppies are being completely hand reared it is important to ensure that other maternal functions are mimicked i.e. cleaning and gently rubbing the genitals with a damp warm cloth to stimulate and encourage the emptying of the bladder and bowels. Also, after feeding gently clean puppies with a clean, warm, damp cloth to mimic the cleaning habits of the bitch as if she were present.

As with any aspect of hand rearing if you have any concerns or worries do not hesitate to consult your veterinary surgeon.

If you have no other option open to you other than fostering, then again, time is an important factor in finding a foster bitch.

Important Note: - Care must be taken with bitches that have lost their own puppies and are offered for fostering. The cause of this must be established before fostering can be considered. Some bitches lose their litter through their natural milk being poisonous to their own puppies.