# few questions about hand rearing puppies



## sassysteph (Apr 28, 2009)

hi i was wondering if anyone can help me, last thursday my friends alaskan malamute gave birth to 8 puppies but she sadly rejected the 6th pup which was breech and the sack around the pup had already burst so it wasnt breathing properly but with a warm towel and lots of rubbing he came round slowly, we rushed him to the vets and was told it would be better to put him to sleep as there wasnt much hope as he said the colour wasnt quite right and the sucking reflex wasnt right, i thought it was better to gave him a chance so i now have him with me, the thing is i was seringe feeding at first every 2hrs, now he is on a bottle which he was taking 10 to 20 mls every 2 hrs but just lately hes been taking 50mls then not wanting anything for hours, he has put on weight and hes quite chunky now but is this normal, should i just gave him the 20ml then take the bottle away? thanks any help would be apprieated


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

How many hours is he going after having 50 mls? I would say that amount it to much in one sitting but its hard to judge from just seeing a photo
The problem with handrearing is the animal can get bloat, are you winding him after hes fed? I add Infacol to every feed with kittens and puppies and wind in the middle of a feed and again at the end.

When I handrear I stop feeding once the tummy starts to swell as I would rather underfeed than overfeed to lessen the risk of bloat. I would say that a puppy his age should be fed every 2/3 hours round the clock


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## sassysteph (Apr 28, 2009)

hi yes i wind him and toilet him at every feed, so would you say give him the 20mls then stop even though he still seems hungry?, i wake him after 3hrs he seems hungry ( wanting to suck everything) but when i put the bottle in his mouth he just spits it out . sorry ive never done this before and just want to give him a chance, he sleeps in a box with my childs old dressing gown, a teddy for company and a hot water bottle underneath.


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## allsturns (Dec 14, 2010)

50ml seems a bit much for a week old pup in one feed to me too as they do bloat very quickly, however if he is gaining weight and is not dehydrated then I wouldn't worry too much. I would say however that he really does need to be fed every 2 hours.


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

sassysteph said:


> hi yes i wind him and toilet him at every feed, so would you say give him the 20mls then stop even though he still seems hungry?, i wake him after 3hrs he seems hungry ( wanting to suck everything) but when i put the bottle in his mouth he just spits it out . sorry ive never done this before and just want to give him a chance, he sleeps in a box with my childs old dressing gown, a teddy for company and a hot water bottle underneath.


 

Try him on 30mls and if he still seems hungry it could well be he has wind, its really hard to judge how much he should be having without seeing him. What milk are you using and what bottle? How much does he weigh and how much weight hs he gained since he was born
Im just trying to get a feel of how you are rearing him and then I can try and put myself in your shoes and give you advice.

Also have you tried him back with his mum?


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## NickBenger (Nov 18, 2010)

Sorry I don't know about hand-rearing puppies however I just want to say well done for doing this, I really admire that. A lady I know got told her puppy needed his leg amputated but she refused to do it and instead worked with the puppy on recovering.. the dog is now about 8 and one of the healthiest dogs I've ever met, all four legs.. But anyways :no1:


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## sassysteph (Apr 28, 2009)

hi the milk he is on is johnnsons vetinary multi milk gold, and i am feeding him with a baby bottle with newborn teats, and thank u to the above post i think any animal deserves a chance


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I agree - I always think "where there's life there's hope" and would never give in until I _*know*_ it's not working.

Well done you! :2thumb:

Another thing to watch out for is dehydration. A lot of people think because a baby animal is drinking milk that it won't get dehydrated, but it can, so you need to keep checking him for that too.


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

sassysteph said:


> hi the milk he is on is johnnsons vetinary multi milk gold, and i am feeding him with a baby bottle with newborn teats, and thank u to the above post i think any animal deserves a chance


 

That sounds good:2thumb:
I have handreared hundreds of kittens and puppies but find it very hard to explain to others how to do it:blush:
Read the back of the tin and see what the recommended amount of milk is for the weight of the puppy then divide it up into 2 or 3 hourly feeds. I would also buy some Infacol colic drops(for babies) and add a couple of drops to each bottle as it really does get rid of any wind.

Anything at all you want to ask feel free, if you pm me I will get back to you asap and good luck


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## sassysteph (Apr 28, 2009)

thank u to everyone for the help, if i have anymore questions i will not hesitate to ask and ill keep you updated on his progress


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