newborn puppies

Question
QUESTION: Hello my name is Sarah, my dog recently had pups on July 4th 2012
I have been having bad anxiety about the pups as far as if there getting enough milk, is my dog eating and drinking enough, I'm scared she's gonna lay on them. My questions are how do I know there getting milk and if my dog is getting enough food and water its making me a nervous reck not knowing. I call the vet hospital several times a day to ask questions its really bad.

ANSWER: You need a scale that measures ounces, and the puppies should be weighed once a day about the same time each day. They should show a gradual increase in weight every day, to the point that most will have doubled their weight after the first week.

When you handle them (and they should be handled every day), they should feel like there is something there, and their tummies should be full and tight after they have eaten.

If your bitch is eating, she will most certainly be drinking enough. Her food should have been increased since she whelped, and the amount to give her would depend on how much her condition is holding up to the number of puppies she is nursing. If she starts feeling like she is getting too thin, her food needs to be increased, but be careful as you don't make her fat either.

I'm not too concerned about one of my bitches lying on puppies, but then I do have a smaller breed. If your breed is larger, then you maybe should have a whelping box with a pig rail around the inside so that she cannot squish them up against the side.

There are two books you should get. One is "Whelping and Rearing of Puppies: A Complete and Practical Guide", by Muriel P. Lee, and the other is "How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With", by Rutherford and Neil.

The owner of the stud dog you used is usually your best resource, and I am sure he/she would be happy to answer any of your questions. My best advice? Stop overthinking this and let the bitch do her job while you enjoy this experience. Most bitches do just great on their own! :)

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Also she's not helping them go to the bathroom so me and my boyfriend are doing it, how often should they be pooping, I have one that's a lot bigger then the others and seems to not be pooping is there anything I can do to make him poop

Answer
Frankly, I've never kept track of how often a newborn eliminates. For those reluctant cleaner-uppers, I put a bit of peanut butter between a puppy's hind legs and encourage the mother to lick it off. I have never had that not work, but I would do it periodically for a day or so with yours to make sure that she is cleaning the babies.