Rottwieler female with no milk

Question
I have lost a couple of Rottwieler puppy liters when their mothers milk won't come down. It has been 3 years since I had a litter of pups. I had to bottle feed the litter to save some. Only one made it, talking about spoiled rotten. My 4 1/2 year old female is pregnat now. She is in great shape. Got any advice

Answer

Hi Bob,

Bottle feeding doesn't "spoil" new born pups, it's an absolute necessity when the mother can't produce milk. Some dogs just don't produce enough milk for no particular reason, other dogs may have a thyroid disorder which explains the poor milk production.

You didn't say what you're feeding your pregnant dog. Be sure you're feeding your dog the correct diet. Carrying the litter, then feeding her babies is a terrific drain on her, if she doesn't get the right diet, she won't be able to nurse. During the first 30 days of pregnancy she can eat her normal diet, as long as it is a high quality food. During the last month of pregnancy, your dog's nutritional needs increase by 10% per week, for the rest of her pregnancy. You need to  switch her over to a high quality puppy food. Make the diet change gradually, over a weeks time. Do not give vitamin or mineral supplements, a high quality food has all the nutrients she needs. Also, be aware that some vitamin or mineral supplements can cause birth defects, so check with your veterinarian before using any supplements.

When the puppies arrive, continue feeding your dog the high quality puppy food, and allow her to "free-feed" as often and as much food as she wants. During the first three weeks after birth, a mother dog's nutritional needs can increase quickly to a level four times the pre-pregnancy nutritional level. A general rule of thumb is that the nutritional needs of the lactating dog will increase by 25% above its normal food needs per puppy she is nursing. Be sure to provide your dog with clean water at all times. If you see your dog losing weight, the food she is being fed is not of high enough quality, or caloric content.

Let your dog eat at least a few afterbirths, it helps stimulate milk production.

When her puppies are weaned (at around 5 weeks of age) you can transition your dog back to her regular diet.

There are a couple of diet supplements I know of that supposed to help milk production.  Look for: K9 Puppy Gold Dog Supplement, Black Gold Dog Forte, and PetAlive LacToll. Because your dog had trouble with milk production in the past, you should talk to your vet, to see what he or she advises.

Best of luck,

Patti