2 1/2 wks old american pit bull pups

Question
Renee,
   We have an american pitbull which does not seem to be feeding her puppies.  Just last night my husband and I kept trying to get her to feed the puppies but not much was accomplished.  Is there something we can do to get her to feed them or do we have to bottle feed the puppies? Thank-you for your time.  We will really appreciate any sort of recommendations.

Answer
Veronica, Thank you for allowing me to answer your question.

If momma has pretty much had enough of the pups, you will have to step in and help with their feedings. I'll assume their eyes are now open, which is a good thing, as they should be just about to the age where you can expect them to start lapping up some liquids. This makes the transition from mom to weaning ALOT easier, because you don't have to bottle feed for very long (a week at the most). Once the pups have reached 3 - 4 weeks, they can survive without nursing and can be weaned onto a milk replacer (Esbilac is a good one) mixed with some ground puppy kibble to form a gruel. For now though, you'll have to bottle feed them about every three - four hours. It may be hard to get them to accept the nipple at first, but they will get the idea. I would also start introducing them to a very shallow pan/dish of milk replacer to teach them to lap. Lightly touch the end of their muzzle into the milk replacer. They will lick it off and get the smell. A few will actually go for it right off the bat. I would do this a couple of times a day to start. By 5 weeks, they should be totally off the milk replacer and be able to eat plain kibble, but you could certainly add a small amount in for another week. I would not, however, go beyond that time, as it can cause bone growth disorders.

Another thing with pups this young is, you have to stimulate them to get them to defecate and urinate (for about 1 more week) unless you notice that every one is doing it on their own. This is very important because they can become toxic from the waste not exiting the body. To stimulate, you must use a very soft cloth (kleenex or cotton ball) and wet it with warm water and gently rub the genital area until elimination occurs.

Is mom cleaning them or taking care of them in every other way except for the feeding duties? If she is not feeding them at all, you need to begin with the feedings right now. You can't wait or the pups will start to dehydrate, become weak, and lose condition.

Please let me know how things are going.