feeding time

Question
QUESTION: my 5 years old shihtzu just gave birth to 3 beautiful pups.what i want to know is it ok to give a bath after she had pups,they are now 5 days old.with all the matters that came out of her during giving birth.molly is always groomed and clean and that's when we see she is the most content with herself.she doesn't care for the bath itself but afterwards she loves to strut her stuff and is very playful.

ANSWER: Hi Linda.  Congratulations on your new litter of 5 puppies.  It is very important that while the new puppies are nursing that the mothers mammary glands are kept clean.  This can be done by wiping them with a clean damp cloth.  If you would like to give the mother a bath, I would suggest that you can give her a quick one, but do not use any perfume sprays, flea treatments, or anything that can be irritating to the new puppies.  

As always, be sure to use dog/puppy shampoo, not human grade shampoo or baby shampoo, and be sure to rinse her thoroughly. I also suggest that you use a warm blow-dryer and make sure she is completely dry and does not get a chill.  

Mommy needs all her strength right now, and does not need a cold to deal with.

Good luck, and please do not hesitate to contact me again if you have questions.

Sincerely,
Penny DiLoreto
www.puppies-dot-com.com

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molly   QUESTION: i would like to know how long will the puppies feed on their mother and when they are ready to let go what should i feed them.what happens if the mother's milk dries up before the pups are finish to wean,and is it safe to give the mother some milk once in a while to drink while feeding her pups.

Answer
Hi Linda.  The mother normally decides when to wean her puppies, but this normally happens around 4 - 5 weeks after the puppies are born.  Once the puppies teeth and toe nails start to become sharp, the mother begins loosing interest in feeding them, and feels that they can begin fending for themselves.

I feed all my puppies, and their mother K-9 Puppy Gold.  Here is a link to one place that this product can be purchased:

http://www.petco.com/product/100268/Animal-Naturals-K9-Puppy-Gold.aspx

In most cases I do not let my puppies leave our care until they are at least 8 weeks old. The purpose of keeping the litter with the mother is for nutrition, early learning to find food, pecking order establishment, determine who is alpha, peer play and body language, scent differentiation etc. The mother and peers are in a group learning environment, even touching and companionship play a major role. Typically the mother dog will ween the pups off and make them forage for food on their own. That is the point where the pups can be removed to a new home. Also, in most cases, vaccinations should not begin until 8 weeks of age.

Good luck and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have additional questions.  I want to apologize for my delay in relying to your question.  I am having some work done at my home this weekend, and some how my internet cable connection was cut.

Sincerely,
Penny DiLoreto