chaihuahua pregnancy

Question
What is "Milk Fever" and how can I tell if that is occuring?
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-----Question-----
This is the 3rd litter, no pups have ever died before, but on this litter 2 were born dead and one survived.... now she is producing so much milk that 2-3 of her breasts are so hard and engorged, what can I do for her???
-----Answer-----
Hi Chistina

Was she bred after each heat or was she given a rest in between heats (a year?  The more a female is bred the harder it is on her system to recover and in turn, the weaker the offspring are and more complications can arise.

Mastitis is caused by too much milk in the breast gland.
You'll want to soak her in a warm tub of water (or the sink) so her milk will come down. Gently massaging and a warm pack will also bring the milk done. You have to watch for "milk fever" when the milk becomes infected and can be passed to the pup.

Answer
Milk Fever is caused by an upset in the "mechanism" that regulates calcium, which leads to low calcium levels in the blood. It's called "Milk Fever" because it often occurs after whelping (but as late as 45 days after whelping).  It is primarily a disease of the small dog, especially toys.

Caked breasts, another form of mastitis is caused by too much milk in the breast. Either because too much milk or a deformed nipple.  It's very painful and hard  You can purchase litmus paper to test the acidity of the milk.  Normal milk should test at a pH level 6.0 - 6.5. Milk that tests to a pH level of 7.0 is infected and will make pups sick.

You want to watch for infection, if your female becomes listless, refuses to eat or gets a fever, you need to see your vet for antibiotics.