My dog is lactating for kittens. Is it safe? When should I stop?

16 week old kittens should be weaned and not nursing, and it is unlikely your female dog is actually lactating. Kittens can knead and look as if they are nursing as a sort of comfort behavior, so that may be what you are seeing instead. If neither is bothered by this, I wouldn't be worried, but if there is discharge coming from your dog it is best to seek veterinary care to make sure there isn't an infection or something else going on. Making sure both your dog and kitten are on a balanced diet (kitten formula) is best to ensure they're getting proper nutrition.

Yes, you can let them carry on with that as long as they seem to be growing normally and as long as they do not seem to have any health issues. ideally though it would have been better for the kittens to nurse on their mother and same thing with the puppies.

This is usually not a hunger-driven activity in a 10 week old kitten. It can indicate that the kitten was weaned or taken away from its mother too early. I would definitely continue to prevent this behavior, as it can continue into adulthood and could cause problems like an infection in the mammary gland of your dog. You may have your dog wear a shirt to cover the nipples, or keep them separated unless you can monitor them. Since it can be brought on by stress, you can try supplements for stress such as Zylkene or Feliway/Comfort Zone Feline Pheromones. Here is some more information: https://www.petplace.com/article/cats/pet-behavior-training/wool-sucking/

I'm sorry you recently lost Titan's mother! At five weeks of age, he's old enough to be weaned and shouldn't be nursing. I'd keep him separate from this other dog to stop the behavior. If he did nurse enough, she would produce milk for him, but he doesn't need it at this age. A puppy food is fine for him. I hope this helps!

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. As long as the mom will let them nurse she will make milk. I would not call it abnormal but it is not really good for them to nurse after 8 weeks of age. They actually become lactose intolerant after that time and even though they seem OK it could cause them issues in the long run. The mother usually stops the kittens from nursing around 8 weeks of age because they will get teeth and start biting the nipples making her uncomfortable. They must not be doing that since she is still allowing them to do it. The mom continuing to make milk also puts a strain on her body nutritionally and she may get underweight and unthrifty. It is best to separate the mom from the kittens until the milk dries up and then have mom spayed. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Poor mama dog! Don't worry--her lactation will stop as soon as her hormones realize there is no more nursing going on. She will gradually stop lactating and her mammary glands will dry up in a few days. This is a normal process with weaning and no cause for concern.

It's very common for kittens to continue to try to nurse on other animals in the house. This behavior usually lessens as the kittens mature, so I would not worry about it unless she is causing sores on the other animals or if they are snapping at her when she nurses. If not, then I would just let her grow out of the behavior. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.