Are my newborn puppies getting enough milk from their nursing mom?

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Those puppies look very healthy. The only way to make sure they are getting enough milk is to weigh the puppies every day and make sure the puppies are gaining weight. Neonatal puppies should have a weight gain of 5-10% of birth weight daily --they may lose a little the first 24 hours, but after that we need to see this weight gain. If they are not gaining at that level, they need to be evaluated, and if otherwise normal, supplemented with formula and tube feeding to achieve this weight gain. Sounds like everything is going great with Juliet and the puppies. Remember to feed Juliet puppy food during this time because her nutritional requirements are very high during lactation. Good luck

It can sometimes be hard to tell if puppies are getting enough milk! If you want to be sure, you can weigh the puppies each day. As long as they gain weight every day, this is a good sign that things are fine. If they aren't gaining weight, or if they look overly thin, you may need to bottle feed them with puppy milk replacer in addition to letting them nurse on their mother.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. if the puppies are gaining weight, not crying for food and are passing urine and stools regularly, it means that they are getting enough milk. In some bitches it takes a while to produce milk once the puppies latch on the nipples. When the puppies are about 3 weeks of age, you can start feeding them small amounts of wet food mixed with warm water.

If the puppies are latching and nursing then stop to sleep with firm tummies they are more than likely getting all the milk they need. If they seem distant or cold to the touch and not trying to Nurse you can always bottle feed one to measure the amount they are getting.

Hello. 8 puppies is a pretty good litter. If Mom seems content caring for her newborns, then I would not be too concerned. It is never a bad idea to have everyone checked in the next couple of days, but there is no hurry to do so as long as puppies are nursing & Louie is eating well. I should mention that with this many puppies, she should be on a puppy food for the extra calories, but no other supplements unless your vet recommends them. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Weigh the puppies daily. They should be gaining weigh every day, and if they are not, then they are not getting enough milk and Heaven's milk may be drying up. In that case, you will need to bottle feed the puppies with puppy formula.

The length depends on how hungry they are and how much milk she has. If your puppies are not gaining weight and do not have round full bellies after nursing, she may not have enough milk for them and you may have to supplement them with puppy milk.