Is my 8-day-old puppy pulling nipples due to low milk supply?

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.

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.

Feed NawNaw a puppy formulated food, she needs the extra calories, calcium, and protein. Weigh the puppies daily to make sure they are gaining weight. If they aren't, then you will need to supplement their feeds with puppy formula.

If she stopped feeding them suddenly then mastitis would be a risk (she may refuse them because it is painful or the excess milk after she stopped could cause the problem after). If she is off form, has any fever or her milk glands are red, hot or painful to firm touch then she will need prescription treatment from a vet. If everything is otherwise good, just monitor for any changes. 48 hours of very light food if she is healthy and not underweight can discourage active milk production but do not starve her

This one likely has a medical condition that is keeping him from being as strong as the others. The best thing to do is have him evaluated by a vet. There may be something that can be corrected. It's very important for them to have the mother's milk, so the best thing you can do is remove the bigger ones every three hours (day and night) to allow the little one to suckle. You should also get some milk replacer for dogs at the pet store. There is feeding guidelines on the box. Sometimes mom may be dry, so if the pup is suckling for a long time (over 5 minutes), then he's likely not getting enough milk from mom and you should offer the milk replacer. Feeding can be reduced to every four hours when he is four weeks, and transitioning to puppy food can happen at six weeks. I hope that helps and the pup turns-out OK.

Hello. Just keep a close eye on everyone. Even the weaker puppies will fight for a nipple. As long as the puppies seem warm & content, & you see the mother dog cleaning up after the puppies, all will be well. Usually the only time you will need to supplement a puppy is if the mother dog is sick, or she has an extremely large litter. If you do find the need to help with supplemental feedings, make sure you use a puppy nursing formula like Esbilac. Take care.

If you haven't yet, transition her to a quality puppy food. Feed her this diet until she weans the litter then transition slowly back to an adult maintenance diet. Provide plenty of fresh water as well. If necessary, you can supplement the pups with a puppy milk replacer such as Esbilac or Pet Lac. Either may be purchased from your veterinarian or the local Petco.