Care of and Feeding the Bitch with Pups - Part I

by Martin Coffman DVM

For eons, mother’s milk has been proven to be the best food for newborns. Studies in several species have documented the mechanisms that keep milk high in nutritional value regardless of the condition of the dam.1 These studies verify that a lactating bitch will produce a sufficient quantity of nutritious milk to support her puppies even if her condition deteriorates. For conscientious dog breeders, the challenge is to provide nutrition for the dam that will allow her to not only feed her puppies but also to maintain her own condition. It is normal for a bitch to lose some bodyweight during lactation but, ideally, the amount lost should not exceed 10% of her original weight.4 It is much easier to attain this goal if the bitch is in good condition prior to whelping which usually reflects the fact that she was in good condition at mating.

Excellent nutrition, though crucial, is not the only step that breeders can take to insure a healthy dam after her puppies are weaned. Clean, dry facilities are important. Daily exercise and fresh air can make the nursing process more pleasant for the dam, too. Daily examination of the bitch’s mammary glands allows early detection of infection in the breasts allowing prompt treatment.

Of course, a plentiful supply of clean water is very important to the well being of the dam. Water turnover is very high in the newborn puppy.5 This function of nursing is often overlooked by breeders. A consistent fluid intake by the puppy is required to maintain blood volume and this can only come from adequate milk.

DOG MILK CHANGES OVER THE NURSING PERIOD

One of the fascinating features of the nursing process is the ability of milk to change over the lactation. For example, the energy content of dog milk increases steadily for the first 40 days of nursing then decreases by Day 50 coinciding with the puppies’ ability to eat solid food.1 This allows an early start on shrinkage of breast tissue to help the bitch end her milk production. Fat, too, varies over the lactation period. Early in lactation the fat level is about 2.4%. By the middle of the nursing period, the fat level increases to about 5% then decreases to about 2.6% near weaning. Calcium is high in milk during the entire nursing period but continues to increase as weaning nears. Magnesium, iron, and zinc all vary over the lactation stage.

The point is that the dam’s nutritional level must be very high to allow this normal variation of nutrients and optimal nutrition for the puppies. A specific example is the so-called “toxic milk” syndrome, which can affect puppies between 3 and 14 days of age. This condition may be caused by uterine infection and/or mammary gland infection but some cases respond to zinc supplements suggesting that the disorder may be due, in part, to inadequate zinc intake. 2 This example illustrates the necessity of a high nutritional plane to supply the various nutrients required by the nursing bitch.

Failure to consume colostrum (first milk) during the critical period when the intestine is open to intact protein absorption seriously compromises the immune status of the neonatal puppy. 5 This occurs either through the bitch’s inability to produce colostrum or the puppies’ inability to nurse properly. Suitable corrective action requires the manual collection of colostrum from another bitch or a frozen source then administration to the puppy via stomach tube. 5 “Tubing” puppies can be difficult for beginners. Your local veterinarian or an experienced breeder can demonstrate the technique for you. The use of a puppy stomach tube is a skill that all breeders should be familiar with.

Although much less desirable, colostrum from another species, e.g. cow’s colostrum, may be used. The antibodies provided by cattle colostrum may not be protective for the puppy, but other nonspecific defenses may be utilized (lysosyme, lactoferrin, and oligosaccharides). 5 These nutrients protect the puppy against bacteria by destroying the pathogen or protecting the puppies intestine against bacterial toxins.

MILK INTAKE OF PUPPIES

Most dog breeders are unaware of the large quantity of milk produced by lactating bitches. For example, milk intake of Beagle puppies is about 5.5 ounces per day each. With an average litter of pups, a Beagle bitch will need to produce about one quart of milk per day!3 Larger breeds will be required to produce substantially more milk each day. Milk production decreases as puppies begin eating solid food, but milk alone can support normal growth in puppies up to four weeks of age.1 Regardless the large amounts of healthy milk required by most litters necessitates a very high level of nutrition for a successful nursing process. This fact, plus the reality that puppies are totally dependent on their mother’s milk for nutrition and hydration, makes the production of large quantities of high quality milk even more poignant.

Footnotes:
1.Lonnerdal B: Lactation and Neonatal Nutrition in the Dog and Cat, 13-15 Canine Reproductive Health, The Iams Company, 1997.
2.Moser JE: The puppy from birth to six weeks. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 8:79-100, 1978.
3.Oftedal O: Lactation in the dog: Milk composition and intake by puppies. J Nutr 114:803-812, 1984.
4.Moser D: Feeding to optimize canine reproductive efficiency, Probl Vet Med 4:454-550, 1992.
5Lepine AJ: Nutritional Considerations Affecting Canine Reproduction, Managing Canine Reproduction, The Iams Company, 23-27, 1997.