Tips for Feeding and Caring for your Bulldog
Raising bulldogs is a total hands on experience. One thing
to remember with bulldogs, and especially so with newborn puppies, there is no
"always" or "never". It is important to have a good
mentor/breeder and vet to work with, because there are so many things that can
come up. Anyone that says they have never had a particular problem just hasn't
been around long enough. The longer you have been in the dogs, and the more
litters you have, you are always learning something new and different. That is
part of the benefits of belonging to a club and knowing other Bulldoggers. What
might work for one might not work for another, but this is how you learn.
The most critical period of a dog's life is
during the first week. The early care and environment of the newborn puppy are
of the utmost importance. Early causes of death can usually be attributed to
difficult whelping, congenital or genetic defects, environmental factors (i.e.,
too cool or drafty), carelessness of the dam, infection, viruses, toxic milk or
insufficient nourishment.
Things to always keep on hand in case of an
emergency: a box of Amoxi-Drops (a broad spectrum antibiotic that needs to be
reconstituted with water), anti-biotic ointment, anti-diarrhea medication (such
as Biosol, Kaolin-Pectin, or Neo-Pectilin), thermometer, Vaseline, and Karo
syrup or honey, tube feeding kit (#10 feeding tube, with 10cc feeding syringe),
and several cans of puppy formula, such as Esbilac (even though I prefer a
homemade formula for normal supplementation, many times during an emergency
there isn't enough time to mix formula). It is very important that a puppy get
its mothers milk if at all possible during the first 5 days to protect it from
infection and give it antibodies from the mother’s milk
The following is a listing of things you
need, or that might help, with a litter of puppies. This is especially
useful for first-timers. Just remember, this doesn't cover everything that can
come up. That is what a phone and a network of friends are for. And, if you
hear of or come across another hint, please share it with others.
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ITEMS NEEDED
Laundry basket
Baby Bottles
Heating pad/hot water bottle
Variety of nipples/preemie/firmer
Plastic wading pool
Newspapers (lots-start saving when you breed
the bitch)
Baby Handi-wipes
Kleenex
Sheets/blankets/towels
Thermometer
Scales
FORMULA
Mother's milk is always best for the puppies
but some mother's do not produce enough milk. If the mother does not produce
the milk the puppies need you can purchase pre-made formula from your vet, but
this formula is cheaper, was designed by U.C. Davis, and provides all the
nutrition. It's been used by countless people and gives good results.
1 can Carnation evaporated milk (prefer
canned goat's milk. many breeders use it instead of evaporated milk, both can
be found in the bakery section of your grocery store, use one or the other but
not both)
Add,
Equal part of plain unflavored Pedialyte
(use in place of water: example, 12 ounces of canned goats milk + 12 ounces of
pedialyte, (found in the baby section of your grocery store) plus:
1 egg yolk (yellow part only) plus:
1 tbsp. liquid pectin
NOTE - The Pedialyte can sometimes cause the
puppies to start getting constipated when they get to be a few weeks old. If
this seems to be, change to bottled water to make the formula.
THINGS TO REMEMBER
Because of this inability to maintain body
temperature, the greatest danger during the first week of life, is chilling.
Books on newborn puppies suggest keeping the environment 90 to 95 degrees, but
most breeders will tell you this is way too hot. Keeping the litter box temperature
between 83 -86 degrees (with no drafts) for the first few days is usually
adequate. The puppies of course, get their best radiant heat from the dam!
Other sources of warmth can be heating pads or heat lamps. If using a heating
pad, monitor the intensity of heat, as pups have been known to cook on pads set
on high settings.
There are many excellent heat lamps on the
market but remember to be careful, as Heat lamps have been known to start
fires. The temperature on the puppies (1 inch above the bottom of the box) should
be about 85-88 degrees with a corner that is slightly cooler and allow them to
scoot to where they feel the best. You
can purchase dimmer switches with 2 plugs. This is great to help regulate the
temperature with heat lamps. I suggest that you get a thermometer and place it
in the box with the puppies. There should also be plenty of clean blankets and
this will allow for regulation of temperature. If a puppy has its mouth open
its to hot. If a puppy is to cool it often won't show anything but can be
deadly.
Hydration is one of the most important
things to monitor in new pups, as it can be one of the first signs of trouble.
This can be checked by pinching the skin on the back of the neck or on the top
of the back. If the pinched skin stays creased, the puppy is dehydrated and
needs fluid replacement. Also a dehydrated pup's coat will sometimes have a
ruffled or scruffy appearance Dehydration can either be a result of inadequate
nourishment, too much heat or a result of sickness. Accompanied by diarrhea
and/or vomiting, it can be dangerous and fatal.
For the first couple of days after birth,
check the bitch's milk supply to make sure that she has an adequate amount for
feeding the litter. If a puppy pulls on the nipple and cries out in
frustration, check the milk. This can be done by gently squeezing the breasts
below the nipple. Milk should flow freely! Sometimes a bitch will have adequate
milk on the day of whelping, but the second day it will disappear, only to
return on the next day. Also following C-Sections, the milk can be really slow to
come in. If the litter is small in number, be sure to check the breasts, by
making sure that all are being used and emptied.
Beware of breasts that are hot to the touch
and have a packed "hard" feeling. If milk is not cleared out
regularly, you run the risk of an infection developing. Breasts have been known
to abscess. It's a good idea to check the bitch's temperature the first couple
of days following whelping. Anything over 103 degrees, should be looked at with
great suspicion!
WE STRONGLY suggest you use regular newborn
or infant bottles and nipples, those ones you buy for cats and dogs,ferrets,etc.
are really no good, it has a tendency of allowing air in the stomach. The
best nipples that I have found are premie nipples. They only have 1 hole vs.
the 3 holes in regular nipples. (be careful because they can aspirate if milk
is given too fast).I'd far rather bottle feed, and for myself use the tube
feeding only if it is a weak puppy, or large litter,etc. I feel the sucking on
a nipple, the handling and holding of the puppy is so very important to their
overall development. The puppy should be held -head upwards/body, tail
down in a 45 to 90 degree angle when bottle-feeding. Don't forget to poop the
puppies or have mom lick them.
A bulldog's normal temperature is between
101 and 102. Within a few days prior to the first due date, you need to start
taking the bitch's temperature a couple times a day. It can sometimes go down
to below 100, but within a few hours be back up to normal. When it stays below
100, down in the 99s, for a good period of time, then it is time to call the
vet. It's close to time to have puppies. Following the C-section, clean the bitch's
incision area 3x daily. Wipe nipples/area before each feeding.
The laundry basket mentioned is to keep the
puppies warm and safe. You can purchase or have made an incubator as some
active breeders have, but to do the same job you can use a laundry basket. Put
down a layer of towels, then either the heating pad or hot water bottle,
(heating pad should be at lowest setting) then another layer of towels. Always
put a large towel over the top to keep any drafts off the puppies. Place the
heating pad so it covers about half of the bottom of the basket, this way
puppies can move away if they get to hot.
IMPORTANT
Puppies: Keep clean-Keep warm. If puppies
and their blankets are not kept clean, it is very easy to come down with a
staph infection and diarrhea, which is serious. Puppies can go downhill
quickly. It is equally serious if the puppies get chilled. Avoid drafts, etc.
Even if you have them in a basket with a heating pad, you need to cover the
basket with a towel to keep out drafts. A chilled puppy has to be warmed up.
Put it in a pocket so that it's warm and jiggled as you walk around. Or put it
in your bra for your body heat. There are so many little ways to accomplish it.
Don't worry about feeding formula to a chilled puppy because it will have the
opposite reaction. Their body cannot handle the food and makes it all the worse
for the puppy. So first thing is to get the puppy warmed up slowly.
Newborn puppies cannot regulate their body
temperature or body functions such as urinating and stools. It is important
that they are stimulated to potty after each feeding. They might not have a
stool each time, but they will urinate. This is what the mother does when she
licks them. But some mothers don't want to be bothered, especially the first
few days. After that, she will become a good mommy. Some might start off being
good, then after a few days, or even a couple of weeks, not want to be bothered
and might even be nasty to the puppies such as snapping and biting them. Always
be careful and watch. Don't leave her alone until the pups are big enough not
to be laid on, or big enough that you know that the bitch is a good mother.
If the bitch will not clean the babies, you
must be sure to do it. Using a Kleenex or cotton balls (I have found that baby
wipes work great and do not dry out their behind), gently rub the area to
stimulate them to potty. Then be sure to clean them well. Make sure to check
them even if the mother cleans them. Often the stool will get stuck to the tail
and be dry. If that happens, or if the puppies seems to be straining and are
constipated, try the following. Run warm water in the sink slowly. Put a drop
of soap on their behinds, and wash and massage their behinds. It will get the
tail and poop unstuck, clean them up, and cause them to go potty real well. Make
sure they are well rinsed, and dried thoroughly, (remember, Don’t let the puppy
get chilled). If the little bottoms are red and sore, use some Desitin
ointment.
If the bitch has good milk and
puppies get full with her, then they won't need to be bottle-fed. But watch and
observe. Sometimes puppies can seem to nurse and "be full" and
fall asleep, but wake up soon, fussing. Sometimes they don't have good sucking
action, and are not getting a lot of nutrition. Or, the bitch doesn't have a
lot of milk, but the pups are just sucking till they are tired, not full. In
that case, they will need to be supplemented with a bottle. Also, when you
don't have the time to sit and wait for them all to get full with mother (such
as late night feedings), put them on mom and let them nurse for five
minutes. Then start with one puppy and the bottle to "top them
off", working your way through the puppies. This also gives you a good
idea how much they are eating.
If you have small, weak puppies, you will
need to tube feed them. They will not have the strength to nurse. You need to
have someone experienced show you how to tube. It is too difficult to explain
here and if you don't know what you're doing, you can get milk in their lungs
and lose the puppy. But, don't let tubing scare you off. It has pulled
thousands of weak and preemie puppies through.
For the first 3- 5 days an average puppy
(10-14ouncer) will take about 10 cc's per every 3-4 hours, you should break it
into feedings every 2 hours, 5cc per feeding. If it is a good size puppy, a
pound or more, then they might take more. Toward the end of a week they will
increase the food need to about 15-20 cc or more. (Remember there is 30 ounce)
Also, for the first week they should eat every two hours. If they are good size
babies, you can sometimes go longer. By the second week, as long as you don't
have any problem ones and they are of good size, you can usually go three to
four hours between feedings.
Average weight of newborns is 10-14 oz. I've
had and pulled through 5-6 oz babies, but it's tough. You have to feed less,
but more often. Good size
Puppies are 14-18 oz. They're great. It
seems like they are almost ready to walk!!!
Regarding tube feeding: For reasons such as,
mastitis, no milk, death of the mother or just plain supplementing big litters,
etc., tube feeding may be required. Using a human infant bottle is the best
method and should be your first option for feeding when a mother can't. However,
there is a time when tube feeding is better, such as a weak puppy or those who
won't suck on a nipple. Contrary to popular myth, it is extremely difficult to
get a tube into the lungs. If a tube were to get into a lung the puppy would
immediately go into coughing spasms. You do have to watch a tube doubling back,
which is why we hate the small flimsy tubes (such as #8) and you also have to
make sure the tube is inserted far enough into the stomach.
Take the tube, measure from the nose, up
over the ear and down to the last rib and that is the distance to insert it.
1-2 cc is plenty to feed puppies the first 12 feedings every few hours apart.
Also be careful how quickly you press the plunger of the syringe. It should be
pressed slowly and once all the formula is expelled, the tube should be removed
quickly. Milk bubbling from the nose means the puppy is being over fed. This
method killed more puppies when food was allowed to come back up. When milk
bubbles from the nose, you run the risk of overfeeding the puppy and of causing
inhalation pneumonia. The amount of formula tubed into puppies, especially
small pups, should be carefully regulated (small amounts more often). It is
safer to underfeed than overfeed.
Assist the mother in feeding:
Bulldog mothers usually don’t make the best
nursing mothers. Always be with them when the Mom is in the box. Help lay her
down and bring the puppies to the mothers nipples, squeeze each nipple slightly
to get a drop or two of milk out and rub the nose/mouth of the puppy to it and
assist in getting him latched on. Make sure the head is always elevated
slightly to avoid the milk flushing back out the nose or mouth. Use a small
towel propped under the puppy to do this.
When finished make sure the mother
"POOPS" the puppies by placing there rear end to her mouth and she
should lick them until they eliminate. Clean well and return to warm box and
remove mother from box area. If hand raising put a small dab of Vaseline on
your finger and rub the genitals of the puppies until they eliminate. Don't rub
real hard, kind of about the same pressure, as you would use to rub your own
eye. Clean the puppies well.
Puppy stools are normally fairly soft, but
formed and usually are yellow/brown in color. I have seen green puppy stools
and stools that have an appearance of bunches of tiny seeds. If all else seems
normal, these phenomena seem to be harmless and short-lived. Watery diarrhea,
however, can be very serious if left unchecked. There can be many causes such
as, the dam's diet or infection. Diarrhea in combination with vomiting usually
means infection. Check the dam's milk and discharge from the vulva.
If either appears abnormal, consult a
Veterinarian. If her milk has clear streaks and/or blood or appears
yellow/green, pull the puppies until the situation is diagnosed and corrected.
And keep in mind that in the beginning stages, bacteria infected milk can look
completely normal. It doesn't hurt to monitor the mother's temperature for a
couple of days, following whelping. Keep an eye on anything over 103 degrees
and consult your Vet. It could indicate an infection in the uterus or in the
milk glands. When in doubt, call the Vet!
Low Blood Sugar--There is a low blood sugar
phenomenon that sometimes can occur the first few day's of a puppy's life.
Everything will go along fine and all of a sudden, a puppy will stiffen like a
board. Usually the tongue will stick out between the lips. This is generally
the result of low blood sugar, especially if more than one puppy is doing this.
A Veterinarian can do a blood test to determine if this is the problem. The
simple solution is to start supplementing the puppy with a formula that has
Karo syrup in it. Or the puppy can be tube fed a sugar/water solution. Or a
dextrose solution can be given under the skin. Sometimes this phenomenon goes
hand in hand with dehydration. This stiffening routine is basically a seizure and
it has nothing to do with epilepsy.
It is totally dietary and usually means
either the dam does not have adequate milk or the puppies are not getting
enough to eat. It can happen to the largest puppies and the smallest. If left
untreated, it will most assuredly lead to the death of the puppy. Following a
day or two of supplementing, usually the problem corrects itself (if the dam
has sufficient milk)! A drop of honey placed on in the mouth of newborn puppies
and maybe once per day for 3 days will also help blood sugar levels and give
them a boost.
It is a good idea to get a little scale.
Just like with humans, the first day or so after birth, they will normally drop
an ounce or so in body weight. But,
after that, they should regularly gain an approximately
an ounce a day. Weighing and charting the weights is a good way to keep an eye
on their progress. Weight should be about a pound a week by the 4th week. A 4-week-old
pup should weigh about 4 pounds, etc.
Fading puppies
The syndrome whereby puppies, apparently
normal and healthy at birth, fail to thrive and eventually die is commonly
called the fading puppy syndrome. Puppies are very vulnerable to any form of
stress because of their immature immune, cardiovascular (heart) and respiratory
(lungs) systems at birth. Factors such as chilling, malnutrition, congenital
abnormalities, trauma and infection have consistently proven to be fatal to
puppies, especially in the first 2 weeks of life when nearly 80% of puppy
mortalities occur.
Enteritis and pneumonia is the two most
common diseases in puppies and also responsible for most mortalities. Enteritis
(infection of the intestines) is caused by various viruses and bacteria and is
precipitated by poor hygiene, lack of sufficient immune protection, ingestion
of too much milk, change in diet or other stress factors. The main symptom is diarrhea,
which can vary from watery to mucoid to hemorrhagic, followed by dehydration,
emaciation, weakness and death. Low ambient temperature, a draught or a common
cold (viral infection) can cause infection of the upper respiratory system. If
it is allowed to progress, it can develop into a bacterial infection of the
lungs (pneumonia). Symptoms include nasal discharge, rapid and difficult
breathing and a moist cough. Inhalation of milk by Bulldog puppies is quite
common and can rapidly develop into a fatal pneumonia. Novice breeders are
advised to make us of a vet with sufficient experience in the treatment of
puppies and to always react swiftly to any signs of disease.
Puppies start opening their eyes between 10
days and two weeks. Puppies are born with pink noses (once in a blue moon
you'll have one born that already has a little spot on it!) Otherwise, don't
panic. Anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, they will start getting the
pigment on the nose and around the eyes.
At around 3 1/2 to 4 weeks, start adding
baby rice cereal to formula and feed in a shallow pan. Again use the puppy replacement
or home made version, or if the puppies have eat on mom the whole time you may
want to mix with lamb replacement formula instead of goat milk, this is found
in feed stores. You have to be careful to see that they don't get too much and
choke. At five weeks you should be able to start adding ground up puppy food
with less formula and mainly water added, a soaked puppy ground up mixture,
Then add some baby strained meat, lamb/chicken to mix with the formula.
Grind puppy food in your blender, and mix
that powder with the milk/water. Always
soak food as dry food can choke puppies less than 12 weeks of age. You can use
any type of puppy food that contains the right amount of nutrition and that may
be recommended by your vet.
At four to five weeks they should be up and
walking around. It is very important to keep the bedding area lumpy for good
footing and building them up. Sometimes you can get a puppy that we call a
"swimmer". This usually happens if it is a big puppy, and the bedding
isn't lumpy. Either the front or hind legs spread out and the puppy can't get
them under him. If this happens, it is important to get them hobbled and help
them learn to get up and walk. Otherwise, you get a puppy that is flat chested
and gets pneumonia.
This hopefully gives you an idea of what is
involved in raising puppies. It is a lot of work, time, and sometimes
heartache. But, it is dedicated breeders that do it again and again, just
hoping for that next champion. Also, as I said, Bulldogs are not
"usual" or "always". They will present you with some new
problem and that is why a network of Bulldoggers and a good vet is invaluable.
At 4 weeks get the puppies wormed and vet
checked again, by 6 weeks there ready for another round of worming and their
first shots. When they reach the 8 week age you can start to sell them, however
many breeders wait another 1-2 weeks, which means you must also give a second
set of shots. Puppies sold at 9-12 weeks or older is normal for most breeders.
Be sure to screen your buyers and have a contract to protect you both, also require
a spay/neuter contract on any pet dogs and/or limited registration.