Some questions on my Fosters - Page 1

I have a few general medical questions about the mom and pups.  Normally, I would go to the rescue, Terry, but I expect she has her hands full today with the storm.

Mom weighed 37 lbs when I picked her up.  My vet and I expect that she should be around 45 lbs.  The kibble I have her on says 2 - 2 1/2 cups a day, so I doubled it for a nursing mom.  Momma Dog is actually eating 6 cups a day and still hungry for more.   How much should I feed her?  As she is a stray, I do not think free feeding will work; I suspect she would eat till she bursts.

Terry is going to send me some worming medicine.  With the storm, I do not want to put any pressure on her for it.  If I have to, is there some wormer I can get from a feed store for mom and 2 week old puppies? (I figure feed store cost will be cheaper than vet cost for the meds)

I have a bunch of deer bones I am suppose to pick up today from a butcher for my dogs.  Is it ok to give Momma Dog one?

Terry seems to be on-line, so I will ask her these questions.  (if you have any input, I will still take it).

Yes, I would worm her.  I always figures mama dogs regular amount plus l cup per puppy when they are feeding pups,  so if her regular amount is say 2-3 cups and she is feeding 6 pups and they are really draining her as they do around 4-6 weeks old she can have at least 7-8 cups of kibble per day, but maybe even better why not add some fresh meat, even cook it slightly if you want and give her some ground turkey added to her kibble or ground beef;  I think some meat added will give her some more protein in her diet and help her to feel more satisfied.  BOL with her and you can buy Nemex at the feed store usually or something like it to worm her.  It is safe for puppies also as it goes thru the milk, when they are 2 weeks old I would worm them also and reworm mama dog every 2-3 weeks until puppies are weaned then worm her after weaning again.  Thx for rescue'ing her and her puppies what a kind and generous thing to do for them.  Nan

Sounds good.  Thank you again.

Fawn maybe you have to up her feed more, for that fat spotty pup's benefit !
Cor he's a size, isn't he ?  Maybe he needs worming !  Is he first and longest
on the mum ?   Momma Dog looks like a sweet little thing. They all look pretty
content so you are clearly doing great.

What kind of kibble are you feeding? The better food is denser in protein and fat and will go farther than a cheaper variety. Deer is very lean so I'd feed something with more fat like beef

Strongid is available at any feed/pet supply, about $10. You might need two bottles for  that many whelps. Repeat every two weeks.  Don't forget Mom. she's probably LOADED with rounds and tapes and God knows what else. Feed mom a couple of cups of high-quality dog food 4x a day till you wean the litter, 4-5 C a day (two feedings) after that till she is back to a healthy weight. That many nursing pups will likely keep her thin even on that much food. I would supplent the shelps with dilluted (50-50 warm water) evaporated goat's milk as soon as they'll lap it up. You can get it at most gorcery stores.
Good luck with the new family.

Great notes.  I will do all.  With Rose (my girl) getting so sick the 1st week after whelping, her feeding was a bit more extreme. 

Terry has me giving Momma Dog Iams, lamb and rice to protect the digestive system.  I started upping her food to 8 cups a day (split into 2 feedings).  With Rose, we added Ensure to her diet (we were desperate for her to get any nutrition).  If I can't find the goats milk, I might add that too.

Yea, I bet there are lots of worms.  We are waiting for the 2 week mark before worming Momma Dog and puppies.  As I am not sure when the puppies were born, I am using the eyes opening as my indicator.

Thank you all for your help.

I'd try to get her on something better than Iams. Dogs don't digest corn well.