Help! Tube feeding puppies... - Page 1

I need some input and appreciate any advice you guys can give me....I have a litter of six born Nov 9th. Five were born healthy and ate good from then on. One, the runt, who we'll refer to as "blue", had trouble eating. I tried helping him nurse, but he seemed to continually grow weaker. Rather than risk loosing him, I mixed up some goats milk, yogurt, and Karo syrup and tube fed him, every four hours. By the second feeding, he perked right up. I fed him for the next day and night, then when I saw he was nursing well, I stopped. He did fine for a couple of days, but then got weak again and the night before last, he was on his death bed. I've started tubing him again, but unfortunately, another male pup in the litter, who we'll refer to as "burgundy", is down also. He seems to be very dehydrated, weak, and has no desire to nurse. "Blue" will nurse from a bottle, but cannot get nearly enough in each feeding before he gets tired of it and stops nursing. "Burgundy" has no desire to suckle at all. I am tube feeding both, even though it seems so harsh on the puppies. Am I being silly? Or can tube feeding long term cause damage? How long should I continue to tube feed? I can't imagine tube feeding every four hours until they are three weeks old, but if that's what is recommended, I have no problem doing it to save these pups lives. Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing. The bitch has plenty of milk and the other pups in the litter are thriving. Most of them are actually twice the size of "Blue" now, which causes more problems. When he does try to nurse, the other pups just push him out of the way. "Burgundy" seems content to just lay out flat and die, but "Blue" has fight in him. I feel so sorry for them both. I find myself sitting with them for hours each day in the whelping box, just wishing there were more I could do to help. Any advice will be hugely appreciated...

About all I can think of is to keep them warm and hydrated.  You can get Ringers solution by prescription from your vet along with instructions on how to administer subcutaneously.

Always do your best for these little guys but remember that there are some pups that just don't make it in spite of what we might do for them.

Best of luck

The mistake most people make when tube feeding , is they don't feed enough formula. At each feeding you should give around 20 mls.Stop half way and gently rub and tap the pups back.Then the rest .But administer the formula gently and not fast. Watch the pups stomach fill.Then with a warm wet cotton ball or paper towel, wipe the pup to make him pee, and poop.I'll start them off on a mixture of goats milk , powdered is fine, add some dark karo syrup, after the first week then I'll add a little Gerber baby rice cereal, but mix it very loose not thick.Make sure the pup stays  hydrated . You can add some pidealite to the mix.instead of water. or instead of water at the start. always give the formula warm and not to hot.If the pups are strong at 3 weeks try and get them to feed on there own.plus let the mother still feed them.

 wean them on ( for the first 3 or 4 days) Butter milk and raw beef put threw the blender. Make the mix like creamed pea soup. after 5 or more days of this then add finely blended puppy food . I put my puppy food thru the blender a make a fine powder add some of it to the raw meat and Gerber rice powder, some Karo syrup and butter milk. this is what I'll wean the pups on. 3 to 4 x's a day . wait till you see how thick and healthy they will become.

The mistake most people make when tube feeding , is they don't feed enough formula. At each feeding you should give around 20 mls.Stop half way and gently rub and tap the pups back.Then the rest .But administer the formula gently and not fast. Watch the pups stomach fill.Then with a warm wet cotton ball or paper towel, wipe the pup to make him pee, and poop.I'll start them off on a mixture of goats milk , powdered is fine, add some dark karo syrup, after the first week then I'll add a little Gerber baby rice cereal, but mix it very loose not thick.Make sure the pup stays  hydrated . You can add some pidealite to the mix.instead of water. or instead of water at the start. always give the formula warm and not to hot.If the pups are strong at 3 weeks try and get them to feed on there own.plus let the mother still feed them.

 wean them on ( for the first 3 or 4 days) Butter milk and raw beef put threw the blender. Make the mix like creamed pea soup. after 5 or more days of this then add finely blended puppy food . I put my puppy food thru the blender a make a fine powder add some of it to the raw meat and Gerber rice powder, some Karo syrup and butter milk. this is what I'll wean the pups on. 3 to 4 x's a day . wait till you see how thick and healthy they will become.

Thank you for your responses. I will try tube feeding more at each feeding. I have been feeding 15 ccs, but they do not seem to be gaining, so I will up the feeding. Is it okay to continue to tube feed these pups? If they don't nurse on their own, how long should I continue to tube feed them? I have never had to tube feed more than a few feeding before, so am not sure whether I can do it long term or not. Any opinions?

Hi Rockinkranch

I feel for you as you are on a real difficult path - however, lets be positive.  I have tube fed 5 babies many years ago when my bitch had 15 puppies !!  Yes, 15. and 5 were weak and sickly, so I began my marathon  I tube fed for a week before I then gave the bottle as they were also poor to suckle at first.  Get the tube in and leave it there on each pup you are feeding, Use litmus paper to check the tube is in correctly - email me if you are not sure about that procedure, its sooo simple but lengthy for this board...strap ithe tube to to their body and then you dont risk the biggest problem which is infection inputting and out-taking the tube each time (this is what we do with prem babies) they get the tube inserted carefully and properly, then left there until its not needed, or at least for 48 hrs. 

Then dont worry about cereals inside the food or anything else, as this can cause dehydration purely by the fact that the fluid in the feed is taken up by extra solids.  JUST FEED PUPPY FORMULA.  Buy a good brand, and realise that you dont need a massive tin, as this wont go on for long before they are sucking properly, or before you lose the battle.  I hope its the first option.

Then wipe with cotton wool the genitals after each feed, as they need the stimulation to pee and use bowels.  This is also essential care, or if mum is calm, then hand to her in your care also to lick them clean.  Whilst tube feeding, also offer the bottle once per day (with the tube fixed in too) so that the sucking reflex is stimulated regularly, and you will see yourself when they are ready to suck properly from a bottle.  I would have said 20 mls per feed, in 5 ml intervals, to allow for the peristaltic movement to digest it through without too much discomfort.  If mum is concerned and worried, and wont clean them up for you, use sudocrem or a similar nappy cream after you have cleaned them, as their little skin is sooo delicate, they get sore easily.

Best of luck, you deserve it - will you let us all know please?    Regards  Mo - Mascani

Hi Rockrkranch,

This may sound like a silly question, and maybe you have done this already,
but have you checked the roof of the puppies mouths for cleft palate?

Yes, I have checked them for cleft palate and both are fine, but thanks for bringing that up. I'm confused about how I could leave the tube in, as they seem to gag on it until I take it out, very uncomfortable, which I guess is why I hate the tube feeding so much. They just both seem so very weak and pitiful. Thank you all for your help!

I know what you mean Rockinkranch about gagging when the tube is inserted and taken out.  This is eliminated when you can leave the tube insitu.  The uncomfortable bit that distresses, is the insertion and release of the tube, as it touches on the nerves which control the swallowing action and reflex, and causes gagging.  Therefore, have enough length of tube to measure approx (on the outside of the puppy, the approx amount of tube from stomach to mouth.  Then take 1.5 measurement -  as much again of the tube and leave it that length.  Insert the tube, and when you are CERTAIN you have it into the stomach, tape it around the pups body.  Wait first for the pup to remain comfortable with the tube.  AFter that, its no problem for the puppy.  The bad bit is the insertion.  Therefore, its far less distressing to leave it in whilst needing it, that to insert and re-insert.  You can then close off the free end of the tube that is taped around the body, and open the little lid up once you are going to slowly feed in the formula.  Personally, if you are near to a vet and unsure,I would be taking these babies down to a vet you trust, asking him to insert the tubes, and tape them around the body for you, and then bring home your puppies all done without having to worry if they are in the right place.  I do hope that all is going well with it.  Let us know.   Mo - Mascani

Excellent advice from Mo (Penny) and I hope for both you and the pups that this works. Though I am a little concerned that you may be fighting a losing battle because from what you are describing these pups have more underlying problems than just the fact that they cannot suckle long enough themselves.

Do you know if they had a long, hard birth delivery where they could have suffered Oxygen starvation? What sounds do they make, do they cry and squeal like normal pups or do they make Seagul type shreiks? The timescale 1-9 days old is about right for what is often referred to as fading puppy syndrome. I feel sure that a lot of pups that are lost in this way is due to been starved of oxygen and/or the fact they breathe birth fluid into their lungs which destroy the foam type substance present in their lungs and necessary for the transision to the next stage of their circulation development which takes place at approx 8 -10 days. If this foam was destroyed at birth the transition to full oxygenated blood circulation fails and thus the pups suffer brain damage from lack of oxygen and of course so do the rest of the organs which all eventually start to pack up. The fact the brain suffers damage is the reason the pups do not have the natural urge to suckle and  normally the pups would fade from starvation rather than organ damage. 

My heart really goes out to you and these babes and I hate having had to say any of this but sometimes if this is the case it is less distressing for all concerned to come to terms with the inevitable sooner rather than later.

I will keep my fingers tightly crossed that my fears are unfounded and that these babes start to thrive. XX

All the best

Sue B