How does a female dog breastfeed her puppies?

The female dog can breastfeed her puppies a few hours after giving birth. Female dogs generally have 10 nipples, and fewer have 12 nipples. Generally, they can feed 6 to 7 puppies. If the number exceeds this number, artificial breastfeeding should be considered.

The milk produced by a female dog within 3 to 5 days after giving birth is called colostrum. Its composition is very different from regular milk. It contains higher protein, fat, rich vitamins, and has a laxative effect. Can promote the discharge of meconium. Colostrum has high acidity, which is good for digestion. Almost all the nutrients in colostrum can be absorbed and utilized by puppies, which is extremely beneficial to increasing physical strength and maintaining body temperature.

Generally speaking, puppies can obtain immune protection from colostrum, and then the concentration of maternal antibodies gradually decreases, and is basically gone by the time they are 8 weeks old. Therefore, puppies should be given colostrum as early as possible.

Mother dogs generally automatically control the time and frequency of nursing puppies without human intervention. However, some dogs with little milk or poor maternal performance should pay attention to their lactation conditions when raising them.

Generally, puppies should be fed more than 5 times a day; when the puppies are half a month old, it can be reduced to 4 times a day; in about 1 month, the mother dog will spit out some of the preliminary chewed food to the puppies. , this is an important step for the dog to lead an independent life. If it is found that the female dog cannot do this, artificial supplementary feeding must be carried out.