Expert: Becky - 8/15/2005

Question
My female had a litter on Aug 1st, and at first she was feeding them regularly but now her boobs are all scabed up and she won't stay there for more then 2 3 minutes at a time and I am not sure what to do.  I have no idea how much milk these lil guys are getting if you could respond as soon as possible with any advice it would be greatly appreciated.

Answer
Hi Sue,

She is probably very sore and it hurts for the pups to nurse.  Bathe her nipple with warm water and clean her up a bit if you can. A warm compress might ease the pain. Don't try to remove any scabs that will make her bleed.  She needs to nurse those puppies, so try to make her stay in there. Stay with her and talk to her. If her nipples are infected or if it is just too painful for her to let them nurse, then if I were you I would at least call a veterinarian.  He might have some type of med that you can put on her.  Please do NOT put anything on her though, without a vets approval as it could poison the puppies.  If worse comes to worse, you may need to bottle feed them as a supplement until she heals.   I wish you the best.

God Bless,
Becky