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My bitch whelped almost 4 days ago and is still not eating well. She has been seen by the vet for her post-partum checkup and declared "brilliant" and for me to just be firm about feeding. All she will take is goat's milk, a bit of chicken or ground beef fresh cooked and very occaisionally a spoonful of cottage cheese. I offer small amounts frequently but half the time she just tries to bury it. She also won't take it if it is mixed together at all. This is a first litter and a singleton and she's a wonderful, devoted mom, producing adequate milk, but I am getting concerned about her continued poor appetite. Any suggestions? I've never had a bitch not be ravenous when nursing ...

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Last edited by Tizzy Too on 9/25/2014 11:23:28 AM

Don't you hate it when they catch on so quick that you will do ANYTHING to get them to eat? I have been known to make scrambled eggs and pancakes at 3 am.
Then I learned the chicken broth trick. I now start my chicken cooking when they start whelping.
I use legs and thighs, stick them in with water to cover and 1 tsp of minced garlic and slowly cook down. Add more water if needed until chicken is almost falling off bone and broth is lovely and concentrated.
If she is whelping I give her a drink of cooled broth during change over after I take her for a pee.
I add some of the shredded chicken and chicken broth to her food for the first week or so.
Between the chicken and the garlic they find it very hard to resist.
Hope it will work for you.

Thank you, I use that recipe for my daily "dressing" on their Merricks kibble and normally she loves it but now she is only picking the bits of chicken out. Like you, I find they like the thighs best I'm thinking she must be getting enough since the pup is gaining really well, but it is stressful thinking there might be something else going on that I might be missing. I just can't bring myself to try tripe which is what another breeder suggested!

O M G tripe! I remember in the mid 90's the tripe fad. So I got a can of the Green Tripe. I opened it and the Pugs came running. I, on the hand, leaned over the sink and let fly. They loved it and for the first time I had pugs that passed gas. Darn near killed me!! Needless to say that was the one and only can they ever got.LOL
Have you tried adding a TBSP of yogurt to her food and mixing it around? Although they do get wise to that and will suck the kibble then spit it out, if they are determined to drive you to the breaking point.
I would keep an eye on her temp and her bags but otherwise as long as she is drinking and nibbling and acting normal otherwise you prob haven't missed anything.