I haven't seen my dog since last night. I haven't been here most of the day, but she's usually here first thing in the morning. She has been getting out on occasion, but she's never gone for long.
She has week old puppies, so I'm even more worried. I don't know when they were last fed.
So I'm worried the ranger has maybe picked her up (hopefully nothing worse), but that might take a day or so to get her back. I need advice on looking after the puppies til then.
I know dogs are lactose intolerant. I have an over flow of rice milk, almond milk, oat milk & soy milk here... would that be ok for them until I find out where she is? The nearest vet is 4 hours away & the closest they travel to here is 1.5 hours away & only about once a fortnight.
They're happily sleeping & as content as they were over 4 hours ago when I last checked them, so she may well have been & gone again, but its really not like her...
Hi, what a worry! I hope your dog is home soon. Have you called the ranger to see if she's been picked up? I don't know what you should feed them, but I'd probably ring the SPCA and ask them what is best.
If you are near a livestock and feed outlet store the product they need is called wombaroo. They should have some on hand HTH and good luck!
EDIT- also puppies that age should be feeding every 3-4hrs. If you cannot get to the vet or stock store in that time emergency feed can be made with 1 cup of milk to 2 egg yolks. Dogs are carnivorous and will do better on cows or goats milk (although not optimal) than with other milks. This mix shouldnt be used for more than 24-48 hours though. Also puppies that age cant urinate/defecate by themselves and need to be stimulated to do it by gently wiping their bits with a wet, warm, cotton swab.
Last edited by Caz_88; November 16th, 2012 at 03:25 PM.
I would make sure when she does come back to keep her with the pups and let her out for some time alone/potty time then bring her back in. She really should be with the pups in a safe place while they are so young. Especially if its her first litter and she might be a bit overwhelmed as to what to do.
I think somethings happened to her She's never gone away for long before. Never for hours on end. Especially with pups. Noone around town has seen her & being such a small town, thats not normal either. Someone I know always see's her when she wanders (its not very often, I just didn't want her tied up with the pups in case she hurt them with the chain).
She should be inside in a whelping box with the puppies. Kids play pens make a great way to keep the pups in but she can come and go; but she should really be inside with them more often than not. Is there anyone around who can watch the kids while you have a look for her? She might be hurt and just cant get home
They aren't kept outside, but they aren't inside. They are usually in my storage shed. And she only leaves to go to the toilet. Pups are inside in a box til I find out whats going on. I usually shut the door through the day so DD3 can't get near them. But over night & when DD has her day sleep I open it so she can come & go for the loo. And our yard being small, she prefers to go across the road for that. She doesn't go further than that unless we're going somewhere.
Last edited by ~clover~; November 16th, 2012 at 05:28 PM.
Di-vetelact is good too. You should be able to pick some up from a vet, along with some bottles suitable for week old puppies. It's going to be quite a big job without mum around (how many did she have?).
You'll probably need to bring them inside now as you'll need to make sure they are warm (puppies this age can have difficulties regulating their temperature, much like newborns), make sure they are toileted regularly as they won't be able to go themselves, and fed every 3-4 hours. It'll be pretty full on bottle feeding them until they are able to drink frm a bowl in a few weeks. The next 2-3 months are going to be quite intense!
Last edited by Indadhanu; November 16th, 2012 at 06:34 PM.
We had to hand feed our latest batch of puppies, as Mum needed a caesar and was quite weak for a few weeks. We used the Di-Vetelact in a tiny bottle with a long teat, and our main problem was making sure the puppies didn't choke themselves on the teat! We had 5 pups. And for the toileting, you just rub their 'bits' with a tissue or baby wipe, and it kinda reminds them to put some effort into that section, lol. And don't forget the loves, they'll be used to being close to Mum a lot, hearing her heartbeat etc, so lots of cuddles needed.
Sorry guys. I found her. She's gone Was hit by a truck across the road. So had just gone over to the toilet & didn't come back
Babies have been fed. We have a stock formula (with instructions for pups), until mum & dad can bring up some stuff from the vet. They're inside & I'm preparing myself for the NB stage again
Feeling pretty sucky right now, but been too busy sorting out kids & pups til now. Kids are heartbroken.
They will be. They have babies to keep them busy.
DD2 is struggling with life in general though. She doesn't feel safe without Bella & is having trouble sleeping. Don't know how we'll get past that.
They're doing well so far Switched to baby bottles though, coz they were getting frusterated on the little kitten teats we had. They're pretty hefty puppies
And I worked out that they're 11 days old today, so a few days older than I though. So that should make a huge difference.
One has taken to the teat like a champ, the others are on & off, but its dripping so they're getting some. All are settling & sleeping well & starting to toilet themselves ( as the kids are finding out ) , so its not too bad.
Really ****ed at whoever hit my dog though I know it was an accident, but there are no brake marks. They didn't even see her. And I'm thinking it was someone else who came along after that moved her off the road. They covered her with a truck mud flap. They may've tried knocking here, I was out most of the day, but I'm glad they at least covered her. Its not something I wanted to see & I'm glad I found her & not the kids!
It sucks, I want her back. She's my security. She was protective. Wouldn't let anyone in the yard she didn't know unless she knew I allowed it. We had her almost 4 years The younger kids really don't know life without her. I need her
Reply With Quote
Registered User
Puppies...
She's never gone away for long before. Never for hours on end. Especially with pups. Noone around town has seen her & being such a small town, thats not normal either. Someone I know always see's her when she wanders (its not very often, I just didn't want her tied up with the pups in case she hurt them with the chain).
Switched to baby bottles though, coz they were getting frusterated on the little kitten teats we had. They're pretty hefty puppies
as the kids are finding out
) , so its not too bad.
Bookmarks