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 dogs. If they exceed this number, artificial breastfeeding should be considered. The milk in the female dog within 3 to 5 days after giving birth is called colostrum. Its ingredients are very different from regular milk. It contains high protein, fat, and rich vitamins, and has a laxative effect. Can promote fetal discharge. Colostrum has high acidity and is conducive to digestion. Almost all the nutrients in colostrum can be absorbed and utilized by dogs, which is extremely beneficial for increasing physical strength and maintaining body temperature.
Generally speaking, the immune protection that puppies can obtain from colostrum, and then the concentration of maternal antibodies gradually decreases, and basically disappears by 8 weeks of age. Therefore, the dog should be allowed to eat colostrum as early as possible.
female dogs usually automatically grasp the time and number of times to breastfeed the puppy without human intervention. However, some dogs with little milk or poor motherhood should pay attention to their breastfeeding when raising them.
Generally, the number of feedings for puppies should be more than 5 times a day; when the puppies grow to half a month, it can be reduced to 4 times a day; about 1 month, the female dog will spit some initial chewed food to the puppies, which is an important step for the puppies to move towards independent life. If you find that the female dog does not know this action, you must perform manual feeding.