My girl is expecting our first litter of deerhounds at the end of the month and I'm wondering if anyone has a recipe for puppy formula so that I might have something on hand should the need arise. I am told that a puppy who is in difficulty and cannot nurse properly has only a couple of hours before it dies, so I'd rather be ready with some sort of nourishment just in case. Any tips would be most appreciated.

I don't know about your area...but here..bitche's replacement is readily at vet supply outlets and the vet pharmacy. Also..I used to sell some raw goats milk to dog breeders who needed a little help with the puppies. Jean Dodds DVM has a great website with loads of info on this.
good luck
Cassandra

Ironstone wrote:



PM me and I,ll give you the details of a reputable breeder who has a tried and tested formula produced by a veterinary college.

we had a colostrum substitute at the ready and then the pups were supplemented with Goats
milk. It appears to agree with puppies delicate tummies and they take to it readily.

Our vet firmly believes in Goats milk. He thinks that powder formulas have to be so precise
in the water to powder ratio and even then it is virtually impossible to get out all of the
lumps so that eventually they clog up a puppies digestive system. We find Goats milk the
best.

Is the colustrum substitute something one can purchase at a vet's? Good to have on hand for the newly born.

So based on your personal experiences then, goat's milk seems to be the best standin for deerhound milk.

I have an old dog book from the 1970s that has a chart in it that outlines the "average analysis of various milks." Looking at the fat column it gives these amounts: cow-3.73, bitch-9.57, ewe-6.86, mare-1.20, cat-3.33, goat-4.78, sow-4.55. As you can see the fat content of bitch's milk is far higher than any other, with ewes 2nd and goats 3rd. What's more goat's milk is easily accessible as I have seen it in grocery stores next to the cow milk (and soy for that matter).

Thanks very much for this. I am sorry to say that a recent ultrasound has indicated that my girl isn't pregnant afterall, which is hugely disappointing. Next time.

Try to find goat's milk from a farmer or an acreage owner. The only problem with store bought is the fact that it is pastuerized....anything heated to the required temperature has far less valuable nutients than when it was produced. I've used goats milk for dogs and both my sons were raised on it...extremely close to human milk.
Cassandra

Hi Shelly
just noticed you're from Vancouver...almost next door. Heck, in Canada a 12 hr drive is next door.
Greetings from Edmonton.
Cassandra

Hello to you Cassandra
You're right, we are about 12 hours apart. I've driven that trip many times! I see by your call name that you have a Hollyrood hound. So do I - Anna is the one on the left of our picture. I had another Hollyrood years ago. And Verena, who is online at the moment, owns Anna's sister, so again a Hollyrood!

Yes, he is from Dancer x Nick....I've known Lynn for some time. I used to take an Afghan I had to Kamloops and Vancouver for nearly every run. She was a speed demon.
Sad to see there is no longer a club in Kamloops.
Cassandra