Do you supplement? Would you in this case?

[kmaot]

Hello. Pups are now 9 days old. The females are quite large and thriving as is 1 male. The other 2 are doing ok...perhaps one is not doing as well. Litter was 3 males, 3 females

Here are the weights of the pups. 9 days of information is included along with their total growth percentage over 9 days.

It is Baby Blue male that I am most concerned about. I, just yesterday, started to put him on by himself to ensure he would get a decent fill and after one day of no growth her did then gain 65 grams over the next day. I DID try a baby bottle and he would <u>not</u> take it. He will suckle...he just doesn't seem to "fight" for it.

Birth 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Percentage Growth
Pink F 584 606 623 671 709 786 861 951 973 1103 0.89
Baby Blue M 567 595 612 638 690 749 825 882 880 945 0.67
Dark Blue M 566 598 626 656 723 805 857 915 999 1088 0.92
Lime Green F 525 582 598 672 726 763 813 924 999 1057 1.01
Orange F 613 639 672 683 773 825 883 950 1018 1082 0.77
Purple M 486 517 545 570 614 685 763 830 881 980 1.02

[kmaot]

And if you do suggest supplementing..is there a technique? He wouldnt take Puppy Gold (can anyone get it smooth) and didn't want warm goat's milk either. It could have been he wasn't hungry..?

Do you find that most weights even out after a certain point? Perhaps around the introduction of solid food?

[Doc]

Try some Pediactric Liquid Vitamin C drops (sodium ascorbate).

[kmaot]

How does the Vit C help? Thanks!

[Chris Wild]

I wouldn't do anything. Looking at that growth chart I don't see any cause for concern. Lack of weight gain, or even slight weight loss, over a 1 day period isn't unusual. If it continues over a couple days, I'd be concerned. But not after only 1 day, and especially not if it was proceeded or followed by a day of significant weight gain. Perfectly normal and nothing to be concerned about unless it continues for multiple days.

[Lauri & The Gang]

I would NOT supplement - I would continue to put him on by himself BEFORE the other pups get a chance (when the pumps are full ).

[Chris Wild]

Originally Posted By: Lauri & The Gang I would continue to put him on by himself BEFORE the other pups get a chance (when the pumps are full ).

If I did anything, this is all I'd do. Though I would make sure it was a back teat (they have the most milk and are easiest for the pups to pump) and would also put one of the stronger nursing pups on it first for a minute or so to get the milk flowing well, then pull that pup off and stick him on.

[kmaot]

I guess I am concerned because his rate of growth is markedly less than all the others....even from the beginning. CAN he catchup during weaning?

[kmaot]

Ah yes...and of course he is not close to his doubling weight that the books talk about (ie double his weight in 7 to 10 days)

[Chris Wild]

Yes he can catch up later, or he may not and may still be a bit smaller than the others through weaning. Some pups grow faster and some slower, even at this age. Either way so long as he IS gaining weight I wouldn't be too concerned at this point. More aggressive nursers will also grow faster than those who are more lax about it, and often times this just translates to a difference in temperament with some being more assertive and pushy, and others more laid back.

As for books, they state averages and what is most common, but in my experience few pups or dogs in reality are good at reading books and following what is says they should be doing, and there are a whole lot of exceptions to what is considered average/normal/common. IMO, books that talk about things in generalizations of what is normal can be somewhat useful but also need to be taken with a big grain of salt.

If the pup is gaining weight, acting content, appears healthy in other respects and isn't being treated any diffrently by the dam, I wouldn't worry.