Foods and Feeding 



small quantity of milk is present the puppies may 

 be fed by hand a part of the time and left with 

 the bitch for the remainder, or some of the puppies 

 may be taken from her entirely, leaving the rest 

 to nurse. When the litter is to be bottle fed part 

 of the time, they should be taken from the bitch the 

 first thing in the morning and given two feedings 

 in the forenoon at three or four hour intervals. 

 They should be allowed to nurse the bitch for a 

 short time in the middle of the day, in order to re- 

 move the milk already formed. In the afternoon 

 they may be given two bottle feedings and at night 

 put back with the bitch. 



Superabundance of Milk. — ^The bitch sometimes 

 has too much milk, especially when the litter is small 

 or when the puppies have all died or been killed. 

 Puppies are naturally greedy and if there is an 

 abundant supply of milk, they are apt to gorge 

 themselves and later suffer from colic. If the milk 

 is retained in the breasts they usually become in- 

 flamed. In either case some of the milk should be 

 drawn from the breasts at frequent intervals. 



Bottle Feeding — Care of the Puppies — (i) Tem- 

 perature. — Keeping the puppies artificially warm is 

 of great importance in rearing orphans. They do 

 not generate enough heat to maintain the proper 

 body temperature. They may be kept in a box in 

 the bottom of which is a hot water bottle well 

 covered with flannel cloth or absorbent cotton. An 

 electric pad may be used but there is danger that the 



