Too many puppies

Woolsy · 02-22-2010

What is the regular number of puppies that a mother dog can have? How many is the number that we can consider too much for a mother dog to feed? Is it safe to feed the puppies with dairy milk if the mother dog can't feed them all?

Todd · 02-22-2010

what breed of dog is said mother?

For example, a bloodhound will often have 9-15 pups per litter, while the miniature poodle for instance will have only around 4.

I believe the overall average is around 6 pups.

My labrador (I believe to be a mix) came from a litter of 12. I'll bet there where two fathers being that a mother can have a single litter with 2 separate fathers.

Again, it depends on the breed, but I'd say it would be unusual for a dog to have 10 or more.

Yogi · 02-22-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woolsy

What is the regular number of puppies that a mother dog can have? How many is the number that we can consider too much for a mother dog to feed? Is it safe to feed the puppies with dairy milk if the mother dog can't feed them all?

Much is contingent on the breed of dog, the size of the dog and the number of times bred. I have heard of a large breed having 12 pups and small breeds as little as one though it is best in small breeds for them to have multiple pups to ensure they do not grow too large as to avoid c-section.
Never give dairy milk to a puppy or for that matter a dog or even cat. In dogs and cats as a rare treat but dairy milk does not contain what pups need. The nearest milk that contains what dams naturally produce is goats milk.

Todd · 02-22-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yogi

Much is contingent on the breed of dog, the size of the dog and the number of times bred. I have heard of a large breed having 12 pups and small breeds as little as one though it is best in small breeds for them to have multiple pups to ensure they do not grow too large as to avoid c-section.
Never give dairy milk to a puppy or for that matter a dog or even cat. In dogs and cats as a rare treat but dairy milk does not contain what pups need. The nearest milk that contains what dams naturally produce is goats milk.

Yogi, you told me a few days ago that goat milk is pretty hard to come by. If it isn't an option for some people, what do you think about a goat milk product which be viewed in the link below? They're powders and canned products;

goats milk for dogs - Google Product Search 8&ei=L_2CS4qgKYGfnQf1iMCOBw&sa=X&oi=product_result _group&ct=image&resnum=3&ved=0CCcQzAMwAg

SavatheWolf · 02-22-2010

It depends on the breed, and the genes. I know a friend who breeds, and they have two of the same breed dogs of different relations. One produces an average of 4 and the other has an average of 10. It varies.

Yogi · 02-22-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Todd

Yogi, you told me a few days ago that goat milk is pretty hard to come by. If it isn't an option for some people, what do you think about a goat milk product which be viewed in the link below? They're powders and canned products;

goats milk for dogs - Google Product Search 8&ei=L_2CS4qgKYGfnQf1iMCOBw&sa=X&oi=product_result _group&ct=image&resnum=3&ved=0CCcQzAMwAg

These would be my second choice if no actual goats milk is available.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SavatheWolf

It depends on the breed, and the genes. I know a friend who breeds, and they have two of the same breed dogs of different relations. One produces an average of 4 and the other has an average of 10. It varies.

I think you will find that in most cases it is not necessarily genetics but the number of times the dam is bred. More times bred increase the likelihood of more pups.