Feeding a Puppy With a Makeup Sponge
BREASTFEEDING A PUPPY SAFELY
THE METHOD WITH SPONGE
If bottle-feeding a baby seems very easy, this is not the case of a puppy. Several difficulties will arise.
- A puppy sucks with the nipple very deeply in his mouth. As a result, the sucking reflex does not trigger if it has only a small piece of the nipple in the mouth like a human baby. We see in the following picture that not only the nipple is entirely in the mouth of the puppy but also a big part of the udder.
- Most of the time, the nipples are sold to you without hole. So you will have to make the holes by yourselves and also evaluate the number of holes and their diameters. Too little flow, the puppy will be exhausted. Too much flow, it will drown itself.
- As soon as a puppy is in good shape, it often becomes greedy and if the milk comes too fast, it will not know how to regulate the flow of itself. He may then go astray due to the excessive amount of milk that comes into his mouth at each sucking. This false route can be fatal because if milk reaches its lungs, it is likely to develop a lung infection and die.
- Often weak puppies do not have much appetite. They are then more delicate and do not appreciate the "hardness" or the texture of the rubber or plastic pacifiers.
One day while surfing on the net, I came across a breastfeeding method that I quickly tested and approved. It was to breastfeed the puppy with a sponge. The method is extremely simple to set up, comfortable for the puppy, economical for the breeder and the most important : I have never had a single false route in 8 years of application of this method ! And there are a number of puppies who have had the opportunity to test it... The day I experimented with this method of artificial feeding, I never touched a bottle again! In addition, this method is within the reach of the most novices! Here's how to proceed ...
WHAT YOU NEED
- A puppy who still has a sucking reflex! If it no longer has a sucking reflex, the sponge will not help you. Other methods are possible (which I will tell you moreover) but not this one
- A syringe of a volume a little higher than the volume of a meal of your puppy. From the 1ml insulin syringe to the 60ml syringe, you have the choice depending on the breed of your puppy.
• A sponge. Be careful any sponge is not suitable! So that the passage of milk in the sponge is fluid but not too fast, it takes a sponge with a very fine grain size.
The foundation sponges are perfect for this use. We find all sizes, they are easy to resize, inexpensive and can be found everywhere.
You will probably have to reshape the sponge to make a "breast". Personally, I size in triangle so that 1/4 to 1/5 of my sponge has the size of the nipple of the bitch. (shape of the right sponge)
Remember that the tip of the sponge must go to the bottom of the puppy's mouth to trigger sucking and you must still keep a fingertip. Do not cut too small!
Remember to clean it before use (possible residues of chemicals, dust) because these sponges are not intended for feeding initially.
- A milk preparation adapted to the puppy. Many breeders practice their own recipe, personally I am rather adventurous but not for that! A formulation error in the composition of milk, kills a puppy in a few hours! So I always used TVM's formula without worry and I do not intend to change it. It is found practically in all veterinarians offices. I always have a little box ready before a whelping (be careful to keep it in the fridge after opening)
HOW TO PROCEED
Once your milk is ready and at the right temperature, your syringe clean and sponge are well cut, take your puppy in your hand while holding its head. He must always be on his belly and never on his back! This to avoid false routes. Fill your syringe. Dip the tip of the sponge into the milk. Gently open the mouth of the puppy and place the tip of the sponge deep in his mouth. Let it close your mouth. Magic: it's working ! :-)
Feed the sponge with the milk using the syringe as the meal progresses. The puppy sucks at his own pace, without the risk of a false route.
Be careful to wash the sponge between each meal! In view of the difficulty of ensuring that the sponge is thoroughly cleansed of any milk residue, I keep it in the refrigerator between each feeding and the exchange it every day.
The video below shows a Shetland puppy a few days old, born particularly small compared to the rest of the litter. I had to take care of it to ensure its development and perhaps its survival. It was complementary breastfeeding since he was still with its mother and managed to get some milk when his siblings slept. The baby in question is today like a charm :-)
Hoping that this little sharing of experience will be useful to some breeders as well as some puppies
Laetitia Freschi - Tixier
Elevage du Cap de la Coste
Source: https://www.attractive-dogs.com/en/ba/breastfeeding-a-puppy-with-a-sponge.php
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