help please

hi all.

our boxer bitch has had a litter of five puppies three weeks ago. we have had to stop her feeding the pups because she suffered from a calcium defiancy and was very poorly. We have had to keep her away full stop as the pups latch on for a drink at the first chance they get.

This resulted is very large dob boobs full to the brim of milk which is leaking alot,it looks very uncomfortable and swollen. we have been advised by the vet (at a cost) to put a cold compress on her for a while, this conflicts with other advise i have had from freinds and dogweb members who advise a warm pack. we dont know what to do for the best please help .!!!!

I would take your vets advice with the cold compress - you want to cool them down to reduce inflamation and not stimulate any more milk production. Your vet should have given you some tablets to dry the milk up.

Bicarbonate of soda rings a bell, but I can't remember if they drink it or you bath them in it - help someone!

Its a good idea when you have bitch feeding pups to give her extre calcium, this can be in the form of a feed suppliment, such as Stress, or simple goats milk. My dogs are fed a BARF diet, so have lots of bones and calcium naturally.

Hi Tanya I hope Angel is improving and that you are coping ok with the puppies.
If you ask peoples advice you can take it or leave it but if you are receiving treatment from a vet you should follow his advice. Hot or cold both will be soothing but the cold should help reduce the swelling/size of the engorged teats. If things are no better soon I would speak to the vet about some medication to dry up the milk..perhaps there is a reason he did not give you some already .

i would go with cold too as the warm could encourage more milk.
i would ask the vet if there is anything she can have to help reduce/dry up the milk but @ 3 weeks its when they produce the most milk anyway.

I would disagree and say warm...... she will leak milk using either its natural for this to happen ......have done this my self and warm will sooth the pain where with cold could slow the milk leakage and cause mastitus...........its extra calcium that has caused mum to have eclamopsia to start with so go with your vets advice on that one tan............

sorry ment hot not warm .................

When my Rosie was packed with milk my vet told me to use HOT flanels or towels as hot as my hands could stand, and it definitely worked. Never heard of using cold.

i can see your point inca to keep it flowing but wouldn't the heat encourage more and fill up quicker?
trying to learn some thing here wouldn't cold slow it down like you said but then dry up faster?
but like you said which could lead to infections rock and the hard place!

it needs to leak naturally Leo or she will block ...remember when we had our babies.....the hot baths for the milk ?

no it will not fill up with small leakage only the suckle of a pup will produce more milk .....I spoke to Tanya earlier and rang 3 breeder frineds who said yes to hot and def NO to cold........

i have also of cabbage leafs but dont think that will help!