The following post was listed somewhere else on this board so I copied and pasted it for you. I have never dealt with this, so I have no advice to offer but hopefully the following will help.

Most dogs are excellent mothers and problems are few. The basic rule is to seek veterinary care if she seems to feel sick of if she ceases to care for her young. Puppies nurse until they are about six weeks old and then may be adopted by new homes.

when they have puppies.here is what to do if your dog does not let a puppy feed after 10 mins of birth.Keep the babies together as long as they are about the same age; this will help socialize them to their own species and will help in keeping them warm. Try to assemble the following equipment:

THE NEST BOX

The nest box in which the babies live should have tall sides so that they cannot climb out by mistake and become chilled. A cardboard pet carrier is perfect as it is portable, dark inside, and closable. These are inexpensive and should be available from a pet store or your veterinarian.

Place towels in the bottom of the box and cover them with a diaper so the babies rest directly on the diaper. Most diapers have elastic leg holes and may have to be trimmed so they will lie flat. Expect to change the diaper several times daily. Keeping the babies clean and dry is very important.

Place a heating pad under the nest box so that only half of the nest box is warmed.
This way the babies may crawl off the warm
side of the box if they feel too hot
THE DIET

Pet Ag manufactures KMR (Kitten Milk Replacer). It comes in a powder and a liquid. The powdered form seems less associated with diarrhea than the liquid plus with the powdered form, the water content can be adjusted in the event of dehydration.

For puppies, Pet Ag makes ESBILAC. Again, both powder and liquid forms are available.

Mix up the powder according to the directions on the can. If you are using the liquid form, you may want to dilute it with one part water for every two parts of formula. As the babies get older, less water may be used whether you are mixing up the powder or the liquid. If diarrhea occurs at any time, you should add more water to the formula to make up for fluid lost as diarrhea.

Store the can of powder in the freezer after opening. Do not mix up more than a day's worth of formula. Use a blender to mix the formula several hours ahead to allow time for the bubbles to settle.
MAKESHIFT FORMULA UNTIL KMR/ESBILAC CAN BE OBTAINED

PUPPIES
KITTENS

1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup whole milk

1 tsp. salad oil
1 egg yolk

1 drop multi-vitamins (if you have any)
1 drop multi-vitamins

2 egg yolks
3 Tums (antacid) crushed

Mix in a blender whichever formula you use.


THE BOTTLE

Obtain a pet nurser bottle from a pet store or your veterinarian.

Use very fine scissors or a hot needle to make a hole in the nipple. The hole should be big enough that formula will slowly drip out if the bottle is held upside-down and gently squeezed. The nipple should not collapse when the baby is sucking.

Warm the bottle in a cup of hot water. Always test the formula before giving it to the babies. Taste it to be sure it is not sour. Do not use a microwave oven to heat the bottle as it may not heat evenly with some areas of the bottle being scalding hot.
HOW/WHEN TO FEED

Expect to feed them every 2-3 hours during the day. If this is done, the babies should be able to sleep through the night.

Do not wake the babies at feeding time. Let them sleep. When they wake up hungry, they will let you know.

During feeding be sure to tip the bottle so that no air is swallowed.

Play with/rub them after feeding to "burp" them.

Occasionally small amounts of formula will come out of the nose. The baby is drinking too fast. If excessive amounts of formula appear to be coming out the nose or if you are concerned, call your veterinarian.
URINATION/DEFECATION

Infant animals are unable to take care of these matters alone and must be given help. Normally their mother's tongue does the job as she washes them. Use a Q-tip, tissue, or your finger to gently rub the baby's genital area. Have a tissue ready to catch the urine.

Rubbing the anal area as well may also be necessary if the babies do not seem to be defecating as much as expected. Watch for diarrhea. Normal infant stool is normally very loose but should not be watery.




[This message has been edited by Stenograsaurus (edited May 08, 2001).]