Cross Breeds

Yorkie puppies 17 days old. Mom has milk fever and cannot nurse. How to make them drink from a bottle?

Have tried every nipple at the feed store and baby bottles. They just chew on them or spit them out.

Public Comments

1. Try giving them 'Baby Dog' from Royal Canin (You can find at any PetSmart or maybe PetCo) and mush it up with water. Heat it in the microwave for about 15 seconds (Not to get it hot, just mushy) and mix their milk in so they don't have to crunch it. See if they'll eat that.
2. try getting the mother's scent on it (it worked for my dogs and i got the idea from my aunt and her child)
3. Have you contacted your breeding mentor? Perhaps they would have some helpful tips. If you don't have a breeding mentor, a local vet will have many tips and tricks, however, some pups just won't take a bottle. Good luck.
4. They will eat from the bottle when they figure out how.You will have to squeeze milk into their mouths a little at a time until they get it. These puppies are NOT old enough to eat the cereal that the other person suggested. Maybe call your vet for advice.
5. another option until they get the idea of sucking on a bottle is to use a large plastic eyedroper. Yorkie pups are small enough to get away with it. it makes it easy to get small drops of liquid into them without getting milk out their nose
6. Simple - tube feed them. A good breeder is prepared for every outcome with a litter, and if mom can't/won't nurse, tube feeding is the best way to make sure they get the exact amount of formula they need, with no issues of rejection. It's also a big time saver, since it can take hours to bottle feed a large litter. If you expected everything to go perfectly and aren't prepared, then get to your vet immediately (or an emergency vet), to get supplies and instructions. You'll need a tube for each puppy so you can measure and mark each one
7. Take them to the vet and let them teach you how to tube feed. Welcome to the world of breeding.