[shrekfeet]

Anyone know where I can get a tube for feeding new born pups - want to be prepared for any whelping problems week after next!

[Sandy]

Oh dear, hope you don't need one,  not any help here as I do not know where you will get one from, maybe a vets wholesalers/medical suppliers. I have pups that are nearly three weeks old, no problems at all re birth etc but I had a supply of tiny bottles and teats and syrynges as well as baby bottles, the tiny ones came off the internet in a whelping pack, included in the pack were some clamps, ideal for umbilical cord if the mum does not want to break it herself, unfortunatley I threw mine away and this time, I tried everywhere to buy another and could not, they are only like blunt scissors that clamp together. Good luck and keep us posted, good idea to get some puppy formula in too, this time I bought condensed milk as I was told that would be fine diluted but again, I did not need it!!

[doganjo]

You don't use a feeding tube on puppies!  You don't feed directly into the stomach. A small dropper, then later Nursing Bottles (2oz. & 4oz.)  is all that is needed; so that the pup can suck, and puppy formula - I hope you don't need it as you have to feed a few drops every hour on the hour day and night, and of course if you have a litter of 11 or 12 do the sums.  Most bitches whelp easily, with all live births, and manage to feed all the pups have, but if you are a first timer please ask your vet for the contact details of a full time breeder for advice prior to the event.  The circumstances when you'd need to hand rear are more likely to be a whole litter than just one.  If you have a sickly pup that won't suckle when born they rarely make up and are best given sleep.