12 orphaned bullmastiff puppies

by Dan
(Canada)

i find myself needing to feed 12 bullmastiff puppies born 2 days ago,the mother died.

i just bought similac,and was told to feed this as a suitable replacement for mothers milk, any information would be GREATLY appreciated, as to how warm they should be kept, how often to feed,and what quantity to feed,

thank you.Dan.



Hi Dan
I'm sorry to hear about your dog, that's a horrible thing to happen. 12 puppies is quite a task to take on, but it can be done!

I think you'll find all the information, tips and advice you'll need to take care of these orphans on my New Born Puppies page.

It explains about temperature control, feeding, development and much more. I would also strongly suggest that you get your veterinarian on board with this, and let him/her know the situation you will be dealing with (if you haven't already done so).

In terms of actual veterinary care your puppies will be unlikely to need it if everything goes smoothly. However, there are often issues that arise, with one or several puppies, that you may need advice on. If you find bottle feeding difficult (and it can be pretty time consuming with a large litter) you may want to consider tube-feeding. BUT - you need to be shown exactly how to do this by a veterinarian first as there are certain risks involved if it's done incorrectly.

I wish you the best of luck with these puppies, if you have any questions that aren't answered on the page recommended above, feel free to submit it to me as well.

You may also want to check out my Ask A Vet page, it may come in handy.