2 week old English Mastiff

[sangie1980]

Hi everyone, I am new to the site but looking for some helpful advice. I recently adopted an orphaned mastiff puppy she was 2 days old when mom died from complications of labor. She is currently 15 days old and doing really well. Her growth seems to be on track and the vet is extremely happy with her development. My question however is in regards to the type of nipple to use while bottle feeding her. (yes I did ask the vet this question they were not much help) I started with a 0 flow baby bottle last week and now it seems to be frustrating her. She has a difficult time latching on and squeaks a lot during feeding. When she is offered a thumb or a large finger she latches on easily so that makes me lean towards getting a larger sized nipple however I do not want the flow to be too aggressive. Any suggestions???

Thanks for the help!!

 

[musicdeb]

Kudos to you for adopting such a young puppy and welcome aboard~

I had to do some research on feeding such a young pup and found this great site with some great info. You may already know most of the information but they recommend using a pin to make the hole on the nipple a little bigger that the formula drips out of the nipple.

Per the website: How to Bottle Feed a Dog | Dog Care - The Daily Puppy

• Do not use a nipple with a hole that is too big. A large hole will cause the formula to pour out in a stream and possibly enter the puppy's lungs, the result of which can be life threatening. Make sure the formula only drips out from the nipple.
• Poke a small hole in the nipple with a pin. Make sure that drops of formula come out of the nipple when pressure is applied and not a stream. Too much formula coming from the nipple can cause the puppy to inhale the liquid.
• Have the puppy lay down on its stomach while you are feeding it. This will help prevent the puppy from inhaling the formula.
• Pry the puppy's mouth open with the nipple and allow the puppy to feed off the nipple. If you see the puppy trying to take too much formula at once (e.g. you see an abundance of formula dribbling from the puppy's mouth), you can remove the nipple for a minute to allow the puppy to ingest what is already in its mouth.

Hope that helps. Keep us posted on the pup's progress. When you have time, post a pic.

 

[sangie1980]

Thanks a bunch for your help. I have indeed read that article however it never hurts to review. The main issue that we seem to be having right now is not with flow but the size of the nipple. I have tried 4 different brands now and have had no luck she cant latch on. Gerber's seem to be too small, MAM is the wrong shape, NUK really makes her mad and AVENT seems to be to small as well. Seems like I have a picky one on my hands Any suggestions or do we fight through this until she is old enough to lap up some milk.

 

[Ehl]

Try going to a tractor supply (feed) store http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&pageSize=&beginIndex=0&searchSource=Q&sType=SimpleSearch&resultCatEntryType=2&showResultsPage=true&pageView=image&searchType=1000&autoSuggestURL=AutoSuggestView%3FcoreName%3DMC_10001_CatalogEntry_en_US%26serverURL%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252ftsc-prod-lb01.crossview.inc%253a3737%252fsolr%252fMC_10001_CatalogEntry_en_US&searchTerm=pet+bottles+and+nipples

Probably can find one the correct size.

 

[sangie1980]

Well apparently I am raising quite the picky little diva. I love it. We have tried, lamb bottles, sheep bottles, goat bottles, cat bottles, baby bottles, went to the baby store got three different types of good old fashion latex nipples and nothing is making this girl happy. By the time we figure this one out she will be old enough to eat puppy chow. Good news is that she is still gaining weight and seems to be happy and healthy despite her dislike of all things nipple related. Thanks everyone for your help!!!

 

[ruthcatrin]

Good news is that she is still gaining weight and seems to be happy and healthy despite her dislike of all things nipple related. Thanks everyone for your help!!!

Sometimes thats what counts! Hope she stays healthy and growing for you!

You might PM Slinger-girl and maybe BlackShadowCaneCorso, both have bred multiple litters and might be able to give you some additional pointers.

 

[musicdeb]

How's the little diva doing this morning?

 

[sangie1980]

She seems to be doing really well we are definitely in a growth spurt week. She is still as picky as ever with the bottles but I found out that if I switch around every feeding she does better and doesn't get as bored. She is such a sweetheart and a wonderful little lady.

 

[Ehl]

Can we get some pictures of Diva Girl?

 

[sangie1980]

I added a picture to my profile hopefully that's visible. I will try to get a couple more on there soon.

 

[musicdeb]

She's adorable! You and the little miss will bond for life!

 

[Max's mom]

I wonder if you finger feed her it would help...yes, that sounds funny but it is used in infants when they have difficulty nursing.
Finger in the mouth and puppy sucking while using a syringe to drip milk along the finger into the mouth. I have no experience with puppies with this but it works for babies. Maybe worth a try?

 

[sangie1980]

Well here is an update on the little lady. She turns 4 weeks tomorrow and is at 7lbs 7oz. I got her at 15 oz. despite our struggle I think she is on the right track. Today we tried out a bowl with milk. I'm pretty sure she prefers swimming in it more then eating but none the less we are trying. She's cuter then ever she's to quite the bark and snorts like a pig when super excited. She terrifies my lab vizsla mix he has no idea what to think. Thanks everyone for your help so far now for my next question. What is the preferred brand of puppy chow? I raised my last puppy on earthborn holistic??

 

[glen]

Oh my that pup melts your heart,congrats on doing so well,Cant help with the food im frm uk and feed different food.

 

[musicdeb]

Well here is an update on the little lady. She turns 4 weeks tomorrow and is at 7lbs 7oz. I got her at 15 oz. despite our struggle I think she is on the right track. Today we tried out a bowl with milk. I'm pretty sure she prefers swimming in it more then eating but none the less we are trying. She's cuter then ever she's to quite the bark and snorts like a pig when super excited. She terrifies my lab vizsla mix he has no idea what to think. Thanks everyone for your help so far now for my next question. What is the preferred brand of puppy chow? I raised my last puppy on earthborn holistic??View attachment 44429

She's just too precious for words! Re: food, Earthborn Holistic is a great food. Mastiffs are generally allergic to chicken and grains in dog food. Try feeding a non-chicken flavor. Keep us updated on her progress.