Pets Care

Nursing and lactation in dogs and cats

As with humans, a mother’s milk is the perfect food for newborn puppies and kittens. Nursing is a natural and beautiful process and anyone who has ever seen a litter nursing contentedly will attest to this. Young puppies and kittens have very high nutritional requirements for their extremely fast growth rates and high energy levels.

In fact, eating and sleeping are the two major activities of the first two weeks of life! Puppies and kittens generally double their birth weight by the 8th or 10th day of life.

Because the entire litter’s energy requirements must be met by the mother, lactation is a very nutritionally demanding time for your female dog or cat. A complete and balanced diet is very important and she will need between one and a half to three times more food than usual – as well as a lot more fresh water – while nursing.

The first meal a puppy or kitten will have after birth is of colostrum, the first type of milk produced by the mother. This is a very important substance for puppies and kittens as colostrum contains antibodies and nutrients essential for the newborn animal’s nutrition as well as to protect them from infection.

It is crucial that each puppy or kitten receives his/her share of colostrum so keep an eye on the smaller, less pushy animals in the litter at this time to make sure they get a chance.

Colostrum is only available to the litter for 24 hours after birth. Thereafter mature milk is produced by the mother for her offspring. Mature milk contains none of the immune factors that colostrum does but is the perfect source of all-round nutrition for puppies and kittens.

What problems may affect normal lactation and nursing in pets?

The most common problem that may hinder the process of nursing is insufficient milk production by the mother. This is fairly common and there is not always a clear reason for the problem. Production of colostrum and later mature milk are crucial for the health and well-being of the litter and a female dog or cat queen who is unable to nurse her litter properly puts them at risk.

Signs that the mother may not be producing enough milk are pups or kittens jerking at the teats or not nursing continuously for any length of time. It is also important to monitor the puppies’ and kittens’ weight gain carefully especially in the first two weeks of life.

What is PetAlive LacToll?

PetAlive Lactoll is a 100% safe and natural combination of herbal ingredients for optimizing colostrum and milk production in nursing pets, as well as providing a natural tonic for the nursing female dog or cat.

Use PetAlive LacToll To:

* Increase production of milk in lactating female dogs and cats
* Promote the healthy flow of milk
* Reduce environmental pollutants passed into the breast milk
* Cleanse the blood and prevent infection
* Act as a digestive tonic and encourage healthy bowel movements

What are the ingredients of PetAlive LacToll?

PetAlive LacToll contains the following 100% natural ingredients:

Silybum marianus (Milk Thistle) has been used since ancient times for treating a variety of ailments and is most widely known for its positive effects on liver functioning and lactation. Milk Thistle is excellent for promoting the production of milk in nursing mothers and, due to its liver tonic properties, has also been shown to reduce the amounts of synthetic substances from the environment, like pollution and pesticides, in mothers’ milk.

Galega officinalis is also known as Goat’s Rue and is excellent for stimulating lactation, both in production and flow of milk. Galega is useful in protecting against infection too and will help to prevent mastitis.

Foeniculum officinale (Fennel) has long been used to stimulate healthy lactation in nursing women and also in pets. Fennel can increase the natural production of milk. This herbal ingredient is also an excellent digestive tonic and blood cleanser.

Borago officinalis (Borage) increases milk production. This herb also contains soothing, anti-inflammatory ingredients that help recovery from whelping or queening and act as a tonic remedy for digestive and bowel functioning.

(PetAlive LacToll contains no gluten, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives)

How has PetAlive LacToll helped others?

“Within days of giving Sheila your PetAlive LacToll her milk production had increased vastly and the pups seemed so much less frustrated and hungry! They are now all healthy and growing well. I will be giving this to Sheila as soon as her next litter is born to avoid the initial problems we had this time. Many Thanks!” – Jacqui

“We have been breeding Rottweilers for many years now and though we have quite a good deal of experience, we had never found a solution to the problem of bitches with insufficient milk – especially with large litters. Knowing the advantages of puppies nursing 100% rather than supplementing with commercial milk products I was keen to find a natural way to increase milk production. Friends suggested your website and we were excited to try LacToll with our latest litter. I must say that I think it worked incredibly – we haven’t had such a well-fed and thoroughly healthy litter in years! I will certainly be giving your other products a try in the future!” – Laura J.

How do I use LacToll?

PetAlive LacToll comes in convenient tincture form. The drops are easy to administer to pets and may be mixed with food or a treat.

To be taken 2-3 times per day at the following dosage:

Cats and small dogs: 2-3 drops.

Medium dogs: 5-8 drops.

Large dogs: 8-12 drops.

Caution: Safety during pregnancy not yet established.

How long does one bottle last?

One 50 ml bottle of Lactoll will last for 15 – 60 days, depending on the size and needs of your pet.

1. Keep your pregnant cat indoors.

Don’t expose an expecting kitty to danger. But there are more reasons. Some queens go into heat even during pregnancy. Cats are capable of being pregnant of two different litters at the same time. And of course, a pregnant cat should not give birth in a cold place outside.

2. Give your kitty the right food.

It should be high on calcium and protein. Kitten food is specially designed to meet the need of pregnant and nursing felines. Vitamin supplements are recommended too.

3. Do not give any medication during pregnancy.

A pregnant cat should get medication only in emergency. The same goes for deworming products, or products against fleas. If she has worms or fleas, first consult your vet.

4. Make your cat a comfortable nest bed.

A box filled with newspaper usually does the trick. Put in a warm sheltered place, preferably a location your cat frequently visits. Make sure all is ready two weeks before birth.

5. Find a home for your kittens – before they are born.

It will give you peace of mind to know where the kittens will go. Finding a home for a kitty can be time consuming. You’ll have more time for that before they are born.

6. Use non-clumping litter for her box.

Sometimes cats give birth in the litter box. If a kitten is delivered in clumping litter, the mother kitty might refuse to clean her newborn off as the clump is all over the sac. And the baby drowns in its own fluid.

7. Keep other cats away from her.

You have more than one kitty? Your pregnant cat wants privacy. She doesn’t like the company of other cats during this period, even if she knows these cats very well.

8. Buy enough food for your kitty… and you.

You should have no reason to leave your kitty alone on the days before and after birth.

9. Check which vet is available.

Have a piece of paper with the phone number of the closest emergency veterinary clinic. If there�s no such clinic in your area, find out which vet is available for emergency care. One phone call to a local vet is usually enough.

10. Get the right information about cat pregnancy.

Only if you understand what you see and hear, you will be able to recognize complications. Plus… there are many problems you can solve yourself, if you know how. So, do not panic. Get the right information instead.

About the author

Marc de Jong is a journalist and long-time cat lover. For his easy-to-follow, step-by-step guidebook How To Take Care Of Your Pregnant Cat – available through http://www.pregnant-cat-care.com – he interviewed several award-winning breeders and specialized vets.