My female dachshund just had 5 puppies and I'm afraid she is not making enough milk to feed them all. Is there something I can give her to help her make milk without feeding the puppies myself? I will do that but as a last resort.

Why do you think she's not producing enough milk?

She has 4 teats that seem to be empty all the time. Is that normal? 4 is all she has with 5 puppies.

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Originally Posted by ElaineL

She has 4 teats that seem to be empty all the time. Is that normal? 4 is all she has with 5 puppies.

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There are often more puppies than teats - my GSD was one of 12 puppies!

Do the puppies seem hungry? Are they losing weight?

The best person to ask for advice is your Vet - let him take a look and see what he/she thinks. The puppies should be examined anyway so combine the reasons for the visit.

Thank you for your help I think that's what I will do.

Judy beat me to this one but she is right.

Did you weigh the puppies at birth and have you been weighing them daily?

It's always good to keep their weights in a journal from the minute they are born just in case something like this happens.
There isn't really a set amount they should gain unfortunately as every pup is different but apart from their actual weight they should be physically "plump" in appearance.

If she isn't producing enough milk you may need to bottle feed them in addition to the mums feedings but that is something that should be discussed with your vet first as he can physically examine the pups and the mum.