The first milk produced by the bitch after whelping is called
colostrum. Every puppy needs to ingest colostrum as early as possible
after birth and certainly during the first 24 hours of life. Colostrum
contains a number of substances that are beneficial to the puppy,
including immunoglobulins that protect newborns from the infectious
diseases to which the mother is immune, these are very essential dog breeding info that every aspiring and professional dog breeder should have.
For your nursing bitches, one thing to keep a look out for is canine
mastitis. It is not that common, but you should be aware of it. Canine
mastitis is a breast infection in bitches, usually occurring a few weeks
after whelping. Normally, the breasts of a lactating bitch are warm and
enlarged. If the breasts seem to be red, dark, hot, or painful when
touched, then you should contact your vet immediately.
Advanced canine
mastitis presents itself as a hard, hot and almost black breast segment,
which is extremely painful for the bitch when touched. Canine mastitis
can be caused by weaning puppies too early, severe scratches from
puppies' claws, or some other infection. A bitch with canine mastitis
may be running a fever, be listless, and may not eat.
She also may not
allow her puppies to nurse, and if she does, she will be "snappy" when
they touch the affected area. In dog breeding, knowledge how the bitch takes care of her puppies is very important so that the breeder will be in a position to know when something is wrong and therefore be able to step in.
http://www.aboutdogfacts.com/dog-breeding-info
Dog facts