Would you breastfeed a puppy to save its life?

[Steely Dan]

Unfortunately no. It's a practice from Royal Families in the olden day. Perhaps there are alternatives for 50 year old men?

I'm the Earl de' Emu XVIIIXLIII. :snooty:

 

[otto]

I'm the Earl de' Emu XVIIIXLIII. :snooty:

1863?
Times were different.

 

[Steely Dan]

1863?
Times were different.

I don't recall asking you about your opinion on that!!

 

[~n/t~]

However, veterinarian Amber Williams has warned of the risks posed by breastfeeding puppies - in particular, the danger of zoonotic diseases (conditions transferred between animals and humans).

'There are things that can be passed from puppies to babies,' she said. 'In an emergency situation, I don't think it's a big deal, but for them to grow appropriately, I think it would be important for them to get on a canine formula.'

She added that human breast milk is not the most nutritional food for puppies - potentially damaging their growth and general health

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-puppy-just-one-hour-death.html#ixzz2t17UYeDi
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

[~n/t~]

My son was adopted so I wasn't able to breast feed.

I don't understand the "gross" factor.

If you gave birth on an desert island and was unable to breast feed, but there was a nanny goat...are ya all telling me that you wouldn't allow your infant to suckle?
Same island...if the nanny goat died right after giving birth...you'd watch it's kid starve to death?
Geeesh... Tough crowd.

It sounds like this woman breast fed the pup very short term and it survived. What's all the fuss?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This didn't happen in the desert. My understanding is she took an orphaned pup. She should have been better prepared for emergency situations.

Didn't she ask questions before picking this pup from the litter?

Sorry but this story is bizarre.

 

[Steely Dan]

This didn't happen in the desert. My understanding is she took an orphaned pup. She should have been better prepared for emergency situations.

Didn't she ask questions before picking this pup from the litter?

Sorry but this story is bizarre.

I think her dog had a litter and the runt wouldn't eat.

 

[crystalgenie]

Steely... Steely... Steely...

I read this yesterday and wondered if Steely reads the same crap I do. Obviously!

I spared the "ladies of Websleuths" from that story... Somehow I knew you would have a poll and have posted it...

 

[Melanie]

Steely... Steely... Steely...

I read this yesterday and wondered if Steely reads the same crap I do. Obviously!

I spared the "ladies of Websleuths" from that story... Somehow I knew you would have a poll and have posted it...

Yes, we can always count on SD's posts -- all of which I adore!

:loveyou:

 

[popsicle]

However, veterinarian Amber Williams has warned of the risks posed by breastfeeding puppies - in particular, the danger of zoonotic diseases (conditions transferred between animals and humans).

'There are things that can be passed from puppies to babies,' she said. 'In an emergency situation, I don't think it's a big deal, but for them to grow appropriately, I think it would be important for them to get on a canine formula.'

She added that human breast milk is not the most nutritional food for puppies - potentially damaging their growth and general health

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-puppy-just-one-hour-death.html#ixzz2t17UYeDi
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

BBM I was going to bring this up because a post up-thread, stating people can't contract anything from dogs/animals is just wrong information.

Also, my understanding of the situation is that Mom was still breastfeeding her baby at the time. dbl gross She could have used her finger, a straw, dropper or a needless-syringe... many ways to do this, imo, if she was determined to use her breast milk. jmo

 

[gitana1]

Call me weird, but I have actually thought of it before. I love my animals. A lot. And I have an imagination. So, I thought of it.

It is strange though. And we humans don't generally like things that aren't usual.

Also, a thought is quite far from action.

I found four baby kitten once. They would not eat solid food. They would not drink milk from a saucer. They were starving because they had not eaten in days (mother killed by a dog). It was too late to buy kitten formula or a kitten bottle. So, I grabbed a rag, twisted it to a point, wrapped the (scared and feral) babies like burritos, in dish towels, and tried to get them to suck the wet rag. They squirmed and writhed and screamed. But when one got a bit of milk on his nose, the grabbed at the wet rag.

The next day I bought kitten formula (and no they did not get sick from the milk).

I guess you do what you can if you're a big animal lover but I'm not sure how breast feeding a dog would be your first thought, or even, really, your last resort. The only reason i thought of it was randomly, when cuddling my fur babies (in the nursing position) and thinking how much they feel like human babies sometimes.

In any event, I would never do it. Ironically and cruelly, despite my intense love for animals, I'm very allergic. I have pets but I can't kiss them or let them kiss my face. I can imagine that sucking on my nipple would be very itchy and bad for me.

P.S., like Steely, if I did such a thing, I would not tell anyone (except my immediate family), and I sure wouldn't film it!

P.S.S., something about the whole thing makes me feel freaky, a bit. When I first heard about it, I admit I recoiled a little.

 

[crystalgenie]

Yes, we can always count on SD's posts -- all of which I adore!

:loveyou:

Me too. I love Steely's sense of humor.:floorlaugh:

 

[oh_gal]

My son was adopted so I wasn't able to breast feed.

I don't understand the "gross" factor.

If you gave birth on an desert island and was unable to breast feed, but there was a nanny goat...are ya all telling me that you wouldn't allow your infant to suckle?
Same island...if the nanny goat died right after giving birth...you'd watch it's kid starve to death?
Geeesh... Tough crowd.

It sounds like this woman breast fed the pup very short term and it survived. What's all the fuss?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It is not natural for a human to breastfeed an animal.
I would be suspect of anyone who feels the need to do this, or is attracted to someone who would do this. (Surely there are other ways.)

The breasts are made for feeding, it's true. But they're also sexual. And while breastfeeding, itself, offers no sexual pleasure, there is a segment of the population who would find this sexual, and be turned on by it. Or...they might have an emotional or mental issue.

 

[oh_gal]

I think her dog had a litter and the runt wouldn't eat.

True story, and maybe TMI, but I'll try to keep it family friendly. When I had dd#1, the doctor wanted her to have formula, as well as be bf. So (I kid you not), she instructed me to tape a small tube to the side of my breast (the tube was attached to a supply of formula), so when the baby nursed, she'd get "both."

So...this is just to show...there are "other" ways, besides turning to the breast.

 

[iamnotagolem]

I've nursed an untold number of puppies, kittens, ducklings, bunnies, etc that were tiny and helpless, but never have I wanted or needed to breastfeed an animal.

Feeding them with an eyedropper isn't that inconvenient or time consuming, they are tiny, it's not like you are feeding them 9 oz of formula with an eye dropper.

But to me the most bizarre part of this story is the fact that she sought out media attention. It's one thing to do something unnatural and never tell but to boast on FB and seek out the media for attention. Bizarre.

 

[chaotic_idealism]

Ehh, unnatural... not as unnatural as sitting in an office all day. At least in the wild, animals occasionally adopt other species' young.

If it's a last resort, rather than let the puppy die, I'd do it for sure. Say, middle of the night, no access to store or a vet, tried everything else. I mean... it's a life. What's a bit of temporary awkwardness in exchange for saving a puppy? Just like I'd do rescue breathing for my cats if they needed it. Gross, yeah, but come on, there are more important things than being conventional.

 

[txsvicki]

The article said that the puppy wouldn't take a bottle and she thought it didn't have very long at all to live, so maybe it was the middle of the night or no money for a vet. I probably wouldn't even think about breast feeding one, or it wouldn't even come to mind that it might suckle my body. I might put it up on my chest and get it all warm and make it feel like it was next to a dog mama though, and get the pinkie finger of a rubber glove full of regular milk or even breast milk if no eye dropper was available late at night. It doesn't gross me out though, unless she had sore or cracked nipples that couldn't be sterilzed and cleaned really well afterwards.

 

[Sleuthie_lu]

I almost breastfed a kitten. Not by choice. I had a new kitten and was in bed for the night. (sleeping in the buff) I woke up to find "Klancy" trying to attach himself to me. No, I did not feed him.

 

[Steely Dan]

I almost breastfed a kitten. Not by choice. I had a new kitten and was in bed for the night. (sleeping in the buff) I woke up to find "Klancy" trying to attach himself to me. No, I did not feed him.

:floorlaugh:

 

[chaotic_idealism]

That's cats for you! They own the house--they just let you live there.

Anyways, kittens and puppies couldn't live on human milk; it's thin and watery compared to what kittens and puppies get. It's because humans need so much water--we sweat to control body temperature. Also, cats need way more protein than humans or dogs. So whatever you did, human milk as a supplement for a puppy would just be a stopgap measure to stop the pup from dying right then. (I just realized, though: A newborn pup wouldn't have any teeth yet. So at least there's that consolation.)

By the way, the conventional way to help a newborn puppy or kitten who won't eat:
1. Get him nice and warm. A hot water bottle, wrapped in a towel; rice in a sock, microwaved; a heating blanket (but watch out for overheating). In a pinch, tuck him inside your shirt; but remember that both species have higher body temps than humans.
2. A sugar boost sometimes helps. Some corn syrup or sugar water, just drip it into his mouth or rub it on his gums; it'll give him instant energy, maybe enough energy to nurse.
3. Eyedropper, syringe without the needle, corner of a washcloth, your finger... whatever. Anything that can drip little bits of formula into the puppy or kitten's mouth. Sometimes, once they get some formula in their mouths, they realize what's going on and start figuring out how to nurse.

Formula replacement:
Cow's milk is bad; it's hard to digest. If you have to, goat's milk is a good substitute, and yes, mother's milk wouldn't be horrible, if you had some, though it's watery. In the very short term, anything that won't outright disagree with the little creature will do, because hydration is more important than nutrition in those first few hours before you can get it to a vet. Make sure whatever you give is nice and warm--especially if your orphaned animal is a kitten or a small puppy, because the smaller they are, the more easily they lose body heat.

 

[Ausgirl]

No puppies are going anywhere near MY puppies. :no: