BREASTFEEDING THE PUPPY

It's another time of the year that we  are celebrating 2016 world Breastfeeding week (Aug 1-7),Punch newspaper however reports that 'Over five million newborn children in Nigeria have been deprived of essential nutrients and antibodies because they do not get exclusively breastfeeding, the United Nations Children’s Fund said in Abuja on Wednesday.The agency also stated that out of the seven million children born in the country every year, only 25 per cent are exclusively breastfed from zero to six months of age.

A statement issued by the Chief of Nutrition for UNICEF Nigeria, Arjan de Wagt, in commemoration of the 2016 World Breastfeeding Week, said Nigeria’s progress in exclusive breastfeeding is slow.'

This reminds me of our four legged friends that comes on heat about twice in a year and after two months of gestation they drop their puppies, go through lactation period and are supposed to breastfeed the puppies for about two months before they begin to eat puppy foods that could come in cans or grains.It is however surprising how some breeders deny these pups right to breast milk because they feel when the dog breastfeed for two whole months, she'll take long before coming on heat again which they feel is not good for their own business...i got to know about this trick when i needed to supply a friend some pups that i didn't have on ground and couldn't wait for my dog to be crossed so i had to look for an option, after searching for sometime, a friend linked me to a breeder and when i got there, i was scared to even lift the puppies because they were so small and tiny..i asked if they weren't feeding well and he replied saying they breastfeed for about two weeks only so their mother can come on heat again in about three months time and i could not help but wonder why, of course i didn't get the pups from him for the fear that the pups were not looking strong and healthy and could die on the way home, i left.

I now understand so well that some people do this business just because they feel dog breeding brings lots of money, but always have at the back of your mind that this style is harmful to both the dog and her puppies which could lead you to spending more on health challenges with your dog.

Dear breeders this is an appeal to you to allow pups breastfeed and grow well, bond with their mothers before they are been distributed or sold, it's pain for a dog to go through gestation period and not allow her go through lactation because it'll affect what you think brings you money. Puppies begin to eat from 5-6 weeks which is not too long to sacrifice for the sake of the mother and the new puppies and doing all these is key to prove that we are responsible dog lovers.

Always remember that a dog is the only thing that will love you more that it love itself.

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