[Help] Mom is hostile towards newborn puppies

[brownie]

Rott bitch just had deliverd 5 puppies 6 hours ago, 4 are fine , drinks from milk bottle, but 1 got bitten by mom while delivering and now does not want to eat.

The puppies were isolated from mom when deilvering and now when introduced again, mom is barking, growling at the puppies and does not want them to get close to her. Im afraid if they get too close she will eat them or step on them..

I'm really confused now... because i dont think puppies can survive without breast feeding.

plz help me , how to make mom like the puppies

ps: this is my first pregnant dog experience

[rottielover2004]

You can not make the mom like the pups. Some dogs like some people make horrible moms.
hopefully a breeder here can help you as to how to feed the pups. They now rely on you for survival...

[marianne]

If the momma has now refused to take care of the litter....IT is now up to you to take over. The pups need to be fed every 2 hrs for the next few days. You can try the bottle or tube feed. I have found tube feeding is faster and easier on the pups. You will have to keep the pups warm, a heating pad in the whelping box helps. A cold pup is a dead pup!

Keep us posted! Many of us here in RDN have raised litters without moms!

[poohbearsmom]

I've had an issue with immediate "love" before, and basicly forced the bitch to endure suckling. Once she realized the pup was not an alien, she was a wonderful mother. If you try to make her accept the pups, try it with one and see how it goes. They really would be helped by at least a good dose of cholostrum at this point.

Some dams are 'supermoms' from the beginning, some need a little help to get adjusted, and some simply refuse.

Usually during whelp, pups are placed on the teats to encourage labor to continue and to break mom in.

How old is your dam? Is this her first litter?

Get with your veterinarian this morning and learn how to tube feed, just in case your dam doesn't come around. (Also get your bitch a shot of oxytosin to clean her out!) Be aware of the work that is ahead of you, it will seem daunting, and don't expect to get any sleep for the next 2 weeks. If you're not up to this, then you have a difficult decision to make.

The pup that was bitten may have suffered internal injuries, so have the vet check that pup... it may need some help to the bridge.

Best of luck.

[rottcrazed]

Yet another one of the many joys of breeding.

Be calm, don't get mad at the mom, and get prepared for 24/7 bottle feeding.

Kristi

[frontierrots]

Do you have an experienced breeder friend to help?

Also see the articles section for an article on raising pups (with or without mom)

I agree that some bitches take awhile to like their kids and those get held down while the pups nurse. If they never get over that and learn to like the babies then they are unsuitable to ever be a mom again

[brownie]

tried again to breastfeed from mom, but she only lick the puppies and is anxious , cant stay still.. when i tried to help the puppies reach her nipples, she stands up again and moves around the whelping box makes the puppies cry.

anyone has a trick to make her calm or should i just stop trying ... or let the puppies alone with her and wait for it to happen naturally

[AlphaLeader]

You cant wait for it to happen, they have to eat and they have to stay warm. You can handle it... it seems hard but it's doable. My first bitch had 13 her first litter, she also had mastitis so we did bottle feeding every two hours for about an hour to get them all fed and that was with three people... the rule at my house was if you were in the house, you had a bottle and a pup in your hand.

If you trust the mom to not bite you then I'd hold her and try to keep her calm while they nurse, maybe with her head in your lap or something. But if she flat out wont let it happen, then the vet has milk for you to give them... There is a formula that you can make due for an emergency with eggs and condensed milk but I cant recall for the life of me, maybe someone here knows. And I'd definitely go with the tube feeding... and if it comes out their noses... means theyre full...

[rencook]

My friend's Malinois had her first litter and she was pretty anxious about nursing, we both took turns sitting in the whelping box with her and helping her get comfortable with the whole nursing thing. We rewarded her with frozen yogurt when she was laying down and letting the pups suckle.
It took about 5-6 hours of us sitting with her-but she ended up being a great mom!

[Liz]

To calm her down, get the following things:

Hyland's Homeopathic - Teething Tablets
These have valerian and other homeopathic extracts in them to help with calming. You can find them at Walgreens or other drugstores in the infant section.

D.A.P. - Dog Appeasing Pheromone
Get the collar, the room diffuser and the spray. Use the collar and the spray immediately and get the room diffuser going. You can get these at PetSmart or other major pet supply centers - they are very expensive, usually kept in a locked case, but definitely worth it.

We've been through exactly what you're going through and it was hell - we lost one puppy the first night and almost lost a second when we though she was o.k.. The above items helped immediately, as does a caring vet.

Liz

[poohbearsmom]

Originally Posted by brownie

tried again to breastfeed from mom, but she only lick the puppies and is anxious , cant stay still.. when i tried to help the puppies reach her nipples, she stands up again and moves around the whelping box makes the puppies cry.

anyone has a trick to make her calm or should i just stop trying ... or let the puppies alone with her and wait for it to happen naturally

Did you get to the veterinarian for the oxytosin shot? She may be anxious if there's a physical issue (retained placenta, puppy, or even an infection!).

How did the bitten puppy fare?

You've been given excellent advice, and do not leave the pups with her unattended - not until you are damn sure she's relaxed and happy with them.

They MUST eat, so do not give up.

[brownie]

i finally chose to tube feed the puppies after 2 have died, 1 because of aspiration from bottle feeding and one from dehydration i think
things are pretty much fine now, all puppies are full and calm..

still hoping to breastfeed them though..
any side effects in growth or develepmont from tube feeding btw ? ??

[Valentine]

Can I just ask...how old is this girl? Did you breed her on purpose...don't worry i'm not bashing or anything, just curious.

[brownie]

yes i did breed her on purpose and shes about 2.5 years old

[Anton]

Originally Posted by brownie

i finally chose to tube feed the puppies after 2 have died, 1 because of aspiration from bottle feeding and one from dehydration i think
things are pretty much fine now, all puppies are full and calm..

still hoping to breastfeed them though..
any side effects in growth or develepmont from tube feeding btw ? ??

Were the puppies able to nurse at all the first 1-3 days? If not, they didn't get any colostrum, which means they didn't get antibodies from Mom.

And by now, if Mom isn't being nursed, she's going to start drying up, and you'll have to bottle/tube them for at least the next 2-3 weeks.

Oh the JOY of being a breeder........................