hi just wondering if anyone has any ideas about stopping my bitch suffocating her pups, she has had 10 in all 1 was still born (very tiny little girl) 9 were all healthy and born with no complications. We already have pig rails and have spoken to vet who has checked mum and puppys out and said all is ok just a freak accident. I checked on mum and pups at 4:30 in the morning and they were all fine and feeding went upstairs and came back down 30 minutes later to find one of the boys lifeless. I tried to resuscitate him for 20 minutes with no joy am devastated that we lost one but just thought someone might have some ideas. She is monitored every 30 minutes to an hour and i slept in the room for the first 2 days but thought i'd leave her on 3rd day but slept in room next door with baby monitor on and still check every 30 minutes to an hour. Keep thinking if i could have done anything else to save puppy so advice would be great.  

The only way to stop this happening is to make provision for the litter to be watched 24 hours at least until they open their eyes.  That's what most of us do for the first 4 weeks.
I have lived on my own in 3 different homes in my 30 years with dogs and always slept next to the whelping box for a week before and about 4 weeks afterwards and had the loo and kitchen in the immediate vacinity.  That way I've never lost a healthy puppy. :(

This is tragic - but I, like many others spend at least the first 3 weeks sleeping close by our bitches and puppies.  I sleep on the sofa next to the whelping box with a dimmed light above - actually, I say sleep, but just doze so I am aware of her every movement and I'm constantly counting puppies to ensure they are all within my view.  Your girl does have a large litter and she does need your help, she may well still be exhausted an not realise what she's doing.

Personally, I have never lost a pup to being sufficated by mum - I would be absolutely devastated as it is preventable.  Raising a litter is very hard work - you have to be there 24/7.  I hope you have some help so you are able to be with here all the time for the next few weeks.

I only return to my own bed when I am satisfied that mum is coping well and pups are more than able to move out of the way when mum returns to the whelping box.

There propbably wasn't much more you could have done for the pup - apart from being there so it didn't happen.  I hope the remaining pups thrive and you are able to enjoy them.

I'm so sorry for your loss, but 30 minute checks really aren't enough. You need to be there 24/7 for at least the first couple of weeks, you'll then know if anything is happening.

Agree 24 hour watch, when you are not there someone else has to be, it's draining and we all look and feel like zombies, but it is the only way to stop her sitting on a pup. I don't leave my girls side for 2 solid weeks, and then use a baby monitor, some breeders stay for 4 weeks upwards. I've never lost a pup your life has to go on hold, I get my mum or my sons to sit in the whelping room whilst I do other things, I move my office in there with sofa bed.

If you want to give every pup a chance you have to do these things.

Sorry you lost a pup, so sad, but you can stop it from happening again.

Sorry for your loss. Have to agree with everyone else. I sleep on cushions next to the whelping box until Mum is away from the pups (approx 3-4 weeks). Unfortunately this is the only way to ensure that pups are okay and that the bitch is comfortable.

It's awful when this happens but my girls are not left alone with the pups at all in the first 3 weeks. If I have to go to the kitchen/ front door/ toilet (although I have been known to wee in the mop bucket next to the whelping box if pups are nursing and I can't move them) then I take them off mum and either put them in those great big plastic storage boxes you can get (if they are only a week or so old) or remove mum.

thanks for advice will not be leaving them pups at all from now on untill they are walking and have their eyes open, anything i can do to stop this happening again i will. Again thank you for your advise

I'm really sorry for your loss! :-( My bitch had a still born too and it was heat breaking for all of us and i wished i could have done more or tried longer to bring him round, but it wasn't to be.
From day one for the next four weeks at least, my friend and i kept a 24/7 vigil. We slept in the same room as mum and the pups, we ate our tea in the same room as the pups and if one of us wanted to use the loo then the other was on stand by, just in case. 'Normal life' as we knew it ceased to exist. Nipping to the shops for some basic essentials was like a mini holiday. I felt riddled with guilt as i knew there was no respite for my friend who i had left behind but they got there turn to go next time! LOL!!
If i thought one of the pups had moved to a risky position i would just gently rearrange them to a safer spot.
Some evenings my friend and i were lucky to get an hours sleep a night!
Do you have a good friend or family member who would puppy sit for you during the day perhaps so you could have a couple of hours sleep. Nothing or no one can take away the worry that you feel for the first few weeks of their lives. You just have to be vigilant. The mum to the pups is exhausted too and you will find the bond between you as time goes by gets stronger day by day. When my pups were about a week old mum would have a quick cuddle with me on sofa which lasted all of a minute or two but as soon as one of the pups squeaked she was straight back in there with her babies checking them over.
I wish you, the mum and your new brood all the luck in the world. xx  

yes agree 24hr watch, sleep next to whelp box , if I am alone and need the loo etc then I take mum with me as puppies are safe when mum isnt in the room on her own .

i too agree 24/7 care ,i also do what starryeyes has done ,if my kids or hubby not around and i need the loo i take mum with me ,i have a large breed that dont tend to be to clumsy but im not takeing any chances ,so sorry about the 2 youve lost and everything crossed the rest will do great xx

I unfortunately lost a pup after an exhausting whelping for bitch and me when I nodded off.  She had 8 pups, two were still bron, one ended up laid on, adn one ahd to be PTS as failded to thrive.  Previouys litter of 9 reared without a hitch and she was ultra careful.

Like you pig rails were of no use as the pups was squashed in the middle of the whelping box.

Do you have an open tray whelping box or have you made a cave like den.

The bitch may relax more and not be so prone to lie on pups if she has a den.

It's easy to make a den around an open tray box that can be covered by moving a table over the whelping box or using puppy pen panels to three sides and a top and cover with a blanket.

So sorry to hear that, like others have said sadly watching them 24/7 is the only way if the bitch is accidentally lying on them right in the middle of the box like that. Specially with a large litter. I've been lucky that my bitch has only had small litters, and even then with the singleton who is now 5 months old, there was one or two times where I popped to the loo and came back to find her half sitting on the puppy - I slept (dozed really) next to the bed for the first 2 or 3 weeks.