My bitch whelped 13 days ago. Everything was going really well up until day ten. At that point we moved the bitch and the puppies to a room downstairs because she never seemed very happy where she was. On a side note she never appeared to have any milk on and it was impossible to express any from her yet the pups were growing and seemed contented. The morning after we brought them downstairs I was met with puppies with poo over them. I actually saw one pass a soft motion and one had a tiny amount of blood on his hind legs. We went straight to the vets and were give antibiotic drops and a probiotic for them. I asked the vet to check the bitches very sore teats. She couldn't express anything out of them and she said there was nothing much that could be done because you couldn't put anything on them as it would be licked off. She said I should be careful that the pups could actually feed from her.

The day after the pups started the antibiotics everything was fine. The bitches teats look appalling though and I decided to take the risk of using lansinoh cream on her, a product used by breast feeding women that doesn't need to be wiped off. I have heard of other people using it on bitches. I have been applying it after she feeds the pups and keeping her away for a couple of hours. Everything was fine overnight, I even got up at 3 this morning to apply some cream. Pups looked fine all morning and as they were asleep when I got up at 8 I kept the bitch out while I applied more cream.
I went in to check on the pups a while ago only to find some dark almost greenish poo had gone over the pups. One of them had obviously gone and walked it over the the rest. At this point I do not know what to do. I don't know what is making them loose and I don't know if I should step in and take over feeding them.
Maybe the lansinoh affected them but I have to do something for the bitch if she is going to feed them because her teats are like raw meat. Bless her she is still desperate to feed them.
Does anyone have any words of advice or suggestions.

Are you keeping the puppies' nails clipped so that they don't scratch her? They can grow into little curved razor blades very quickly, so they need cutting every two or three days.

If the puppies are contented and growing then the bitch is making exactly the right amount of milk for them - any that can be expressed after a feed is a waste of resources.

Thanks Jean. Yep i'm keeping on top of their nails. Teats do not looked scratched at this point. It is like the skin around the base of the teat has actually split away from her body. Pretty nasty looking. This cream seems to be helping a bit.

Not sure what I expect anyone to say really. I've never had either of these problems before and I am not coping well. Bit of a wuss really.

I had similar issues when I had my first baby, the pain is horrific. I was so bad that when I had my booking in appointment for my second pregnancy the midwife said, 'I remember you, you were the lady whose nipples were hanging off'.

The lasinoh cream does help with the pain, put it on thick without rubbing it in, the wounds will heal faster if kept moist and not allowed to scab.  I used to get some kind of moist dressings from the chemist which were very soothing even if only left on for an hour, I think they were soaked in vasaline.

I didn't notice any bowel issues with my baby, but grease can sometimes move things along a bit quicker. Hope things improve soon.

Thanks Luna. I have taken to applying the Lansindoh with a cottonwool bud. I soften it up a bit first and then literally wind it around her teat. I have had bitches with horrible sore areas around their teats from all the puppy wear and tear but this is different. The skin on her teats actually feels hard and rough or as my vet put it "chapped"!

Teats are raw meat on the tip and have split open around the base but I am just starting to see that this cream is helping that skin knit up a bit now.

Such a shame. Dogs are such stoic creatures. She's a happy, brave little soul and that's making my heart bleed really. But i'll keep trying. Cheers.

I'd echo Jeangenie - and add that I'd check with the vet re the cream you are using.   It could be affecting the puppies .... and quite possibly there is something more appropriate to be done about these teats.    From e-how .... "Creams and Balms
Humans typically use moisturizing creams and balms to treat chapped or irritated skin, but this method is not recommended for a nursing dog's nipples. Most creams are not intended for use on animals, and most contain ingredients that are not meant to be consumed orally. After applying the cream to a nursing dog's nipples, it is possible or even likely that either the nursing dog or her puppies will lick off the cream. Depending on the specific type of cream used, it could make the dogs sick, or at least discourage the puppies from feeding."

Too bad she's like this because worse it yet to come once the sharp teeth come through, poor girl.   I'd be clipping the ends off those sharp nails almost from day one with some litters.   It's not the teats that suffer usually, but indeed the area at the base of the teat, where the puppies use their feet on and that would happen especially if they have to work on the teat to get the milk through.  

For sure, as long as the puppies are gaining on a daily basis, she is making enough milk to keep them going.   Don't milk her - it's a waste of resources.   The act of suckling will bring the milk down.   Keep feeding her well with a good quality food - rich in protein and all should be well.   If the litter is quiet too, that indicates she's feeding them well enough at the moment.

How many puppies are there?   You may have to consider supplementing them - half on and half off if there are more than say 8 puppies?

http://www.justanswer.com/dog-health/2j7v5-new-mother-sore-nipples.html   From a Google search - but run this past your vet first - my opinion.

I found antibiotics made my puppies poops green, they had the runs and got antibiotics which turned the poops green... they went back to normal colour when the antibiotics finished.

Would Manuka honey work to sooth her teats ?, would that be ok for suckling pups ?.

Thanks for your help guys. I was at the vets again last night as one of the puppies did a messy poo and I thought that it was a bit bloody. Different vet this time, he thought the two pups that I took seemed lively enough and they felt full. Snap test for giardia was negative. Have to worm them tonight.
I showed him the ointment I am using which is pure lanolin btw. He didn't think it would cause the current problems but suggested suspending it for a couple of days to make sure. Pity because it was really making a difference. Mum does not lick it off that I am aware of. It has no smell or taste apparently as breast feeding babies are not deterred by it. Of course it's a different story with dogs but I have been letting it soak in for an hour before she returns to the puppies and carefully wiping any excess away.
So far today the pups are doing OK. There was evidence of a loose poo through the night but not a lot. Pups are still active at the milk bar and then dozing off contentedly.

My vet recommended Sudocrem for sore teats many years ago.

Bagbalm is a product used on farm animals teats, so is expected to be used while the young are feeding. 

Can be found in any farm or horse supplies shop and is excellent for any skin issues like wet eczema and of course for sore nipples.

I have occasionally used Vaseline on sore areas, (usually back legs scalded by birthing fluids) which pups may reach and not have issues, but never directly on teats.

I certainly would want to continue to use something.  Not sudocrem though.

Products for women breastfeeding should also be safe, as of course they would be ingested by the baby.

As you say the Lanolin is helping and if only slightly loose poos (not diarrhoea) are the result then no biggie, after all their poos are supposed to be toothpaste consistency anyway.

I think we are holding steady at the moment. Someone suggested savlon before but I would be worried about the pups either ingesting too much or being put off of feeding by the smell/taste.
Bag balm sounds interesting though. I have gone back to using the lanolin and I think we're winning. The teats feel softer now rather than so hard they felt like they were plastic coated before!