Hi There,

First litter, first post, first problem!! Well, sort of. First problem that we've not been able to solve anyhow!

4yo bitch had a litter of 5 on Saturday, by c-section. Pups on the large side for the breed, hence why mum struggled. Mum took to the pups straight away, milk was in the same day and pups have been feeding quietly and happily. Smallest pup did need a bit of supervision as he was being pushed off but now he can hold his own. All have been gaining weight nicely, look round and glossy.

Largest pup was a bit of a whopper at 430g (breed average around 300g), started feeding very well-sometimes too well, and I did have to hold him back on a couple of occasions for the little one. Yesterday (4 days old) I noticed big pup wasn't feeding as well as normal-he would latch on but then after just a few seconds would be off again. He did this a number of times during the day. Then finally he had a really good feed, only for him to finish with the most almighty wail/cry and it went on for a couple of minutes. I tried toileting him (bit of wee), setting him down on the heat pad, giving him to mum, putting him with his littermates, but nothing would settle him. His belly seemed tense and he appeared to be straining. I tried several times to poop him and eventually a lump of mid-brown slightly dryish poop came out. His next feed was exactly the same with the crying but no toileting at all. He eventually settled on the heat pad. Took him to the vet who couldn't see anything immediately wrong with him and sent us away with an antibiotic injection. He fed through the night and cried several times. The crying seems to be lasting longer and longer.

Took him to a different vet today (felt very dismissed by previous one) who did a listen to his lungs, heart, gut and seemed to think maybe he was dehydrated on account of the brown dry poop I described. We spoke about gas, colic, infection, but vet couldn't say either way. Sent home to give him half hourly feeds to see if that would help. First two feeds back home were cut short-once by me thinking he was done (another pup wanted the teat) and the second the bitch got up for a drink and he came off. Both times however he did not cry. Then he went for another one and this time was on for a decent length of time, but when he pulled away the wailing started again. Nothing I could do would settle him. He eventually cried himself to sleep.

He is down on his weight today for the first time-normal gains we have been seeing around 20g per day but today its a loss of 30g.

We have 2 mentors on hand-one is our bitches breeder and one is the stud dog breeder. Both experienced but neither 'on location' so all I can do is describe the problem (much like here!)

Looking for some alternative ideas or experiences-please, any suggestions, we are starting to get quite fraught here

Never bred a litter but just wondering could it be colic?

http://www.debbiejensen.com/carepup.html

http://www.petcarejournal.com/puppy-colic.html

I thought so too, but vet seemed unconvinced about it. It's true that mum has been a bit slack with bum cleaning (she does we but seems to 'forget' poops sometimes!) so the explaination on that first link would make sense. Pups belly is tender but doesn't seem terribly bloated, so could gas still be the cause? I really hope it is!!