So Tilly's labour was very straight forward for the first couple of hours. The first 4 were born in just under an hour and she did everything herself. Then everything literally just stopped. She was calm and settled, cleaning and nursing the pups, had some food and a little sleep while the pups were feeding. I put this down to being a whelping pause. It was at this point I noticed number 4 wasn't actually suckling, just nuzzling in and searching for a teat without managing to latch on. Even when I literally put the teat in his mouth he didn't seem to know what to do with it! So out came the dropper and I alternated dropper feeding and trying him on the teat again, he did drink the dropper milk but still couldn't figure out the sucking.
3 hours later she started panting, fidgeting and pushing the pups away so I got straight on the phone to the vets and got her in 30 mins later. They gave her a shot of Oxytocin and 30mins later she passed a puddle of stinky green tar with a mummified baby in it :( Appointment this evening to check on mum and pups.
By the time we got home it was nearly 2am.
Number 4 still wasn't latching on so I've been up feeding him through the night, and again trying him on the teat each time too.
Got the kids off to school and got back to find all 4 latched on and feeding heartily :)
I will be keeping a very close eye on number 4 (well, on all of them obviously but he's the main worry), weighing him daily and topping up his feeds if he's not gaining properly, but I'm a lot happier now he's feeding by himself.
So 3 girls, 1 boy. Mum doing an amazing job and eating like a pig!
I'm shattered but well worth it. The babies are beautiful, we got one completely unexpected colour too so that's a nice surprise!
Now the 'fun' really starts haha!

I won't be betting on number 4 surviving to be honest. He's still struggling. I can see dribbles of milk when the others are suckling, but he seems to be getting nothing out.

Before you started topping him up did he manage to suckle from Mum in the first 12 hours. 

That is the crucial time for him to gain the protective antibodies from his mothers colostrum vital for survival.

Without that his chances are slim.

He appeared to be, but now I don't think he had the strength to suck hard enough for anything to flow :(

Have you checked him for cleft palate?

Lost the little boy through the night. I tried so hard, did everything the vet and my mentor said but she said some are just not meant to be :'( and to just try to enjoy the 3 that are thriving. The vet checked for cleft palate yesterday, didn't have it. Just underdeveloped compared to the others so possibly a later conception? So sad but I know I did everything I could. They said the whole upset of coming into rescue on the day of mating, and being so stressed and confused could have affected the pregnancy?
Anyway, the 3 girls and mum are doing brilliantly so no worries there thank god.

Sad, but fairly natural occurrence as nature has designed for redundancies.

> so possibly a later conception?

Just wanted to point out that no matter when a bitch is mated the conception cannot vary as the ova all are released and ripen and are viable for around 48 hours max.

Once the cells divide and finally reach implantation stage they all implant (or not) and develop together.

What affects the developing embryo is how well the placenta develops in a good spot in the uterine wall, and whether the forming foetus is genetically/physically viable.

Birth then of course is a dangerous and traumatic event, oxygen supply may be cut off with early placental detachment or hold up, or even infection from the dead mummified pup.

Well I'm just glad Tilly is ok, I know it sounds cold but ultimately that's what matters to me as a rescuer. She'll be spayed when the pups are 12 weeks.

I honestly don't know anything about ovulation times etc Barbara, I'm not a breeder and i very much doubt I'll foster an expecting dog again after this, far too upsetting. The little boy was nearly 30g smaller than the smallest girl at birth so from what you said I guess it must have been the placenta or genetic then. Bless him, and poor Tilly.

Is she likely to be affected by him dying or do they just get on with the ones that are left and forget the dead one? I know they're not emotional like us (I am qualified in animal management and animal behaviour, just never bothered with the breeding side of it much coz I knew I'd not be a breeder), but I feel like she must know something went wrong? I'm just carrying on as normal around her.

> Is she likely to be affected by him dying or do they just get on with the ones that are left and forget the dead one?

This.

If it had been later then perhaps she would  e looking for him, but in the first days they are too busy I think.

I have my girls spayed 11 - 12 weeks after their litter, by then the milk has gone and it is likely to be enough time before the next season/

I don't understand if they6 knew she had been mated whey they did not opt for the Alizin injection (which I believe can be given quite late up to about 6 weeks).  Or why not have a gravid spay.  this would have been no more traumatic than a C section at full term?  After all a section was a distinct possibility anyway.

I'm sorry. It happens and nature does tend to know best. You've done your very best. X