Had a litter of 8 pups very early(!) on Wednesday. All started really well and mum was doing a fantastic job of licking and feeding and generally being very attentive. Had all checked at the Vets and all fine on Thursday. Did notice dihorrea on Friday. Then mum started wanting to go out and digging and not showing so much interest in the puppies, just doing the necessary feeding. However she then vomited all over the whelping box so had the emergency vet see her and she has gastroenteritis. She is going in the pen to feed but panting a lot and generally looks uncomfortable, she is just not herself. Any suggestions. Vet has said to give her her normal food little and often. But she seems so hungry. Any suggestions would be most appreciated. She still has very loose stools but has been given antibiotics, cortisone, anti sick and anti inflammatory on Saturday night.

Two suggestions - firstly did your vet check that she was 'empty' - give a shot to clear out any retained birthing material or even a dead puppy all of which would make her pretty sick.   Secondly if she consumed a lot of the placenta, she would be loose which is why many don't allow their bitches to eat all of them.   I assume what he's given her re the 'gastroenteritis', is okay for the puppies as it will come through her milk??

I would be far more inclined to get the vet to check for eclampsia. And like Mama Bas says, retained afterbirth or dead pup.

I would be supplementing her with calcicum - digging, panting, discomfort - all are signs of eclampsia like goldmali says.  Calcium is needed to prevent this - intravenous calcium at the vet if the situation is urgent but oral calcium, for sure.

See https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/reproductive/c_dg_eclampsia  Look at the list of symptoms. 

You will need to convert her weight into lbs.  Then: Give her 90mg of elemental calcium for each pound of bodyweight per day.  Calcium citrate is best because it doesn’t require food for processing, but only provides 21mg of calcium for every 100mg of calcium citrate. So a 20lb bitch could be given her half a heaped teaspoon of calcium citrate powder.  Give calcium if you see weird behaviours:  Nesting, moving puppies, hiding, stress, digging, pain etc.  Then, how much to give depends on bitch’s size, litter size and how aberrant the behaviour is. Large breeds should get 1000-2000mg.  Her behaviour will often improve within 30mins but if it doesn’t, give another dose immediately.  You can then dose 4-5x a day if her behaviour continues, and continue through the period she is nursing.

Also get a new vet.  It doesn't sound like your existing vet knows anything about breeding or reproduction.  The chances of a just-whelped bitch happening to develop a gastro bug at the exact time they have just whelped puppies.... well, it's not impossible but there are FAR MORE LIKELY causes involving the fact that the bitch has just whelped....!!

> <br />Also get a new vet.  It doesn't sound like your existing vet knows anything about breeding or reproduction.  The chances of a just-whelped bitch happening to develop a gastro bug at the exact time they have just whelped puppies.... well, it's not impossible but there are FAR MORE LIKELY causes involving the fact that the bitch has just whelped....!!

My thoughts exactly.  How would she pick up a gastro bug?