Hi,

My Lab had 6 pups born last weekend and I am a little worried about their weight gain.  3 of the pups were 1lb when born and are now nearly 2lb in weight and seem to be thriving well.  However, 3 of the other pups were smaller at birth, 14-15oz (not really that much in weight) but they do have smaller heads and bone structure.  The small ones had upset tums as their mum was getting antibiotics and I was giving them fluids to keep them going.  They lost weight over a couple of days and are now gaining again but it seems to be really slowly.  They are up to 17oz now and I am making sure that they are getting a proper feed from mum before the bigger pups get on.  In between feeds they are sleeping happily. 

I have bought welpi and a feeder but they just don't seem interested in it.  In fact I tried the larger pups with it and they seemed to get on better.  Mum is feeding them approximately every two hours and seems to have enough milk for them. 

Am I just worrying too much or should they really be putting on more weight than this? What else can I do to help them?  They are pooing with no problems although they are still a little green from the antibiotics. 

Thanks in advance

Andrea

I think you are doing the best thing by letting the smaller ones feed from mum first, make sure they go on the back teats. If you start to suppliment with whelpi they wont drink as much from mother so her production will go down so avaid this if you can. Best guide is gaining weight and sleeping contentedly between feeds which you say they are doing so relax you sound like you are doing all the right things.
Amos

Yes, you are worrying too much, however, how much is too much?, best always to keep on top of things.  If it is any consolation, my first litter of Goldens had a 5oz bitch in it, you can imagine, she looked like a mouse and she had no fur on her head when born, ( a pathetic looking individual)  The sires owner was appalled at her!  He couldn't believe it when she was still alive next day and then remained alive.  She would not be supplemented and would only take milk from Mum.  She was always slightly smaller than the rest.  Imagine my astonishment when I saw her at 12 months, she was bigger than the bitch that I kept, and she had been probably one of the biggest bitches in the litter.  So don't panic, as long as they are feeding, warm to the touch and sleeping well in between, I should think that they will have no problems.

You worried Mum you, lol,
They gained weight, and are not whining, and are sleeping contentedly in between feeds, therefore it is unlikely that there is a problem. At this age you only need to worry if there is no gain, and more so if there is a loss. Not the case with your babies, so all is fine I am sure. Are you weighing them at the same time of day every day?  Just watch and make sure they get their fair share. You are doing all the right things. Remember Mums milk is always best. Good Luck!

Hi,

Thanks all, I am a terrible worrier.  I thought I would be a wreck when she went into labour but I coped with that perfectly!

I am putting the 3 littles ones onto the back teats and weighing them at the same time every night, that's if I can get them to lie still long enough to get a proper reading.  They certainly look a little rounder and they look healthy but there is just such a difference between them and the larger ones.

I have taken as many steps as I can to reduce fading puppy by having the mum vaccinated with CHV and kept the temperature at a steady 23-24 Degrees, any warmer and the rest of us would suffer. Mum is getting well fed although she has decided to be fussy about her food and getting vet approved supplements for the feeding period.  I am not making her stay with the pups as I think this would depress her and she seems more willing to feed them this way.

I suppose I just have to chill out and relax over this whole stressful period - it's worse than having kids.

Cheers

Andrea

3 pups out of my litter where exactly the same until I weaned them.They then caught up and by the time my babies left they were all more or less the same with just a few ounces difference between boys and girls.
Goodluck with your new family :)

Hi

Just thought I would give an update on the pups.

Today has been an awful day and I have lost two small girls.  I had a feeling that one the girls wasn't right, she kept getting constipated and her tummy seemed swollen and bloated.  I was giving her liquid parrafin, as well as having tried Milk of Magnesia to loosen her stools, and although she was going more regularly her tummy wasn't getting any smaller.  The vet did not think she had good muscle tone on her back legs or pelvis and she seemed very wide and flat when lying down. When I took her home I thought she had gone downhill even more and had to make the awful decision of putting her to sleep.  The other small girl developed aspiration pneumonia and was given an shot of antibiotics, one minute she was breathing and when I checked a few minutes later, she was gone.  I really thought she would make it as she has been a little fighter from the start and I had fallen for her even though I wasn't keeping her.

I do have 4 healthy, very large pups and have to accept that maybe there are reasons for things that happen.  I have another bitch that I thought of breeding and has just come into season but today my heart is not in it and I will have to think long and hard about the next step.

Thanks again everyone

Andrea

Oh, Andrea, I am so sorry. This is heartbreaking :(  I know how much this litter meant to you   They all looked so wonderful in the photos and mum seemed so content.... 

big {{{{{hugs}}}}} to you

Run free little babes

Edited to add, So sorry Andrea, I completely missed your original post asking for help :(

This ahppened to a freind and CD member recently, she started off with five pups and sadly lost 3, it is heart breaking and sometimes you never get to the bottom of why, but there is always next time, after a little time of healing.