My brothers bitch had 5 puppies by c section yesterday. Thankfully mum and puppies are all ok. Now she's back home, she's not showing much interest in the pups. She will reluctantly feed them but is not licking and cleaning them.
The book of the bitch says to smear the pups with sunflower oil or honey to encourage her. Just wondered if anyone else had any advice on this.

Sue123,
This is only my opinion and experience, The bitch will be very uncomfortable, (I also persume it is a little like us, you are left num were they have made the cut) I give my bitch milk with glocose mixed in. I hold it up to her to drink as she will not want to move far. Make sure she eats and drinks, hold the bowl up to to her, as with out this her milk will not flow. Have they given you some pain killers for her? Beleve me she will need them (speaking from experience), She may fell groggy from the anaesthetic. Becarfull for the first week or so she does not lay on any pups.
Hold the pups on or put them on every two hours at first as they feed more it will be every three by then she should fell a little better. C/section is major surgery which people do not understand, because it is quite common.
I take the ends of the pups sharp nails to stop them scratching her when the paddle. as this can be very sore and the bitch may not want them near her.
We wouldn't

Denese

Quite often a bitch won't want to clean her pups so much even if she hasn't had a c section.  You are right though !  Yoghurt, honey - basically anything which she likes to eat will encourage her to clean them.  Tryto stay away from honey though as it can get so sticky that not even the bitch can lick it off.  You needto persevere and I'm sure in a few days she'll bedoing everything without your help.

my bitch had a c-section and she was never intrested in cleaning her pups, I just had to step in and take over that part, has your vet given her pain killers, as my breed have very high pain thresholds and she was in pain, until we dosed her up on rimadyl.

regarding the feeding, i just latched the pups on and she feed them ok, i would clean the pups and then let her lick them front and back end before returning them.
I had a plastic see through box that i put the pups in and added in hot water bottles tokeep the pups warm until mum was totally back on her feet.

She seem's to be showing more interest now. She's been licking them and feeding them. Sadly the smallest one of the litter has died despite being hand fed, but hopefully the others will all be ok.
Thanks for everyones replies.

I have found my present bitch disliked the cleaning bit so was a bit perfuctory at first and I had to clean up after her with wet wipes, but she got better at it after the first two days or so.