So my friend has had a litter of planned puppies, 3 thriving 1 not so much. They are currently 5 days old and she said to me she had never really seen the smaller one suckling, however it must have been to still be alive? Her vet has suggested trying to bottle feed the smaller one to 'top up' what he is getting but she has told me he really isn't suckling the bottle.

How can you tell if a small puppy is hungry? When I saw the puppies he did seem smaller, but was sleeping happily with his brothers and sister and later on crawling his way over to mum, and by no means seemed to be struggling at all.

Would you persist with the bottle feeding or leave him be?

Is he gaining weight?

Yes but very slowly, she's tried syringes and he doesn't like that either, he just wiggles and cries

Hungry puppies (or anything else) will cry.   I'd suggest if this puppy is quiet, he's 'probably' ok but without seeing them it's impossible to know - is he dehydrated?  Have you done the 'tenting' test ... gently lift the skin around his neck area and it should snap back.  If not, then he is dehydrated, or getting that way.  Rather than bottle, you might take advice re tube feeding but it has to be shown, so the tube goes into the stomach and not the lungs!    If he's gaining, my bet is he's okay and just needs time.   She should make sure he gets onto a smaller teat - sometimes the back ones are too big for a weaker puppy to manage.

It sounds like he is doing all of the right things. He is gravitating to mum when he is hungry to get on a teat, he is settled when not feeding and is gaining weight. Watch his tail, a hooked tail is s good sign that he is feeding, look at the tails of the others and that will give a good comparison. As MAmabas said, it is hard to know without seeing him though. Sometimes tiredness can make a breeder fixate on problems that aren't there. I hope all goes well.

Thankyou, I will suggest she tries tenting the skin. I did use the example that my sister us a quieter personality to me and this may be the case in dogs. If he is dehydrated, what does she do from there?

Probably tube-feed ......she may have to get her vet to show her how.   Dehydration means he isn't getting enough liquid (obviously )

I think it does make you worry if they're considerably smaller than their litter mates and a bit quieter, even though that could be 'normal' for him. Her vet is quite matter of fact, apparently he said sometimes you can do everything possible but unfortunately they just don't make it I suppose as long as you try, you know did everything you could

I presume this is a litter of purebred puppies and not a crossbreed? If they are crossbred the small puppy could be taking after one parents and the others the other larger parent.

They are lakeland terriers, the mother and father were similar size

> I suppose as long as you try, you know did everything you could

Exactly.   I would caution that there must be trust between her and her vet AND she should be aware that vets don't always KNOW about rearing litters - practically.   Just the theory and sorting out problems!    Is she still in contact with the breeder of her bitch because if that person is experienced, she's probably the one to take advice from?

My friend just called me to inform me that poor little pup had passed away she is so upset and is now blaming herself could she have done this or that, in her tears she mentioned that he had been born with poop in the sac, I'm sure this means he probably wasn't right from birth and there wasn't much that would have saved him

Sad news but despite our best efforts, sometimes it's just not meant to be.   And is the reason why dogs have multiple births really, much as we have more means to bring the weaker ones through, than in the past.   There is no 'blame', it's the downside of breeding I'm afraid.  Sympathies but tell her to concentrate on those puppies who have survived!