Hi, My bitch started doing something strange last night. Yesterday we got the tails cropped on all 5 puppies. Last night Holly, the mom, started picking up the runt of the litter and carrying her into our bedroom and leaving her there. She's been such a good loving mom so far, but this baby is not growing. What can I do? Oh yeah, the pups are 6 days old.

She is trying to tell you something. Has your vet checked this puppy over thoroughly? I can't help thinking that mum knows best.

I spoke with the vet and they basically said the the mom is probably aware that she is smaller than the others and is worried and to feed her formula between nursings. Any other input from anyone?

Sadly i dont think this pup will be with you for much longer, mum knows best like admin said, she will push away the ones she thinks will not survive and give all her attension to the ones that she knows will. Good luck.
You could try feeding the pup yourself.

Well you just have to pup this pup on the mother and stay and watch it 24/7 after 2/3 weeks when you get it on solids it will pick up.
There could be a problem with it and the bitch knows it but no harm in getting it checked over at the vet.

Hi, its worth trying to feed it but sadly as others have said mum usually knows best so prepare yourself for the worst. I am sure you have checked for cleft palate etc - the pup would probably be crying and hungry if it had one. In my experience the tiny pups that mum rejects and just dont try or cry are not destined to stay with us. Its not your fault just "nature".By all means try and bottle feed or get your vet to show you how to tube feed, but its usually a losing battle. Sorry. :-(

Well, it is nursing. It just gets pushed aside by the other pups a lot. I'm making sure it gets a nipple now. It's hard to accept that she won't make it. She was the first pup out and the one I was going to keep. So I guess I'll just do as above and bottle feed and make sure she get's a nipple. I think one of the problems is that she is not very aggressive when it comes to nursing. It doesn't seem like she sucks very hard. Thank you all your for your input and advice.

Are most puppy formulas alike? How often should I try and feed her between nursings?

Thanks again for all your help.

shes the one that needs the mothers milk most--put her on the back teat with the next smallest puppy, when she looks like shes had enough let the others out, you could top her up inbetween too, -are you sure shes sucking efficiantly, is she fastening on and forming a cup with her tongue, ???

Hiya,

I agree with everything that has been said....and Mum usually knows best, but you have to give the pup every chance.
One of mine was a lot smaller than the others, but he was very strong. I kept an eye on him, and was there when the pups were fed, just to make sure he was getting on a back teat and not being pushed out.
I was lucky, because I didn't have to top up his food, and Mum never tried to push him out, he's now 11 wks and is doing fine.

I really hope everything goes well, but if the worst does happen, remember it isn't your fault.

Take care, and let us know how she gets on.

Good luck

Lisa

Although I haven't bred dogs, and don't intend to, I did used to breed persian cats - and I still remember the first litter born of 5 kittens, where one cried a lot and was at the edge of the box from day one, ignored by mother cat. It looked okay, so we tried for a few days feeding it with a bottle, but it got weaker and weaker and didn't survive. Although it looked okay from the outside, when the vet checked, it was deformed inside - it's stomach was actually pushed up into its diaphram area. Now the mother cat knew this kitten had no chance, and I expect it would be the same with dogs. Saying that, I have a dog now who is 16 months, fit and healthy, weighing a good 25 kg, and the breeders (who are experienced breeders) were sure he wouldn't survive after he was born - so I guess there is always a chance!!
Hilda

HI, its great to hear she is nursing - if they try to feed then there is always hope. Sometimes when the others are full and sleeping I put them in a warm box nearby and you can help the little one to feed on its own - so its not pushed around and losing energy and its easier for you without other "squirmers" trying to push in as the big greedy ones will always wake to feed when disturbed even when they dont really need any. It depends on the bitch though, some get very upset if you move the pups. You are the best judge. Fingers crossed for you. :-)

hi, we had the same problem- our little girl wanted to nurse but the others just got in her way :) wot i did was a) try to give her milk formula but she didn't like it and then b) let the rest of the litter feed from mum and then i put them in a nice warm box to sleep while the runt had a good long drink herself. basically i just gave her a lot of care and made sure she got her fair share. i was really worried at one point that she wouldn't make the night but thankfull shes still with us ten weeks on, shes still smaller than the others but catching up! good luck- if you need any more advice just ask! :)
Liz

Well, it's 2 days later and she's still here. She seems to be feeding a little stronger now. I've been doing what you said and having her nurse separately when the other pups are sleeping. She does not like bottle feeding either. I think part of the problem is that her nursing technique is odd. She kind of yanks at the nipple. She does suck too, but not as strong as the others. She seems to be doing all right. No more bringing of her to us in the middle of the night. I'm hopeful that she is going to make it. I'll update in a day or two.
Drew

The 'yanking' action seems to bring the milk down from the breast into the nipple to be sucked out. It seems to be common in most mammals. Glad she's fighting on still. Hope she carries on progressing.
:)

Yanking does indicate to me that she's not latched on quite as well as she might be or not quite strong/big enough to get enough of the nipple and surrounding breast in her mouth to get that easy suck the others do. Have you discovered yet which is her favourite nipple - there usually is one or two that they get on better with! Do support her weight - let her lean against your hand and make sure she has a good grip with her hind feet on the bedding - you can support her behind her hocks while he is feeding if she has a long way to reach. You could also gently squeeze the breast above the nipple with your whole hand around it (sorry folks I did try to think of a different way to say it!!)in time with the puppy sucking and try to encourage a little more milk down to save her strength. Don't get the milk going too fast - gently does it. :-)

yanking to me sounds like the others have just about emptied the milk bar, i still think shed do better going on first with the next smallest which will help bring the milk down,

Does anyone know if bitches are like cows, in that the richest milk comes last? If you don't "strip out" you don't get the cream?
:)

watching a litter feed i find theyre working at it for a few minutes, yanking and unsettled, then it seems to come in and you can hear them drawing it off, and it happens all the same time from one end of the bar to the other, any unoccupied boob will be flowing at the same time

Having breatfed, I would say that it is the let down reflex. Embarassingly, especialy in the early days just thinking of the baby or hearing it crying can make you leak.

If you are uptight then the reflex is slow and the baby finds it hard to get much and can get cross until the let sown happens.

I wonder if a bitch is stressed or worried, or has a sick pup that she is too tense to let the milk down and the weaker pups get too tirted before it comes, and therefore wven when appearing to cukle at same time as others just don't gain as well.

Oh Lord yes, I remember that embarrassment, Brainless! I found it lasted for about a year after I stopped feeding Boy (at 6 months) :o . I must have a very strong nurturing instinct!
:)

I had a lot of that with my first which I ended up giving up with, as people around me kept being negative as she was a crotchety baby (and now a worse 16 year old), and thought she must be hungry.

With my son I ended up- feeding for 14 months, as at 6 months he would take no other liquids!!!! Later he would drink juice, but wouldn't touch milk! He loves milk now. I never seemed to leak with the boy past the first few weeks.

some here

when feeding my little girl i would leak lot and this happened for well over 6 months, i am now feeding my little boy and he is 7 months and it don't seam to happen so much,

14 months WOW i am now trying to get him on some other type of liquid but it is hard, i hope i want be feeding him longer than a 12 month, but you never know

Natalie