Puppies are dying left and right. Help!

[SilkiesForEver]

Our friend is a good breeder of American bull dogs. One of his old females came in contact with one of his males, and a litter of puppies occured. He had wanted to not breed her, because of her age, but accidents do happen.

The female had 7 healthy puppies, at the time of birth. But, now he only has 3. They just shrivel up and die. He thought his female might not be making enough milk, so he is now supplementing her. But what can we do for the puppies? I taught him how to bottle feed, and gifted him some fresh goat milk, but that is all he is doing for them. What is the cause and what can we do?

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I would tell him to get the puppies to the vet ASAP. It is very possible they are suffering from something (possibly contagious) that needs medical intervention. It's impossible to tell what it may be without some simple tests, but a visit to the vet could save the remaining three puppies.

 

[SilkiesForEver]

I would tell him to get the puppies to the vet ASAP. It is very possible they are suffering from something (possibly contagious) that needs medical intervention. It's impossible to tell what it may be without some simple tests, but a visit to the vet could save the remaining three puppies.

Thank you. I'll make that suggestion to him. The only problem is, the local veterinary center is not very good. At all. But I will see if that's possible.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I know it's difficult because of the holiday, but I would recommend taking them into an emergency clinic tomorrow if you have one available. I'm not going to make any guesses about something specific they may have, but there are several illnesses that fit the description that you gave. Some need immediate medical intervention for puppies to get through.

Best of luck to your friend though. I know how disappointing it is when animals are just not thriving despite your best efforts!

 

[Redyre Rotties]

Really, anyone who is breeding dogs should be prepared to tube feed or supplement puppies if necessary. If you are not prepared to do this, you should be prepared to lose your litter.

The first step to understanding what is going on with neonate puppies is careful attention to weight gain. This requires an accurate scale, such as a postal scale, and regular weight checks. I weigh puppies AT LEAST twice a day during the first 2 weeks. More often if I have a puppy I am watching who might be having difficulty. I will then weigh before and after nursing to see how much the puppy actually took in if it is nursing from the mom. This is not quite so critical if you are bottle or tube feeding the puppy, as you will know how much the puppy took in. A healthy Rottweiler puppy will gain from 1 to 3 oz per day during the first 2 weeks.

I keep BeneBac on hand to help puppies adjust if they need to be supplemented. Diarrhea kills puppies fast.

Crying puppies mean something is wrong. Healthy puppies are round, feel heavy in the hand, and are quiet except for satisfied noises unless they need to eliminate.

Healthy puppies eat vigorously every time they are offered the chance unless they are already sated. If a puppy is nott VIGOROUSLY seeking a nipple and latching on at every chance, it needs help.

Failing puppies should be kept very warm (100 degrees). Support with fluids, appropriate amounts of pepto bismol or similar if they are gassy or fussy, and tube feeding if necessary. Veterinary consult is in order for any puppy with diarrhea for more than 12 hours, or who is unable or unwilling to suckle with vigor.

The formula I use is:

1 can Meyenburg Goat Milk, undiluted
1/2 the can of goat milk full of cream
4 0z or so of plain whole milk yoghurt
a few drops of baby vitamins

Mix in a quart jar. Refrigerate. Heat only what you are about to use at the moment. Heat and store ONLY in glass containers. Discard any that is not used, or feed to the ***** after 48 hours.

 

[Lacey1988]

Milk may be bad. We had a black lab show up pregnant one time. She had thirteen puppies and her body just couldn't cope so the milk turned septic. All of them died and I hear it happens with old females as well.

 

[Redyre Rotties]

Losing an entire litter like this can indeed be due to poisonous or infected milk. This can happen from a uterine infection even if it's low grade without obvious signs. This is one reason why we advise people to keep a temperature chart on the b.itch for about 10 days post partum.

I also examine all breasts on a lactating b.itch twice a day, and express the milk to check any glands that appear hard or hot. Proper milk is almost pure white. Colostrum, which lasts for the first 2-3 days can be anything from bright straw colored to slightly greenish in tint, but this leaves by day 3 and is replaced with normal milk.

this is all really "breeding dogs 101" and anyone who is breeding dogs and plans on growing out a litter should make it their business to learn it before hand, and it also helps to have a good mentor to help you.

 

[Redyre Rotties]

I cruise this board frequently in case there are situations posted like this where I can offer helpful information.

These posts can help a lot of people over time as they search the forum for information if they are having a situation.

So many people have helped me along over the years. This is one way I pay it forward. Sure hope the OP will come back and give us an update soon.

Most vets will show you how to tube feed at home if you need to to help puppies along at first. Once you are shown how to do it and you do it a few times, it is not hard to do. It is the single easiest way to help a slow puppy along, or if you have to feed an entire litter, it is invaluable. You can accurately measure how much the puppy gets, and it is done in seconds.

I won't detail how to do it here, as this needs to be hands on demonstrated to you by a qualified person, but it is simple to do once you are shown how.

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Our friend informed us that the weak puppy died yesterday. Thanks for the suggestions, just couldn't get them to a vet in time. The good news is, there are two heathly puppies still nursing on their mom. They are chubby and healthy.

 

[member 142084]

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