My dog had puppies but is neglecting them. What should I do?

Hello. Just keep a close eye on everyone. Even the weaker puppies will fight for a nipple. As long as the puppies seem warm & content, & you see the mother dog cleaning up after the puppies, all will be well. Usually the only time you will need to supplement a puppy is if the mother dog is sick, or she has an extremely large litter. If you do find the need to help with supplemental feedings, make sure you use a puppy nursing formula like Esbilac. Take care.

If you cannot bring the puppies inside, I would suggest that you take them to an animal shelter. They need their mom for more than just food. They need her warmth and comfort, too, in order to have healthy psychological growth. Arya was too young, at nine months of age, to have a litter, and her maternal instincts have not kicked in yet. Somehow, you'll have to provide for these puppies what she is not willing to.

I'm so sorry that one of your puppies has died! It does sound like Jacky isn't a good mother if she isn't feeding them or licking them, and that could be due to her young age. It's never recommended to breed a female dog on her first heat because she won't be emotionally or physically mature enough to care for them properly as you are seeing with Jacky. Some dogs are also just poor mothers naturally, and that could be the case as well with her. You are going to have to raise these puppies yourself if you want them to have the best chance to survive, but please keep in mind that newborn puppies are very fragile. Care for them is intensive and there may be other ones who don't make it. I will put a link below to a website detailing how to raise orphan puppies. As for Jacky, I would be quite concerned she would repeat this behavior with future litters, so I would recommend having her spayed before her next heat. When you see this behavior from a female dog, it's not recommend to have them have additional litters. http://www.2ndchance.info/orphanpuppy.htm

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Some dogs are just not great mothers. A lot of times this behavior is repetitive with subsequent litters so I would consider spaying her after the puppies are weaned. She could start to improve in her habits but she may not. Sadly you will have to do more work if she won't cleaning them, etc. Hopefully she is at least letting them nurse. You can encourage her to lay in the whelping box with them more. It is ok for her to leave them for periods of time. Be sure Loki is eating high quality puppy food and that all of her mammary glands feel normal. Also be sure the puppies are having normal stool. I hope this helps and I wish Loki and her pups the best!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Adorable picture! Lucy should be eating puppy food. Any brand is fine, I like Purina, Hill's and Royal Canin, You can feed her dry, dry mixed with canned or all canned. Whatever she will eat. Be sure she is feeling ok and doesn't have a fever or abnormal vaginal discharge. If she is refusing to eat she should see a vet to be sure she doesn't have an infection. I hope this helps and I wish Lucy the best!

Unfortunately some dogs are poor mothers, and it's not normal that she bites them. The best thing to do is remove the puppies from Frickle to keep them safe, and you will have to bottle feed them yourself so they can survive. I will put a link below on how to raise newborn puppies, but please be aware that it is very time and labor intensive. You need to go out now and get some puppy formula. I recommend KMR, you can get it at a pet store or the grocery store. As for Frickle, I would have her spayed. When dogs are poor mothers, it's never recommend to breed them again, and she does not sound like a dog who should be bred again. http://www.2ndchance.info/orphanpuppy.htm

It could be that Daisy is too young to have puppies, or is a poor mother. It's not recommended to breed a dog on their first heat because they aren't physically and emotionally mature enough to raise puppies. There could also be a medical reason why she isn't feeding them, such as mastitis or metritis. I would have Daisy and her puppies seen by a vet immediately. The vet can identify if there is a medical cause behind her refusing to feed her puppies, and can discuss treatment options. If no medical cause is found, you may have to feed them yourself, which the vet can show you how to do.