My dog passed a dead puppy days after birth. What should I do?

That's extremely unlikely. A placenta should be delivered for each individual puppy, so the sac and placentas should all have been delivered. It can be difficult to count unless you are closely monitoring during delivery, as she will eat some of the placentas. If she seems to be doing well since she gave birth--all the puppies are nursing, she is eating, she doesn't seem painful or distressed--then I wouldn't worry. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It's normal to see some green discharge after puppies are born, but if the discharge comes before the puppies are being born, that can be a sign of a premature placental separation. It's quite concerning that the puppies are dying. They are extremely fragile creatures, and unfortunately some don't make it, but if all of them are dying, that suggestions something seriously wrong. I would take the mother and the puppies into an ER vet or find a vet on call to see them now.

Yes, dogs can normally have a dark discharge known as lochia for a few days after giving birth. It should turn green shortly after whelping, and then turn to a rust color 48 hours post-partum. This discharge should not have any odor, and Nagai should not show any signs of illness. If the discharge persists in a black color, has an odor, or she shows signs of illness, she will need to see a vet immediately.

I recommend a vet visit to make sure that she doesn't have any retained placentas or another dead pup inside. Both these conditions can set her up for life-threatening infection. If she is eating and drinking normally, and does not have a high temperature, she is likely ok.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Nala definitely needs to be seen by vet as she still may have more puppies or retained placenta inside. Please, get in touch with your emergency vets tonight or your local vets in the morning as the latest and get her checked over. Nala will likely require an ultrasound scan of the abdomen and possibly a blood test to find out what is going on.

As I said before, the discharge may be normal. It is called lochia. Please refer to this article for more information. ( https://whelpingpuppies.com/how-long-a-dog-bleeds-after-giving-birth/ ) I only mentioned taking her to a vet because you stated she delivered a dead puppy 12 hours after the first two. If you are saying she is hot then she may have a fever. If you don't want to take her to a vet that is up to you. I can't tell you anymore than this without examining the dog myself. Feeding milk to a nursing dog is not recommended. Dogs at her age do not need milk and it is not going to do anything to boost the milk she gives the puppies. If she is eating a good dog food you don't need to give anything else.

It isn't unusual for a dead puppy to be born long after a healthy litter is born. It is likely that the puppy was stuck in the birth canal and took longer to deliver and died while being stuck, or it could have been dead in utero and was later expelled with the last placenta. Usually there is no problem with the mother provided she eats, drinks and takes care of her puppies. If she gets lethargic, or if she has smelly discharge from the vulva (greenish non-smelly discharge is normal) then she should be seen by a vet .