Husky had puppies in sand. Should I move them? How to stop smothering?

You may have to keep the puppies in a warm box next to her that she can't fit into and give them to her a few at a time every few hours to nurse. Once they get a little bigger, they should have no trouble staying out of her way. I'd be more worried that these puppies are sick or not nursing enough or not thriving in some way, and not actually getting squashed by mom. (This is common in pigs, not dogs). Make sure the pups are gaining a few ounces every day in weight and they should be ok.

That is not an uncommon situation and may be observed quite frequently in clinical practice. There is no specific reason for it, but usually less experienced mums do it more often. Close monitoring is always recommended to avoid these situations. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

If she is taking care of them I would leave them with her. It may cause more stress if you take them away. She is getting aggressive over being a protective mom. Let her finish then you will need to start handling them to help her understand you are helping and giving them back so she gets comfortable

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sometimes the behavior of the mother is hard to understand and honestly, I can’t explain what Soska is doing. But what’s important is that she will still feed and care for this pup. I would advise you continue to keep putting her back in the box with Soska as much as you can. Hang in there and in about a week, it will be time to start offering canned puppy food anyways and they will be better able to regulate their own temperature. Best of luck to you, Soska, and the pups!

I would make sure she has a large enough space that they aren’t cramped. If the space is large and she has still suffocated them then yes you can separate her if she will tolerate this. Some dams will not tolerate being away from their young. I would let her be with the puppies supervised every hour to allow them to nurse if they want and to allow her to clean them. Make sure the puppies have a towel to keep them warm when she isn’t there. I hope this helps!

Yes, the underlying reason may be to move them to a safe den but if it is always the same pup that she moves away from the others she may be sensing a problem with this particular pup which she may feel instinctively is a threat to the remaining pups

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is normal behavior for dogs. When there is that many puppies it’s hard to avoid them all. It will be ok, mama will move the puppies if needed. Congrats and kisses to Kimber and her pups!