Can a mom dog reject or harm puppies after 2 days of separation?

I think that the puppy would likely be best left with mom - unless she is actively rejecting him away from her, or showing any agression when he tries to nurse. Give him the best chance by helping him get attached to the nipple to nurse. You can supplement with a bottle, but he will grow best from his moms milk. Also make sure she has a calm quiet place to nurse and care for her pups - if she feels threatened or you are interferring too much she is more likely to reject the puppies. Using pheromones like ADAPTIL can help calm her and the pups and make nursing more successful. Very rarely and for reasons we dont always understand, some bitches will attack their pups. This can be hard to predict or prevent. Be guided by her interactions with the puppy and intervene if she seems cold or aggressive when the pup tries to nurse from her. Best of luck with your litter.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Some mom dogs are just not good mom dogs. In the circumstances where the mother dog won't feed the puppies you can either try to make Bella lie down and attach the puppies to her nipples (check first that she is producing milk), or if she is refusing the puppies all together you will need to feed and nurse them yourself with a bottle. This involves bottle feeding a puppy replacer (not just milk or 'puppy milk') as well as wiping their penis/vagina and anus so that they will pee and poop. I recommend a visit with the vet for both mom and babies to make sure Bella isn't sick, and to check on the puppies and be shown how to properly bottle feed. Best of luck with Bella and the puppies!

Hello. This is not always a clear cut answer. Some mothers are very accepting of their pups after a C-section. Some mothers do not seem to recognize the litter as theirs. There is definitely a bonding process that accompanies a natural birth. This can be missing with a C-section. Do watch her activity closely for the next day or so & intervene if necessary. I assume you are feeding the pups yourself, but there is always a possibility her maternal instincts will kick in. Otherwise, you may need to raise the litter on your own. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’ve seen it take up to a week for a new Mom to accept the puppies. Just calmly encourage her to lay with them. You can take a warm soft cloth after the feedings and stimulate them to urinate and defecate. And gently wipe them down two times per day until she starts doing it. If she never accepts the puppies I wouldn’t breed her again. I hope this helps! Good luck!

Let her have her freedom to decide when she wants to be with her puppies and when not. She needs to go feed them several times a day and probably wants (or should) be with them at night. But during the day some dogs will just go to their puppies to feed them and stay away otherwise. Make sure she has access to them all the time, but do not force her to be with her babies.

Hello. Yes, this is fine. Unfortunately, not all dogs make good mothers, so if splitting up the litter makes it easier on the people that have to care for the puppies, then I think this is a good plan. When the puppies are a little older & getting close to weaning age around 3-4 weeks old, you can put them together, if you want. Otherwise, there will be no problems keeping them separated. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I would not leave the puppy with her unattended. You will need to let the puppy suckle every two hours under supervision. If she eats her puppies, it may be a good idea not to breed her again, as "bad" mother instincts can be hereditary.