Mom ignores small puppy. Should I keep him with her or separate?

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.

It is best to keep the puppies away at this point so she does not keep doing that. You can start to bottle feed or lay her down and let them nurse under your direct supervision then take them away when they are done so she can’t hurt them

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.

This one likely has a medical condition that is keeping him from being as strong as the others. The best thing to do is have him evaluated by a vet. There may be something that can be corrected. It's very important for them to have the mother's milk, so the best thing you can do is remove the bigger ones every three hours (day and night) to allow the little one to suckle. You should also get some milk replacer for dogs at the pet store. There is feeding guidelines on the box. Sometimes mom may be dry, so if the pup is suckling for a long time (over 5 minutes), then he's likely not getting enough milk from mom and you should offer the milk replacer. Feeding can be reduced to every four hours when he is four weeks, and transitioning to puppy food can happen at six weeks. I hope that helps and the pup turns-out OK.

It can be hard to read their minds sometimes! Mom may feel like that individual pup is defective or not hers, hence the reason she keeps pushing it away. However, if the pup seems to be growing adequately, this isn't a concern. You may want to start weighing the puppy daily on a small kitchen scale to monitor its growth to make sure it is getting enough milk. Talk to your vet about how much it should gain per week. Smaller puppies (or "runts") can still grow into heathy adult dogs.

You are right that mothers often have a sense that one of their offspring is not well and will push them aside. Puppies do tend to sleep long periods, so the lack of noise is not too concerning. It is a big concern when their temperature drops though. Good that you have the heat pad. Also, you should keep him covered or provide a heat lamp. You can also warm up water and put it in some bags. Place the warm bags around the puppy. It is imperative that they get mother's milk at this age. A formulated milk replacer for dogs is good when mom is not available, but is no substitute. You may have to put the puppy on to mom in order to make sure she drinks enough. Puppies have to feed frequently, so you will need to do this every four hours (day and night) until mom stops kicking him away or the puppy is at least 4 weeks old. However, sometimes puppies (especially pure breeds) are born with conditions that they cannot recover from. In nature, it is normal for a mom to lose all but two or three pups. Sometimes they lose the whole litter. I'm not trying to scare you, but just letting you know that it's not your fault if he does not make it. For the best outcome, you should bring mom and the puppies to the vet for an exam. They may be able to find out what is wrong with the puppy and advise treatment and critical care. I hope that helps and you get the little guy better.

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!