New mother dog not eating and weak after giving birth. What to do?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Bella! I think you need to bring her in to your vet again and have her rechecked. I specifically would ask them to check her calcium levels. Low calcium can manifest as very bizarre behavior and can be life threatening if not treated. If it isn't low calcium and she isn't better, it is still best to have her looked at again. Sometimes it can take some time for first time Mother's to accept their babies. Just keep putting her in the whelping box and allow the baby to nurse. I hope this helps and I wish you the best!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bella. I recommend that she sees a veterinarian. You are correct that she is very thin. Some dogs can develop low blood calcium due to the large amount of milk require to feed growing pups. This typically occurs within the first three weeks of delivery. Her veterinarian may recommend bloodwork and even an x-ray to ensure that all pups have been delivered. In the meantime, feed her free choice water and a high quality puppy food to help her gain weight and maintain milk production. I would stop giving her tea a well. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite and weakness can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Marina evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

No, I would not recommend waiting another 6 days and would schedule an emergency appointment for her immediately. Severe weakness is never a good sign and can indicate severe fever, blood loss, infection or low blood sugar or calcium, all of which can be life threatening.

I would take her to the vet for an examination because she sounds very unwell and there coukd be a medical reason why she isnt bonding with the pups. You shouldnt force her to feed them whilst you dont know what is wrong as it could make her sicker. Common problems in bitches after whelping are mastitis in the teats, metritis in the womb, hypocalcemia or electrolyte imbalances. I would get her to a vet as soon as you can.

I am concerned that Bella won't stand up, and while dogs will spend lots of time with newborn puppies, she should leave to at least go to the bathroom. To be safe, I'd have her and her puppies checked out by a vet now. Best of luck.

I am very sorry to hear that you are experiencing these issues with Gretal. There are many conditions which can affect the recently postpartum female dog including exhaustion, infection, trauma, hypoglycaemia, severe blood loss causing anemia, and mastitis. Watch for collapse, lethargy, pale gums, dry gums, vomiting, diarrhoea, Loss of blood, complete loss of appetite or the signs of mastitis. Mastitis is a bacterial infection of one, or sometimes more then one, of the milk producing glands in the breasts. Other clinical signs would be; Swelling Firm Warm Discharge (other then milk) painful to the touch Loss of appetite Lethargy Neglect of puppies If you notice any of the above clinical signs, or suspect that Gretal could have mastitis, based on the above clinical signs I would suggest that you take her to see a veterinarian. The vet will be able to prescribe an antibiotics antiinflamatory medications and pain relief. In the meantime you can apply a cool compress to the affected area. Do not attempt any over the counter medications or ointments as they may cause pain or delay healing. It is fine for Gretal to eat only wet food as this will rehydrate her. Low sodium broth should be used. Try a bland diet of boiled boneless chicken breast and steamed white rice. The broth that the chicken is cooked with can be added to her food for extra hydration. I hope this was helpful and more importantly that Gretal starts to feel better soon.