Why is my mother dog rejecting one puppy after her C-section?

Unfortunately some dogs are poor mothers, and it's not normal that she bites them. The best thing to do is remove the puppies from Frickle to keep them safe, and you will have to bottle feed them yourself so they can survive. I will put a link below on how to raise newborn puppies, but please be aware that it is very time and labor intensive. You need to go out now and get some puppy formula. I recommend KMR, you can get it at a pet store or the grocery store. As for Frickle, I would have her spayed. When dogs are poor mothers, it's never recommend to breed them again, and she does not sound like a dog who should be bred again. http://www.2ndchance.info/orphanpuppy.htm

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!

I'm so sorry that one of your puppies has died! It does sound like Jacky isn't a good mother if she isn't feeding them or licking them, and that could be due to her young age. It's never recommended to breed a female dog on her first heat because she won't be emotionally or physically mature enough to care for them properly as you are seeing with Jacky. Some dogs are also just poor mothers naturally, and that could be the case as well with her. You are going to have to raise these puppies yourself if you want them to have the best chance to survive, but please keep in mind that newborn puppies are very fragile. Care for them is intensive and there may be other ones who don't make it. I will put a link below to a website detailing how to raise orphan puppies. As for Jacky, I would be quite concerned she would repeat this behavior with future litters, so I would recommend having her spayed before her next heat. When you see this behavior from a female dog, it's not recommend to have them have additional litters. http://www.2ndchance.info/orphanpuppy.htm

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.

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. 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.

Hello there! I'm sorry to hear about your runty puppy. If the mother won't feed him and you can't get him to nurse, it's unlikely that he's going to survive for very long. Sometimes, small or runty puppies have internal abnormalities that prevent them from being able to nurse properly, and these pups generally don't make it without aggressive care. I highly recommend that you bring this pup in to the vet first thing in the morning for evaluation and treatment - even if that treatment may mean humane euthanasia. Keep him warm and try to feed him warmed milk replacer at least every few hours. If he appears to be very lethargic or is having breathing difficulty, you may need to bring him to an emergency vet tonight. There is a 24-hour hospital near you - here is their information: Animal Emergency