My 12-week-old puppies are healthy, but I never see their poop. Is this normal?

Mom kicks them to stimulate then to go and invest all urine and fecal material. You generally won’t see it until they get a little older or she backs off taking care of them. If they are eating and growing then she is doing a good job and I would not worry

The stool is usually a little soft and can even be yellowish brown. The dam's mammary glands should feel full but not hard, hot or painful. If you notice anything abnormal, I would have your vet take a look at it. I do not recommend to wait too long as the puppies and mother need to stay healthy to maximize growth and prevent further issues. I hope this helps.

It sounds like the smaller puppy may have ‘failure to thrive’. This is especially common with puppies from large litters and not surprising since the mother dog is refusing to feed them. It sounds like the bigger pup is doing great and you don’t need to worry about him at all. You should get a small scale (like a gram scale) so you can weigh the smaller pup everyday to ensure she is gaining weight. It is a little early but you could try to start introducing puppy food her as well. You can mix the canned food with milk replacer or moisten kibble with the milk replacer and see if she prefers this. If she is not eating much it makes sense that she is not pooping as frequently. Continue to stimulate her to defecate several times a day. You should also have the puppies dewormed at this age as well. If the puppy continues to refuse food after trying the above suggestions, you may need to take her to the vet to be examined. Your vet can also instruct you on how to safely syringe feed (or possibly tube feed) the puppy to ensure she is getting proper nutrition. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

It sounds like Aurora just wants to be a good mom! I would discourage her at this point. It should be easy for you to clean up after the puppy now. Make sure to deworm both mom and pup with something for round worms and hook worms. Good luck and kisses to Aurora and her baby!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is not necessarily concerning as it is not likely going to hurt her to eat her own poop though it would be more concerning if she was to get into other things around the house or outside which may result in an obstruction. Most 1 month old puppies sleep a lot so that is not necessarily the concern. Avoid her eating random objects around the house or outside and discourage her from eating her own feces for hygiene purposes. Best of luck!

Digestive disturbances are common after birth but 2days is unusual for a nursing mother although some are very reluctant to leave pups to relieve themselves. I recommend taking her out on the lead for at least 15mins and monitor closely for any straining or discomfort

This can be normal, and it can be common to see a bit of mucous at the end of the poop. I'd only be concerned if there is blood as well in Luna's poop, she's having diarrhea, and/or vomiting. I hope this helps!