Why is my newborn puppy's nose leaking milk? Is it an emergency?

Yes, this can be dangerous as your puppy may aspirate some milk into the lungs and develop serious pneumonia as a result. Your puppy should be checked for cleft palate - sometimes a small cleft will not stop the puppy from feeding from the mum but at the same time some milk may get into the nose and lungs. I think you can check it yourself by looking at the roof of the puppy's mouth. If you are not sure how to do it, please take the puppy to your local vets.

If there is milk coming out of the nose while you are bottle feeding this puppy then yes, there is cause for concern. Puppies can be born with cleft palates, meaning that the soft palate (roof of the mouth) did not properly fuse. Penelope should be checked immediately by a vet to verify that the palate is intact, and if it isn't she should be fed via a tube to ensure that she isn't regurgitating the milk. Once she is a bit older, the palate can hopefully be fixed with surgery. I would have to say that clear discharge isn't normal either, and even if this isn't milk I would get it checked by a vet immediately to look for abnormalities in the palate and swallowing.

If he is being bottle fed, the flow of milk through the nipple may be too fast. This can cause milk to go into his nose. If he has any discharge from his nose, he may have a respiratory infection. To be safe, have Troy examined by a veterinarian. Any infection in a pup this young can be very serious.

Hello there, Unfortunately, this sounds like he may have aspirated milk which can quickly lead to pneumonia in a pup this young. I would monitor Carter and his temperature very carefully (99.5-102.0 is normal) for signs of infection which include lethargy, weakness, labored breathing, and decreased appetite. If this occurs, I'd recommend getting Carter to the closest emergency veterinarian as soon as possible. At his young age and size, he can become dehydrated and very ill very quickly. Here are links from a website I trust. The first is on hand rearing pups, the second is on pneumonia. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951456 https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952113 I hope this helps. I wish you and Carter the best of luck.

If you're bottle-feeding, you'll want to be sure to tilt her head up so that the nipple will go almost straight down. If you continue to see milk coming out of the nostrils, you'll want to go back into the doctors office for a recheck.

Inhalation of even a small amount of milk in a tiny little puppy like this can be deadly if treatment is not instituted right away. Aspiration pneumonia is one of the most common causes of death in bottle babies. If you are noting significant coughing / choking, I would also keep an eye out for increased respiratory noises. This would include wheezing and raspy hoarse noises. If you hear this, it would probably be a good idea to stop feeding until you get him to the vet. At that point, the doctor will decide if providing additional nutrition orally is worth the risk, versus injectable nutrition. Hope this is help.

Depending on the age of the puppy, sometimes their bowel movements need to be physically stimulated with rubbing and warm compresses on the belly. Constipation can also occur in these little guys due to generalized GI issues or dehydration. If you are seeing liquid coming out of the nose, this may be an indication that milk is being inhaled, or simply an indicator that some of it isn't getting all the way down into the belly. Make sure that when you are syringe feeding that Leo is mostly upright so that the chance of aspiration into the lungs is limited. This is particularly important in an animal that is already compromised by an upper respiratory infection. If you still are unable to get Leo to produce a bowel movement by the middle or end of today, he should be seen by the vet for some assistance. Hope this helps.