My newborn puppy won't nurse, is losing weight, and seems weak. Help!

I would be concerned that there is a functional issue such as a cleft palate or other problem that is preventing him from being able to suckle, or that may be causing him discomfort. If he is losing weight, unable to suckle and has the symptoms of pneumonia, then it is best to seek out veterinary care immediately as dehydration and lack of nutrition can quickly kill a puppy. Once he has been checked out by a vet, you can return to trying to bottle feed him. Keeping him on his belly may help with aspiration if he has a hard time, however your vet can recommend additional options depending on their exam. Most puppy formulations will also have feeding instructions on the can so you know how much to give and how often (usually every few hours until they are older, and then decreasing as they transition to food around 4-6 weeks of age.)

I'm so sorry to hear about your pup. First step is to warm him up. A Heating pad set on low with the cloth cover on will work. Other types of warm packs are ok too as long as there is a towel/cloth between the heat source and the pup. Keep heating until a rectal temp of 99 is achieved. Meanwhile, rub a small amount of white karo syrup or honey on his gums to help with low blood sugar. Between these two things he will hopefully perk up within 10-20 minutes enough to take the bottle/teat. Then feed as often as he cries. DO NOT try to syringe or force food until you are sure he is swallowing well as this can cause pneumonia if he accidentally inhales a little. Side note: I know it's silly, but be sure that you have poked a hole in the nipple of the bottle (many come with no opening which is weird). Sometimes, despite these efforts, a puppy will not respond and you will need to see the emergency vet for IV bloodsugar and fluids, etc. Even then, we sometimes cannot save them and they do pass. Many times these are the runts of the liver or we suspect there is something else going on (born with a congenital organ problem). Hope this helps and best of luck to you and the baby!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that your puppy is not eating well and seems ill. Puppies need to feed approximately ever 2 hours when they are first born; if they don't, they can become dehydrated and also get dangerously low blood sugar levels. If the puppy is not feeding well and seems to not be thriving, I recommend bringing the puppy to your local veterinarian as soon as you can. Puppies can rapidly decompensate and even pass on their own when they aren't thriving. Bottle feeding is not the safest option for feeding puppies, as they can accidentally aspirate the milk into their lungs and develop fatal pneumonia. The safest way to feed newborn puppies is tube feeding, where you pass a feeding tube down into their stomach and directly deliver the food. This should be demonstrated by a veterinarian so you can do it safely. I hope this is helpful!

There could be several reasons for that, the most likely being that their mother may not have enough milk. You may have to supplement them with puppy milk and bottle feed them in addition to mummy taking care of them. It is also a good idea to take mum and the litter to the vet for an exam to rule out fading puppy syndrome, which can be a cause for the puppies not thriving.

You will need to bottle feed or tube feed the puppy if she is not nursing from the mom enough. You also want to weigh the puppy every day to make sure is getting enough milk to grow. She does not need medications, she needs milk. Puppy milk replacer (not just cow or goat milk) will have all of the necessary vitamins, protein, fat, and sugar that her body needs.

If the mom is not producing enough milk then you need to supplement and bottle feed them with a puppy milk replacer. You should also be weighing them daily to monitor their weight gain. If the puppies continue to have problems then they should be examined by a vet to determine the cause.

Have him examined by a veterinarian. A stool sample should be rechecked for intestinal parasites or bacterial overgrowth. Puppies typically require multiple deworming to clear parasites. Malabsorption or maldigestion issues should also be ruled out. Review the vaccination history with the veterinarian to confirm Brownie is adequately protected against illness.