My newborn puppy is weak, cold, and won't feed from mom or bottle.

These pups will need to be given supplemental heat through a heating pad. They will also need to be bottle fed with a milk replacement supplement. Everything you need should be able available to you through most pet stores or big-box stores. Newborn puppies will require bottle feeding up to every 2-3 hours for the first week or so of their life if they make it. Sometimes, the mother will reject the puppies if she senses they are sick in some way as well. Also, important to note that some puppies just fail to thrive and it isn't the fault of the mother or the person who is trying to care for them. Give it your best shot and best of luck!

You can try supplemental feeding with dog milk replacer and keep him warm and next to the mother and others if possible. Sometimes there is an underlying medical problem with the runt and in spite of your best efforts they do not survive. Dogs and other animals have litters with several pups because there is often one or two that don’t live. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Lucky.

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!

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 am so sorry to hear that one of the puppies doesn't seem to be thriving early on. This is very common unfortunately and it is called fading puppy syndrome, which is caused by a genetic defect with the puppy. You can try bottle feeding the puppy, keeping her warm, and get her checked to make sure she doesn't have a bacterial infection that needs to be treated for, but the chances of survival in cases like this are low. You can also try offering her small amounts of Karo syrup to keep her blood sugar levels up. But before all of that, check the roof of her mouth for an cleft palate defects, since that is a common cause for the symptoms you have described. I do hope that she does turn around, and do your best to help her. Take care.

Considering the puppy is losing weight and failing to thrive, I would bring him into your local vet for an exam to check for any physical deformities that may be affecting his ability to nurse properly and eat, and for any potential illnesses or issues that could be causing him to not do as well. If he is able to eat with a bottle, I'd also recommend increasing his feedings if he still seems hungry, to try and keep weight on him and get him back up to speed.

You are right that mothers often have a sense that one of their offspring is not well and will push them aside. Puppies do tend to sleep long periods, so the lack of noise is not too concerning. It is a big concern when their temperature drops though. Good that you have the heat pad. Also, you should keep him covered or provide a heat lamp. You can also warm up water and put it in some bags. Place the warm bags around the puppy. It is imperative that they get mother's milk at this age. A formulated milk replacer for dogs is good when mom is not available, but is no substitute. You may have to put the puppy on to mom in order to make sure she drinks enough. Puppies have to feed frequently, so you will need to do this every four hours (day and night) until mom stops kicking him away or the puppy is at least 4 weeks old. However, sometimes puppies (especially pure breeds) are born with conditions that they cannot recover from. In nature, it is normal for a mom to lose all but two or three pups. Sometimes they lose the whole litter. I'm not trying to scare you, but just letting you know that it's not your fault if he does not make it. For the best outcome, you should bring mom and the puppies to the vet for an exam. They may be able to find out what is wrong with the puppy and advise treatment and critical care. I hope that helps and you get the little guy better.