Why is my nursing chihuahua twitching after having puppies?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Cookienear! Cookie needs to go to a vet immediately and be evaluated for hypocalcemia, which is low calcium. This is a serious condition after giving birth in some dogs. Once the diagnosis is conformed the Vet will give Cookie an injection to raise her calcium and prescribe medications. I hope this helps and i wish Cookiebear the best!

Poor pup. Muscle twitches in a pet so young can be caused by a toxin ingestion, a metabolic imbalance (i.e. Low calcium), an underlining neurological disorder, or it can just be a sign of pain somewhere in the body. If the muscle twitches are happening for more than a few hours then it is best to take Chevy to you nearest veterinarian for a complete neurological examination so that he receives the appropriate treatment. At the very least they can give him muscle relaxers to help with his symptoms and then any pain medication he may need. I hope your puppy gets well soon. Best wishes and good luck at the vet.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! During nursing, Jewels' body is using up a lot of calcium storage to help create milk for the nursing puppies. Consequently, this usage of calcium in her body can cause her levels to drop rapidly and cause her to go into a hypocalcemic state known as eclampsia. This can rapidly progress if not addressed right away to full on convulsions. I would recommend taking her to the veterinarian and having her calcium levels tested to see if she is in need of supplementation or not. There may be a different cause but with her feeding the puppies, this is high up on my list. She could also be cold or anxious. Regardless of the proposed cause, it would be best to have a veterinarian take a look at her sooner rather than later. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello, and thank you for using Pet Coach. I am sorry to hear about Charlene, and I too am very worried. From her history, I would recommend that Charlene get checked out by a vet immediately. Since she is not yet nursing, it is unlikely that she is low in blood calcium (what causes milk fever), but it is still possible. There could be other causes for her odd behavior, including infection or other electrolyte abnormalities. After being examined by the vet, they will likely recommend bloodwork to see what is going on internally. You should also discuss with the vet if Charlene is on the appropriate dog food and nutritional supplements for her stage of pregnancy knowing her history of hypocalcemia. Dogs with a history of milk fever are prone to having it with each litter and you will need to be very vigilant once the puppies are born.

Muscles twitches can be caused by weakness or neurological problems affecting long nerves which are supplying legs and peripheral muscles in general. Unfortunately without having a look at her it is really difficult to be able to provide a more specific advice. Given her young age an infective or congenital cause is possible and I would strongly recommend a check up to be able to understand and investigate this sign. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

It could be a muscle spasm caused by a sprain/strain, neurological disorder, etc. If it continues, have your vet take a look at her to determine if treatment is needed. She may need an anti-inflammatory to treat the problem.

She needs to continue to eat puppy food which is high in calories and will help keep her from becoming hypocalcemic. She should not need supplemental calcium unless the vet has currently diagnosed her with hypocalcemia. She may be shaking because she is in discomfort from her recent labor. Keep an eye on her for the next 24 hrs and if the shaking continues you may want to give the calcium you got from your vet the last time she had an episode just to hold her over until she can be seen to make sure low calcium is truly the issue here. A simple blood test should be able to sort things out. I hope everything works out well for your pet Snow. Best wishes and take care.