Flat Chested Puppies A hot whelping box and plenty of milk can cause a puppy to become flat chested.
When they don't move around enough this common problem occurs.
If this happens, help the puppy to nurse on its side if at all possible and then separate it from the other pups and place it in a box with rolled up towels so there is no flat area to sleep.
If caught in time it will only take a day or 2 to go back to normal.
The occurrence of flat chest in puppies is not hereditary and the chest should become completely normal once they can walk.
Cleft Palate Puppy If you notice milk coming out the nose of a puppy or not staying latched onto mom, it may have a cleft palate.
Look inside on the roof of its mouth and if you see a hole.
If so, it has a cleft palate.
The first thing to do is take it to the vet to make sure it can be fixed, if it can then try to feed it with a bottle that you can squeeze formula into its mouth a little at a time, or ask the vet for a feeding tube.
Puppies that can still drink from a bottle often heal before they are 5 weeks old and never need surgery, but ones that need surgery will be your babies until at least 12-14 weeks of age as the older they are the better the vet can work on them.
Mom won't take care of her puppies! If mom doesn't lie down and feed her puppies, doesn't lick them or just flat doesn't like them you may have to take the puppies away from her and feed them yourself.
But first make sure you are giving her the privacy she needs.
I have seen a good mother that didn't feed her puppies because she didn't know how even after 4 litters! Why? It was because people always intruded and took care of her puppies for her.
People made sure the puppies got the nipples; they made sure she licked each one..
..
By the time she had her 5th litter she expected people to help her.
So make sure you are not causing her to dislike her puppies by intruding too much.
Puppies are dying If your new litter of puppies starts getting weak and one by one are dying, there are a few things to check for.
Are the pups warm enough? 80 degrees for newborns and 75 degrees for 4 day olds are just an estimation of what the temperature should be.
If the pups are laying one over the other but not on a pile it would seem like the temperature is good.
If they are spread way far apart you may have them too warm.
If the puppies are too cold don't try to feed them until their bodies have reached normal body temperature.
Does mom have bad milk? If you squeeze milk out of moms nipple is it white or brown? If it's brown there is a good chance she has bad milk and it made the puppies sick.
Give the remaining puppies clavamox/antibiotic immediately and feed them with a bottle.
When they don't move around enough this common problem occurs.
If this happens, help the puppy to nurse on its side if at all possible and then separate it from the other pups and place it in a box with rolled up towels so there is no flat area to sleep.
If caught in time it will only take a day or 2 to go back to normal.
The occurrence of flat chest in puppies is not hereditary and the chest should become completely normal once they can walk.
Cleft Palate Puppy If you notice milk coming out the nose of a puppy or not staying latched onto mom, it may have a cleft palate.
Look inside on the roof of its mouth and if you see a hole.
If so, it has a cleft palate.
The first thing to do is take it to the vet to make sure it can be fixed, if it can then try to feed it with a bottle that you can squeeze formula into its mouth a little at a time, or ask the vet for a feeding tube.
Puppies that can still drink from a bottle often heal before they are 5 weeks old and never need surgery, but ones that need surgery will be your babies until at least 12-14 weeks of age as the older they are the better the vet can work on them.
Mom won't take care of her puppies! If mom doesn't lie down and feed her puppies, doesn't lick them or just flat doesn't like them you may have to take the puppies away from her and feed them yourself.
But first make sure you are giving her the privacy she needs.
I have seen a good mother that didn't feed her puppies because she didn't know how even after 4 litters! Why? It was because people always intruded and took care of her puppies for her.
People made sure the puppies got the nipples; they made sure she licked each one..
..
By the time she had her 5th litter she expected people to help her.
So make sure you are not causing her to dislike her puppies by intruding too much.
Puppies are dying If your new litter of puppies starts getting weak and one by one are dying, there are a few things to check for.
Are the pups warm enough? 80 degrees for newborns and 75 degrees for 4 day olds are just an estimation of what the temperature should be.
If the pups are laying one over the other but not on a pile it would seem like the temperature is good.
If they are spread way far apart you may have them too warm.
If the puppies are too cold don't try to feed them until their bodies have reached normal body temperature.
Does mom have bad milk? If you squeeze milk out of moms nipple is it white or brown? If it's brown there is a good chance she has bad milk and it made the puppies sick.
Give the remaining puppies clavamox/antibiotic immediately and feed them with a bottle.