Newborn puppy not gaining as much weight

[SamanthaKim]

I got a little girl a while ago that was supposedly spayed by her previous owner..turns out she wasn't, but she was, in fact, pregnant instead. I've taken her to the vet since ive gotten her and no one told me she was pregnant! I called her last owner who said she tied once with her little yorkie boy..Anyways she gave birth to a pup while lying on my lap, and I was completely unprepared/shocked/scared she was going to die (lol)...which means for the whole time she was pregnant, she wasn't getting puppy food or anything extra that she was supposed to ): she didn't even look big. I've had no sleep and have been missing several classes to be with the pups because I'm afraid she will squash one (that happens, right?)!

So now, I have four pups, and I'm worried because it doesn't seem like she is producing enough milk (probably because she wasn't fed right ): )..I try gently pinching her nipples and barely any will come out. They will be nursing and crying at the same time sometimes, so I assume it's cause nothing is coming out? I'm also worried because all of the pups except one seems to be gaining weight. I've been weighing them everyday since I purchased a scale..here's their progress:

Day 1 @ the vets
Alpha: 98 grams
Beta: 108 g
Gamma: 81g
Delta: 124 g

Day 2: I didn't have a scale yet ):

Day 3
Alpha: 131 g
Beta: 149 g
Gamma: 91 g
Delta: 173 g

Day four:
Alpha: 153 g
Beta: 173 g
Gamma: 95 g
Delta: 193 g

What do you guys think? So gamma has barely gained 10 grams while his brothers all have gained lots. Is this a red flag? He does nurse, I see him, and i do try to latch him on every two hours when I'm home..he just will not nurse for as long as the others. He and all the others look pear shaped when looking at then from the top (they look like they have major love handles) and he does have a round belly when hes on his back. He doesnt cry unless mom is far away. He crawls around a lot and seems active. Oh, and delta eats soo much that he will have milk coming out of his nose..I googled that and Ive read that it would be dangerous if he was being force fed, but he is doing it on his own...should I stop him from eating all the time?

Mom is eating puppy food, and the vet prescribed pet tabs and some calcium pills to be taken daily. I gave her some cottage cheese because i heard that helps her produce more milk? What can I do to help her produce more milk/ help Gamma gain weight? Also, I can't miss any more classes, especially my labs which are four hours long each, so I'm willing to hire someone trustworthy to come watch the pups while I'm away..any ideas on where to find one in orange county?

Thanks for reading this (: and yes, she will definitely be spayed ASAP. I cannot do this again lol...way too much work and money..and my poor little girl ):

[dawn27]

Wow you certainly have your hands full. I think having someone come in while you are out may actually cause more harm than good. Unless it is someone that your girl already knows and is formularized with. She should not have any added stress on her while caring for the pups.

While I have never had this problem with my girls or their pups the only think that I might suggest is to have a few one on one nursing section with gamma and mamma' several times a day. Plus continue feeding mamma' the puppy food and make sure she is eating at least four times a day even more if she wants.

If all fails and Gamma is not gaining weight. You may need to do some supplement feeding with an over the counter puppy milk supplement or with a home recipe.

[xxmxaxrxyxx]

as long as the little one is gaining and not losing i wouldn't be so worried since she is the smallest and seems to be gaining little by little...just watch out for her and also maybe try giving her some alone time with mom to give her an opportunity to nurse a little longer before the bigger ones come in. keep us posted...and we would love to see some pictures.

[jphotography]

We have proteine tins from the Vet called Hills AD I give it to my females when they deliver, it helps them recover and helps with the milk. Some people told me one teaspoon of raw fatty minced meat is also good for milk production

[SamanthaKim]

Thanks for the advice everybody!

Dawn, you're probably right..she is super sensitive to visitors right now and barks at every little noise..she doesn't like us touching her pups without her there (:

Mary -- I'll continue to weigh him (: Right now he's 98g. Attaching a picture of my little girl and her babies in this post

JP -- Thanks, I'll ask the vet about that!

They really like being right on top of each other, and in between her legs especially lol.

[SamanthaKim]

Woops forgot to hit attach!

[dawn27]

Oh my simply adorable !!

Do you plan to have their dew claws removed and tails docked?
If so, it should be done 3-4 days after birth.

[SamanthaKim]

Hi!
I'm actually outside the vet waiting for them to finish docking their tails and removing their dew claws (: these puppies sure burn a hole in your pocket! they are barely 5 days old, but the vet said as long as it doesnt past five days ): I went yesterday but they wouldn't take us because they were too busy ): The vet said that at five weeks they should get a temporary vaccine...do you think its necessary or should we wait until 8 weeks to get their first shots?

I weighed Gamma before taking him in and he's 105g now (:

[MikaTallulah]

He is gaining weight though . My Roxy was the runt but she is 100% healthy now and full for herself. I did supplement her during weaning- She still got to nurse from Cozy for longer than the others. I was going to keep Roxy anyways so it did not matter to me.

[SamanthaKim]

My vet said supplementing was really, really hard, and can cause momma to neglect puppy..is that true? Didnt seem to be the case with your doggie, huh? What kind of formula did you use?

Here are their weights for today..beta lose 3 grams ): I think he didn't get enough feeding time yesterday because I was focusing on gamma so much

Alpha: 166g
Beta: 170g -- I just put him on mom and now he's back to 173.. Hope he keeps gaining
Gamma: 105g
Delta: 207g

So much work!

[horsnaround]

Just wait in a few weeks they will be up and running. So much fun

[dawn27]

Originally Posted by SamanthaKim

Hi!
I'm actually outside the vet waiting for them to finish docking their tails and removing their dew claws (: these puppies sure burn a hole in your pocket! they are barely 5 days old, but the vet said as long as it doesnt past five days ): I went yesterday but they wouldn't take us because they were too busy ): The vet said that at five weeks they should get a temporary vaccine...do you think its necessary or should we wait until 8 weeks to get their first shots?

Every vet does things differently. There have been many debates on YT on when to start vaccinations. So as long as you trust your vet, you should follow their recemendations.

I weighed Gamma before taking him in and he's 105g now (:

Great News ! If you take to much time to worry about the little things your going to drive yourself nuts. The runts are usually a bit smaller than the rest of the litter because they tend you get shoves out of the way during nursing. But soon catch up with the rest. In no time at all you wont be able to tel much difference between them.

[dbeach]

Originally Posted by SamanthaKim

Hi!
I'm actually outside the vet waiting for them to finish docking their tails and removing their dew claws (: these puppies sure burn a hole in your pocket! they are barely 5 days old, but the vet said as long as it doesnt past five days ): I went yesterday but they wouldn't take us because they were too busy ): The vet said that at five weeks they should get a temporary vaccine...do you think its necessary or should we wait until 8 weeks to get their first shots?

I weighed Gamma before taking him in and he's 105g now (:

I don't vaccinate until 8 weeks. They do get worming medication (in accordance with their weight) when they are 2 wks. and again at 4 wks.). I don't let any other outside people or animals to come in contact with them either before they get their first shots.

[SamanthaKim]

Originally Posted by dbeach

I don't vaccinate until 8 weeks. They do get worming medication (in accordance with their weight) when they are 2 wks. and again at 4 wks.). I don't let any other outside people or animals to come in contact with them either before they get their first shots.

Thanks! I was just wondering when they get their first deworming (:

[luckylady]

Hi, your surprise puppies look beautiful & healthy. How are they all doing now? The mama's rich milk doesn't come in for a few days after birth; at first it is just colostrum. I'll bet she's got plenty of milk by now. Watch the mama closely too; make sure she gets plenty to eat, basically as much and as often as she wants. I usually leave kibble with my moms 24/7 while they are nursing. You can also give her calcium tablets (Healthy Bones on Revival website) and/or there is a whelping pudding recipe sticky here on YT. I usually use that too.
Good luck with your babies.......what a wonderful surprise they are!!!