My condolences on your momma dog, Rhonda! I know all too well the pain of that grief. But you don't have time to mourn now for there are 3 little lives depending on you. I had the same thing happen 11 weeks ago. My sweet Sadie left me 5 beautiful puppies to care for. The vet tried to save her too but it was not to be. I knew the danger but had fooled myself that she was so healthy it would never happen to us. It is a fact that birthing puppies for toy breeds is a dangerous risk! We need to take it seriously. But for now -- your job is to be the momma dog.
For the first 3 weeks you will not get much sleep at all. They will need fed every two hours for the first 2 weeks, then you can gradually go to 3 and 4 hours between feedings. I started with the Esbilac puppy milk replacement forumla. But upon advice from some of the more experienced breeders here, I switched to goat's milk -- mixed half/half with water that I boiled first. I used a syringe too with a nipple on the end. Make several tiny holes in the nipple with a hot needle. Then you can ensure each puppy gets enough to eat. I made sure the milk was just a little warmer than room temp, testing it on my wrist. They will get the idea of the nipple before too long and you won't have to use the syringe but still monitor how much each pup is taking in. Watch their little tummies pouch out to pear shape. I went by the feeding measurements on the formula -- Here is an example from online:
1st week 3.75 calories/ounce of body weight daily
2nd week 4.50 calories/ounce of body weight daily
3rd week 5.00 calories/ounce of body weight daily
4th week 5.50 calories/ounce of body weight daily
When you multiply it by the number of ounces of body weight -- then divide by the number of feedings per day.
The third week I started adding a little baby rice cereal with the milk. That helped lengthen the time between feedings and let me get a few hours of MUCH NEEDED sleep.
Make sure to keep them warm! They make a puppy heating pad. You can find it at petsmart. If they are out in the puppy department, look in the small animal department and they have them too. These do not get as hot as the ones sold for people and are safer. If you use a people pad, ensure it is on the low setting and well wrapped with blankets to ensure it doesn't come in contact with the puppy. Never leave them alone with the heating pad on as you need to always check in case of malfunction. It is really important to keep them warm. If they cry at the beginning it is usually because they are hungry or cold.
I had my vet check them when I was there fighting for my momma girl's life. Then I brought them in a few days later to have their tails and dew claws done so he checked them really well again. We weighed daily for awhile. Then I could see all were on track and I went to once a week or so.
You will have to stimulate them to pee and poop for the first few weeks. Take a damp cotton ball or gauze pad and gently wipe at their business ends. They will usually pee immediately when you wipe there, but the other takes a little more patience. But be sure they do both. They should pee each time you feed them and poop at least a couple times each day. They will probably do more.
I also did a lot of extra stroking/petting. Mother dogs are constantly licking and nosing their little ones. So I figured they needed a lot of touch.
I did have one fail to thrive for a short time, but I fed him almost hourly with just a few drops, rubbed Nutrical for Puppies on his gums when he seemed to get lethargic, and held him close to me to sleep. He finally kicked in and started eating and caught up with the others. The vet had not thought we would save him but I was determined. I felt I had let my Sadie down and at least owed it to her to do everything possible to save the puppies. With blessings from above, they all made it! They get another set of shots tomorrow (I have split mine up so they don't have to get so much at one time) and then the vet will sign their Health Certificate. That is going to be so sad for me because it means they can go to their new homes. I wish I could keep everyone of them. You will bond so firmly with your little ones, I am sure you will feel the same way. They are the most amazing puppies. I guess because of all the extra human contact and actually getting fed and newborn care from a human, they think they are ours in every way. Talk about loving little ones! They are going to be a true joy!
Please PM me if you would like my phone number. I would be glad to answer anything that comes up. This is all so fresh in my mind. I learned as I went and got lots of help from members here. I would be glad to help, or just talk. It is going to be a lot of work -- but so rewarding! Best wishes to you and the puppies. I am sending a prayer up for you all! |