YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community - View Single Post - 3 day old puppies; questions about the dam.

bjh · 11-21-2009, 08:04 AM

1) Sometimes the dam would lie next to her puppies and whine/wiff at me while looking. What is she trying to tell me?
She is probably just wanting reassurance and love.

2) Is it okay that the mother would want to leave her nest to sleep somewhere else? She does run back to her nest once the puppies start crying but it worries me.
This is common. Usually after the first few days the mom will leave the pups for brief periods. As the pups get older the mom will start spending more time away.

3) If the mother is in a squatting position above the puppies, does it mean she's trying to nurse the puppies? Sometimes the dam would look at me and whine after doing this.
Some females will squat over the pup to let them nurse but also to keep them warm. If the pups are huddled together in a big pile that usually indicates they are a little cold, you might need to increase the room temperature just a little. Her whining might be an indication that she is just torn between you and her pups. New mommas that are spoiled and use to being with their human mommies all the time sometimes have a hard time dealing with being away from their human mommies. I like to pick up the new mommas and give them lots of hugs when they are caring for their babies.

4) Her breasts seem to be bigger than before. I assume this is because milk is developing. After a puppy nurses from that teat, should it become smaller? I do squeeze the teat a bit to check the teat has been nursed and it does squirt a bit of milk like a pimple [there's no pus, just milk]. Is this a good sign?
Please watch the breasts closely. If they start getting hard or lumpy then that is a sign of mastitis and she would need antibiotics if she develops that. A dog that has mastitis will not necessarily have pus in the milk. I have heard of breasts rupturing and pus pouring out the sides of the breasts.

5) Very often, the dam would want to move away from the puppies and lay on my lap for awhile. How long should a dam be away from her puppies?
The pups are probably nursing about every two hours. As long as the pups are warm and not crying the mom will know when it is time to nurse them again.

11-21-2009, 08:04 AM	#3
bjh Donating YT 5000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Southeast Texas Posts: 7,959	1) Sometimes the dam would lie next to her puppies and whine/wiff at me while looking. What is she trying to tell me? She is probably just wanting reassurance and love. 2) Is it okay that the mother would want to leave her nest to sleep somewhere else? She does run back to her nest once the puppies start crying but it worries me. This is common. Usually after the first few days the mom will leave the pups for brief periods. As the pups get older the mom will start spending more time away. 3) If the mother is in a squatting position above the puppies, does it mean she's trying to nurse the puppies? Sometimes the dam would look at me and whine after doing this. Some females will squat over the pup to let them nurse but also to keep them warm. If the pups are huddled together in a big pile that usually indicates they are a little cold, you might need to increase the room temperature just a little. Her whining might be an indication that she is just torn between you and her pups. New mommas that are spoiled and use to being with their human mommies all the time sometimes have a hard time dealing with being away from their human mommies. I like to pick up the new mommas and give them lots of hugs when they are caring for their babies. 4) Her breasts seem to be bigger than before. I assume this is because milk is developing. After a puppy nurses from that teat, should it become smaller? I do squeeze the teat a bit to check the teat has been nursed and it does squirt a bit of milk like a pimple [there's no pus, just milk]. Is this a good sign? Please watch the breasts closely. If they start getting hard or lumpy then that is a sign of mastitis and she would need antibiotics if she develops that. A dog that has mastitis will not necessarily have pus in the milk. I have heard of breasts rupturing and pus pouring out the sides of the breasts. 5) Very often, the dam would want to move away from the puppies and lay on my lap for awhile. How long should a dam be away from her puppies? The pups are probably nursing about every two hours. As long as the pups are warm and not crying the mom will know when it is time to nurse them again. Last edited by bjh; 11-21-2009 at 08:05 AM.