There are many vets that are just not "expert" at working with small dogs. They work mostly with medium to large sized dogs. A little dog cannot tolerate the same types of treatment as even a 15 to 20 pound dog can. I was blessed to have a vet that was accustomed to working with Yorkies and knew enough to spread out the immunizations to the appropriate times for a puppy her size. While I had small dogs before Gracie she was a considerable bit smaller than even they were.
Your mother dog needs to dry up gradually but still have social interaction with the pups. They will stop regarding her as a meal source once they are getting enough food from what you provide them. They need fresh food at least 4 times a day with clean water available at all times. As I'm sure you know you are at the point where you will be providing a lot more care to the pups as mom is not going to do the cleaning up after puppies that are being weaned. It is a lot of work but it is a critical stage in their development. They may be able to survive away from the mom but they truly are still infants and need to stay in that environment until they are more physically and emotionally ready to face the huge change it is for them to go to their forever homes. |