A retained placenta is very dangerous. The vet can give her a shot of oxytocin to clean out the uterus. Can you feel any contractions at all that might expel it? I would probably take her in today and not wait until tomorrow to be safe. Hopefully, someone will advise if it's safe to wait until tomorrow to avoid an emergency vet bill on a Sunday.
1 tsp. of beer (preferably dark) will help the milk come in. Also the pups nursing will help. I don't think I would start supplementing right away, but would have the necessary items on hand. Yes, they need to be burped and also helped to urinate and defecate. If Mom is doing this by licking them, then you will need to simulate this with a warm wet paper towel.
How big is the Mom? How much do the babies weigh? You will probably need to monitoring nursing and let the 3 smallest nurse and then the other 4.
It is possible for her to reject the puppies, but most likely she'll be fine. Just stay and pet her and encourage her to stay with the puppies. Don't let the puppies get chilled. If Mom won't stay with them and provide body heat then put a heating pad on low under a towel or a couple of hot water bottles are probably a bit better since it's less likely to cause dehydration. |