Weaning--Is it a critical time?

[scrapindee]

I have been researching a syndrome(?) called Weaning Depression. Allegedly this happens to puppies when they are being weaned onto puppy food. I have been told by a breeder that it can result in sudden death of a puppy.

So what I am asking here is: Have any of you ever lost a puppy during the weaning process? How many--I am trying to see if this is common. Was a necropsy performed to rule out other ailments? What breed of dog, if not a toy breed.

Thanks in advance.

[chattiesmom]

I have never lost a puppy due to weaning. And my pups have never been depressed. I start offering a high quality puppy kibble mush at about 3 weeks. At this point, mom usually eats most of it, but the pups are learning ques about eating from her. As the pups mature they naturally start eating and the mom naturally loses interest in nursing. By the pups are ready to leave home at 12 - 14 weeks, the pups have forgotten about nursing and there has been no stress on mom or pups. No engorged and sore mammary glands and no unhappy pups.

I would like to add that.... if I EVER had a mom or pups that showed any distress I would step in and speed up the weaning process, but that hasn't happened. My bitches are good milkers and the pups we have produced thus far are good nursers and good eaters.

[wildcard]

Originally Posted by scrapindee

I have been researching a syndrome(?) called Weaning Depression. Allegedly this happens to puppies when they are being weaned onto puppy food. I have been told by a breeder that it can result in sudden death of a puppy.

So what I am asking here is: Have any of you ever lost a puppy during the weaning process? How many--I am trying to see if this is common. Was a necropsy performed to rule out other ailments? What breed of dog, if not a toy breed.

Thanks in advance.

I would think this is more of an issue with "force weaning" where pups are just removed from the dam with not much transition. I think in reality it is hypoglycemia. My Piper (a papillon) had a very tough transition while my breeder was trying to wean him and he did have hypoglycemic crashes at least twice that resulted in vet care. She has never had a problem with another puppy, and I have never had any trouble with any of my puppies during weaning (including Piper kids ; ) Knowing Piper, he can be a bit stubborn and I can imagine that he may have decided that he liked mom's milk and that that was all he was going to eat, ever, his whole life, period. When Piper likes something, he REALLY likes it lol.

My moms for the most part have been very good at making the decision about when and how to wean and I just keep an eye on things and make sure everybody starts eating their mash around 3.5 weeks and then transition to kibble from there, while they are also still nursing until Mom calls it off around 10 weeks.

[Sugar's Mom]

i am more concerned about hypoglycemia and making sure the little ones are getting enough nourishment during weaning than depression. To me, that is critical. i just fret and worry over them eating enough!! I probably watch my pups closer at this time than any other time.

[scrapindee]

I too watch very closely at weaning time.

But this appears to happen on a regular basis at this home. 3 puppies died last week-- only 2 were from the same bitch.

[LunasMomma]

I'm certainly no expert, and not a breeder, but had to chime in here Common sense and deduction leads me to believe that it's not "depression", but hypoglycemia.

[kathy785]

Dee didn't Gumdrop have some diffeculty with this? I haven't had any die from this, but I have had puppies quite eating, and yes you have to make sure they are forced to eat. Mine have usually occured around 8 weeks of age, some are still nursing, some not, depends on their mother. A few of us are wondering if the vaccinations have something to do with this?

[my2boyz]

May I ask if any of these mothers have ever had any hypoglycemia episodes or issues? Did they have any as puppies or while pregnant?

[scrapindee]

Originally Posted by kathy785

Dee didn't Gumdrop have some diffeculty with this? I haven't had any die from this, but I have had puppies quite eating, and yes you have to make sure they are forced to eat. Mine have usually occured around 8 weeks of age, some are still nursing, some not, depends on their mother. A few of us are wondering if the vaccinations have something to do with this?

Gumdrop had no problems with hypoglycemia. Nor has any of my puppies. Gumdrop had some problems at birth but moved past them after a few days of extra attention.

We have not lost any puppies here. All adults in my home are tested before breeding. Maybe repeat breedings of the studs in many households with several different bitches is the problem.

[kathy785]

Oh, sorry then I thought she had some type of problem even after littermates had left because of her small size.
Funny about the repeat breedings, I remember Itzi tying with one girl like 10 times, Cruiser and even your neutered boy got in on the act and tied with the girl too. I think the last litter of Beauty's you were "hoping" that they would be Itzi's once the DNA was back. I just ran across that email the other night when I was cleaning out my inbox on my computer.

[scrapindee]

Let me see Hannie, Rishona, Beauty, Angel, and Meri all were breeded by multiple sires multiple times.

Gumdrop had no additional problems except for when your roofers stepped on her and caused injuries at your home.

My dogs are tested and not sent to multiple homes to breed without testing for stds. And then there was the multiple breedings of Murphty to the Maltese down the road...creating mutts....was any dog tested.

[scrapindee]

How many dogs have died in your home this year???

[kathy785]

Sorry to all the YTers that this doesn't involve.

Dee, I have answered these questions for you before on other places, so I know you know the answers. I have two males, we all live in the house together. Hanny had only one boy breed her the last two times. Rishona had only Murphy, until my husband unknowingly let Tobi and her out together, Meri and Angel had the boys squeezing through a gate that they had never gone through before. Beauty ended up with two partners because of errors here too, but she had three at your house.

I have had three puppies die this year. I have been very open about it. Anyone that has been breeding for more than 4 years is going to have puppies die. Total in all the years of breeding I have only had 5 puppies die in 8-9 years of breeding. All of the deaths have been with tiny puppies that were probably too small to survive anyway, except for Angel's two babies with hepatic lipidosis.

Every female that was bred to my males has been tested, unless your Gabby was not when you had Murphy in CA. Yes, Murphy has a demand even from you. You are the only one that I trusted to not have to show me proof before he was studded out. Believe me the trust has ceased since you have not kept your word, whether it is in an actual contract, verbal or even written in an email.

I had intended to stay off of here, but I have had emails and several calls today from people that have told me about your childish ways on this and other forums. These people told me that I need to go on and defend myself from your horrible attacks. I hope the others that you co-own your multitude of dogs with learn from what you are doing to me and get out now. Co-own should be a shared endeaver, not one person doing all of the work, not one where only the studs from one owner sire all of the litters for no compensation, not one where $30 per month is expected to cover expenses of 4 dogs and any puppies they have. Not one where the one co-owner sends any pictures and news to the other co-owner first before telling or posting it, but the other one has puppies born and sold before the other owner even knows anything about the litter.

I would have never attached myself to you if I would have known you are the type of person to send dogs in cargo because you said you would not pay the courier to take both dogs to you (two trips). That is putting money before the dog's welfare. I am here for the whelping bitches and I would expect the same of you, but again I was let down. I guess it is okay for you to be gone, but when your step mother wants to take a trip you have a fit.
You also expect me to haul your dogs all over Kansas on my own dime, when I am already getting nothing for stud services, even though the two contracts we do have say $250.
Dee go back in the emails. Things would have been different if you just would have agreed to two picks for the stud fees and puppy/dam care. You were the one that agreed (I have it in writing in an email) then changed your mind. That is when I told you I did not want to co-own with you anymore. There is no reason in the world that I had to have all 4 girls out here. You sent Beauty out here when she started being aggressive to your dogs. You expected her to act differently here? You acted surprised when I called her a bully. You did none of the work but yet you reaped 1/2 of the money. I hope you treat your step mother, Karen, Susan, Barb, and Sandi with a lot more dignity and respect than you have shown me.

You have know about the puppies dying for almost 2 weeks. Ringo and Hoover became totally mine two days ago. Then you post that you want their posts removed because of illness. Why wasn't the request sent in over a week ago. Why just after they are no longer yours?

I invite people to go to my blog. www.heavensentbiewer.net
Most of it is boring day to day stuff, but I do put things on there about the dogs including what I went through losing the three puppies. You have such a cold cold heart that you could attack a person that is continuing to grieve for these babies. Talking today on the phone to people that called about your posts I broke down amd croed several times when the puppies came up. I pour my heart and soul into each puppy and dog here. They are not just a commodity for me to post onto the forums to sell. I rarely post any of my puppies on any of the forums, in fact the only posting of puppies from here on forums in the last few months were ones that you posted.

[scrapindee]

When you stop holding dogs hostage I will address the issues. You chose a puppy and it died. This is not an issue to be discussed here. I suggest you go back to your blog.

Puppies are dieing in your home. You acknowledge that.

You are airing dirty laundry. When did your breed club approve of studing your dog to Maltese to create mixed puppies???????