UPDATE: On C-Section puppies
 

Mama is still acting like the babies are aliens. Won't stay near them if I am not holding her down and the babies must feel alienated because they won't try to nurse on her. I bottle fed them some goats milk last night, about 3 times and then I had to have some sleep. Mama wasn't having anything to do with them and I was afraid that they might get chilled so I put them in with the other new mama. The babies kept their distance while I watched but I have a heat lamp on them and that mama doesn't have a problem keeping them clean so I went to sleep. When I got up, I was afraid I'd find 3 dead puppies but they seem fine. I have not caught them nursing but this mama has 4 babies of her own so it is hard to see who is nursing and who is not but all 7 of the babies cuddle up to her. I take that as a good sign. Sylvia

I would make sure the 'new babies' get a chance alone at someone's teats. If you are going to allow the other to nurse those babies, take the real babies to away for a few minutes so the new babies can get a chance to get used to sucking. If the mom does end up nursing them all then make sure her diet is awesome, that's a lot of extra babies. You may find that the alien mom gets into it in a few days, maybe not, I would call the vet and see if they have suggestions about how to get her to bond with her babies better. It is a weird situation but thankfully you have another nursing mom that is into it right now! Keep us posted, this is interresting to me.:D

I'm not a breeder, but I have read here alot. I remember reading that if you force mom to nurse the puppies, that it releases the nurturing hormones and she'll naturally take to motherhood.

Are these two litters close in age? I have let some of my mommas help raise pups from other litters with no problem but you have to be sure the pups are nursing. I totally agree with Rosiegirl that you have to make sure these new pups are able to attach. Even if you have to supplement them I know it will be a great help to have a momma that can clean them and cuddle them. I pray the babies do well.

Well, I haven't put them to adoptive mom by themselves but they do crowd up under her. I just don't know if they are nursing or just getting warm and not being alone. Yes, I am giving adoptive mom much more food but I if real mom won't take them I will have to find something much healthier for her than just extra calories. I have thought about calling the vet and I will do that. I am just thinking they can't tell me anything I don't already know but there's always a chance they do. Thanks, Sylvia

Yes, but I am afraid to try to express any milk from her teats as the staples they used to close her incision are so close. I am afraid of hurting her and the babies don't seem interested, so I think I need to try to get the milk on the end of her teats. Sylvia

Yes, the other babies are only 3 days older. I also have a litter of Maltese babies that just opened their eyes and their mother seems very interested in these little ones when they cry. I think I am covered with adoptive mothers. LOL I am giving them goats milk but I am afraid that if I feed them too often they won't be hungry and won't try to nurse from a mama. Thank you for your prayers, they are very appreciated. Sylvia

If you have some other moms that will take them on then you would be much better off putting the pups with them. Nothing is better than mothers milk. You just have to make sure the pups are able to latch on.

i think you should really try to get the pups to nurse off their real mother to get the colostrum from her. some people put karo or nutrical or something like that on the nipples to get the pups to start nursing and they need to hold the mom in place to let the pups nurse. i'd do it just to get them the colostrum, if after a few time she still doesn't let them nurse and she doesn't take care of them then i'd let the other moms take care of them if they don't mind and everyone is happy and healthy

Yes, the colostrum has been a big concern for me but mama just won't be still even with me and my husband trying to hold her down and get the puppies to attach. We are afraid of hurting her or pulling out the staples. I am going to try the karo syrup and see how that goes. Thanks, Sylvia

My runt had a little trouble until I tried a drop of karo syrup on mom's teat, he was then able to latch on and has done fine ever since. You are lucky you have some extra mom's lying around.:rolleyes::D

I had to hold my mom down and make her nurse. After about 3 days insticts kicked in and she was a wonderful mom. I would not put them on another mom until last resort. I would be afraid the real mom would reject all together. I feed mine with a dropper until mom came around.

Lexie wouldnt have anything to do with the puppies after a c-section, the next day you couldn't pry her off them. I really think it was the drugs they gave her for the C-section. Good Luck sounds like your getting great advise.

Thank you!! She seems to be responding at last!!! 2 of the babies will nurse but I am still having to watch the third baby. What I did was to pull the Maltese babies out of the cage in their tote and put them in the floor, then I put these 3 babies in with them. I just let the mamas run around and get in and feed them if they felt like it. I still couldn't tell if the Yorkie babies were nursing but finally I had 2 of them nursing on the bottle real well. I put them back in the tote and after a while their mom came over and started looking in the tote and just standing there. I put her in with all the babies hoping that if the Maltese babies started to nurse on her, it might kick in that mothering instinct. The Maltese babies weren't interested so I am thinking she might still have had the odor of the anesthesia and other medicines that were given to her in the vets office. Like you suggested I think maybe she still had that stuff in her system. I am so glad she is coming around.

Before you ask I have 5 mamas running around here and NO we don't have any problems with possesiveness. I do have the babies in their own areas so that they don't get mixed up with the others but there has been no problems with them. The babies range in age from 6 weeks down to these that were just born yesterday.

I am so glad she is responding finally:) keep us update and can't wait to see pics(you could show us all of them you know:p) Love puppies!:)