These mommas put all their energy into caring for this babies...and they do not want to leave their babies to go poop/pee. It is not unusual for the momma to not go potty for 36-48 hours....and when she does need to go, she will often clean herself like she cleans the babies to keep from soiling the area they are in. However, we have the whelping box/crate lined with disposable pads or newspaper, and mom can run quickly to the far end away from the babies, poo or pee, and then return immediately to her litter. Instinct overrides potty training, and she will stay woithin site of those babies for several days/weeks. She will eventually trust enough to go out, away from her litter, but potty training kinds leave their minds when it comes to their babies. You have to watch....I have a couple of mommas that will NOT leave her babies to drink or eat....she absolutely needs to eat and drink, so I will offer her water and food by hand, right in the box with her babies, so she does not need to leave them for even a second.....this is her choice, so I honor this and make sure she is getting everything she needs. I expect this over protective behavior from my mommas...I worry if I have a momma that wants to go socializing or running around the house/yard, leaving her newborns unattended.... I figure I was the one that put her in this situation, it is my responsibility to make absolutely sure her needs are met, regardless of how little sleep I get, or how little I leave the side of that crate.

This is what I'm doing, sitting by the crate, offering water and food..
She has not got up or left the box since she got in and started actually caring for them. I went into my bedroom to get myself another blanket and she didn't even follow.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
THIS is the behavior you are looking for from her! You do not want her putting YOU or anyone else ahead of her babies....you may have to hand feed her in the box while she nurses her babies. Now you can offer that whelping pudding or the cottage cheese to keep her calcium levels up....she is only nursing 4 babies so this should not be a major issue....make sure she is getting a highly nutritious puppy food....did they happen to get blood chemistries done and also hemoglobin/hematacrit levels so you would have a base line of where she stands...is she boderline anemic and possibly need blood ? You would have an idea if she is barely normal with her calcium levels, or is she solidly in the normal range? Spend the time stroking her, talking to her, soothing her, singing to her.....all the time observing everything she is doing, as well as how the babies are doing.

She is on puppy food, wet and kibble. Vet suggested wet for the moisture. I also have a whelping pudding recipe I got off the sticky in the breeder section. I've been offering it to her as well. She's eating good, not as much drinking, so I'm really pushing the water.
I do have her labs. Her hCt was a little low, but just barely. (36.7) All others were WNL.
Her BUN was toward the lower end of the normal range, same with creatine and her HGB.
Calcium shows 11. (With normal between 9.5-12 according to the labs I'm looking at). The only thing that flagged was the hematocrit.

I keep telling her how pretty she is and what a good momma she is and how pretty her babies are going to be.

I am so relieved to hear that momma and babies are doing well. Good job Michelle. Hopefully things will go a bit smoother now so you can get a bit more rest.

that is such good news// hopefully you can get some much needed rest

Great news!

Just checked back in with this thread- so happy to hear that instinct kicking in!

Oh my gosh this is wonderful news. I hope Allie is able to properly care for her babies, do they need to continue to be bottle fed as well now? I'll continue to pray and follow the progress. You guys are all so awesome with the advise and experience given. Michele, you've done the absolute best you could do given the situation at hand...I'm proud to be your friend. I know how much you love and care for Allie and now her babies as well.

I know this was a hard thing to post, it is important though that everyone realizes the dangers of breeding. We so often just see the fluffy healthy puppies and don't hear about the ER visits and the sleepless nights and the time and effort and money involved. Even if you get happy healthy pups there is no guarantee you will find good homes. We got 3 akc yorkie pups into the shelter because they couldn't find good homes! I hope both momma and pups continue to improve and the thing people take away from this is to really think about all the things that could go wrong when breeding.

I am so happy to finally be home and check this thread and hear GOOD NEWS.
Thank God things are going better and Allie has come around to take care of her pups.

Hope it all goes well from here on out.

I'll continue to weigh them to make sure they're getting enough, and supplement if needed.

Thank you Kathy. Your Facebook posts and encouragement have meant a lot.

You're welcome...my continued thoughts and prayers!

Michelle, I'm thrilled to hear good news! Great job!

Glad to hear things are progressing well!:thumbup: