Help, Phoebe and her tiny newborns
 

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I mentioned yesterday that we have to take phoebe ot the emergency vet. It all started when I took her to a "Previous" vet to get a oxi shot and check out the babies. He said Phoebe was very skinny, and that the babies took everthing out f her, and that we are going to run int problems with her feeding all of them. He said that the babies are small, but look good, and when he was examing Phoebe is said he felt another puppy possible 2 more. I said that you've got be be mistaken, he said that afer the shot if she did not have the other puppy by Sunday, to take her to a Emergency vet fr an xray and a c-section. (he does not have an exray machine in his office). He gave Phoebe vitamins and said that I would have to feed the puppies too. Well we went home, and in the afternoon, I was getting more and more worried, so we took her t thye Emergency vet. they did the xray and there are not anymore puppies. She also said that Phoebe looks good, and the puppies are very small but look good. I asked her if Phoebe needed extra calcium and she said no. I do not think she has enough milk. I weighed the puppies and they are very tiny. their weights are #1 girl 2.55 oz, #2 girl 2.50 oz #3 girl 2.55 oz #4 girl 3.20 oz and the tinest girl is 2.2 oz. Bx is 3.15 oz. This am one of the girls was very cold and limp. I warmed her up and feed her, now she is nursing and is doing alot better. The tiny girl has t fight for a nipple. I am so worried and need advise on how to save the babies since they seem so much smaller than all the other littlers.
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Melanie and Phoebe
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Melanie and Phoebe

Melanie,
First, take a deep breath and take care of you first. I am talking from experience (Lexie just had 7 puppies on 7.17.07) First, the Mommy(Pheboe). Yes she has a big litter, but she can do it. I had them feed in shifts. I had colored ties on each and I out the girls on to feed first then the boys, and on the next feeding did it the opposite way. I had to stay right there with Lexie, sometimes laying down on the floor and cuddling her for her do do the extra long feedings, but she always did them. I continued to give Lex extra meals, and special meals of cottage cheese mixed in her dry food, yogurt, and the whelping pudding through the 4th week of having the babies. I also did but the calcuim suppliment "Calsorb" and gave 1ml in the mornig and evening to Lexie mixed in food.. The puppies: I weigh the puppies and keep track of their gains. If you see one stay the same or gaining slower then the rest, suppliment. Get the puppy suppliment from the Petstore and slowly squirt the suppliment from a syring into the front of the puppies mouth and have rest fall into your cupped hand and the puppy will lap it up. I started giving very watery gruel to all the puppies this way at 3 weeks, and it is very messy, and time consuming, but the puppies will not only be getting more food, but the one on one attention that they need for socialization. I was also discouraged by some that said that not all in the litter would survive or do well, but that is not true. All of Lexie's puppies are now 5 weeks and all are good weight (from 1 lb to 1 lb 16 oz). If you ever need me, I will PM you my phone number and you can call me anytime for help. This is Lexie's 3rd big litter and I continue to have success with them. Please do NOT get discouraged. i am here (as well as others) for you. Please do not hesitate to call me!!

Wishing you and the kids the best.

Sounds like time for a new regular vet to me. I'm sorry that the first vet scared you so much!

I am not a breeder, but I've read on here to put the tiniest baby to nurse first, for a few minutes at least, to give them a chance before the bigger babies get their turn.

Good luck:love:

Charlene gave you very good advice. I would supplement them a little just to make sure they are getting food. I use Esbilac and you can get it at Petco or any of the Petstores. Make sure you only give them a small amount at a time so they dont get any into their lungs. Bailey had puppies a couple weeks ago and had Eclampsia this weekend make sure yours gets additional calcium. You can give her 1/2 a Tums also. I am having to feed mine for a few days and it is hard to get them to eat that way but with patience it can be done. Weighing them daily or even a couple times a day will help you decide if they are doing ok and growing. Maybe try rubbing a little Nutrical on their gums to give them energy to eat before you start. I had one that was barely 2 oz and a couple that were 3 oz and my 2 oz boy is now a whopping 9 7/8 oz and the 3 oz kids are 12 and 13 ounces today so dont despair because you can do it.

Update on Phoebe and babies
 

Thank you Charlene and Barb for your advise and responding to my desperate post. The puppies are always hungry, which is good. My Phoebe is exhausted and I have to force her to leave her babies. There are little girls that I am most worried about. The 2.2 oz girl because she is the tiniest she gets pushed away by the larger one, but she is the fistiest little thing. The other girl is larger, but seems to lose her body temp and gets cold and lathargic, but when I warm her up and feed her, she responds and get alot stronger and then wants to nurse. I have tried using the puppy bottles, but the nipples are so stiff and they don't seem to really like them, so I have been using a syringe. I also have tipped by finger in karo syrupe and let them suck it off and it seems to raise their blood surger and revives them enough to nurse from the syringe. This am both babies were no doing well. I warmed them up and put nutracal on the syringe. They responed so well, and ate puppy milk, and then nursed on mommy. I gave all of the puppies the nutracal after that. I am giving Phoebe goats milk in her wet puppy food, and I am also giving her a nutracal type vitamin that the vet gave her. I am so worried her calcium levels will get to low. She is panting alot, is this normal after giving birth? It is very warm in California, but I have not turned the AC on because I do not want the puppies to get cold. I plan on making the Whelping Pudding, and also get some tums for her. I have not been to work since Thursday, but I have to go back tomarrow. It is so hard to take care of Phoebe and try to do what I can for the babies, plus take care of a almost 2 year old daughter (that is already in her terrible 2's). My step daugther came over to help me today, and we made sure all puppies were nursing, and bottle fed the 2 smallest. I don't know what I would have done without her help today. She is going to come everyday when I am at work, and I will come home duriing my lunch hour. I told my husband if I have t quit my job to save these babies then I will. As far as the puppies getting their tails docked and dewclaws removed, do you think it is safe for the weaker ones? I will try to attach 3 pics, #1 is the tinest girl, #2 other girl, and # 3 is the only male. Thank you again, and if I am doing anything wrong, or you have any other suggestions, please let me know

You have been receiving some of the best advice that is available and the only thing I might add to this is ...when attempting to feed the smaller puppies try to put them in between the other puppies while they nurse to keep them warm. I have a couple of little ones that are much smaller than the others ( litter of 6 at 13 days ) and I have to constantly make room for them to nurse, so that the others do not push them out. Sometimes I will hold a few of the bigger ones back and put them in a warm basket until the little ones have gotten their fill.
The two little ones are now at 4.1 and 4.5 oz today, as compared to their litter mates who are close to 10 & 11 oz already.

Also, I would wait with the tail dockings on the little ones that are having so much trouble. I am afraid that any more trauma might put them in more jeopardy. I think it is better to have a healthy puppy with all his/her tail intact, rather than risk the possibility. Please ask your vet for his/her opionion also.

Last, but not least...
I wish I lived closer so that I could help. I can just imagine the stress you are having trying to balance everything, but just remember that we are here... perhaps at a distance, but we are here.
Good luck and God bless. :)

just ck'g in to see how is everything going? i hope all went well last night.

SO precious! I wish I could help you care for them, it sounds like you could use an extra pair of hands.

I'm not a breeder, so take this for what it is, but could you safely place a heating pad in the whelping box for warmth for the tinies? You could cover and clamp a towel over the pad and cord for safety - would that help them stay warm?