3-week-old puppies not eating

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Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone!

Basically, my dog has stopped nursing her babies. Her belly is all scratched up by the little ones (it’s actually bleeding). I’ve tried putting one on her teats and holding her paws, but she just stands up every time.

They are 3 weeks old today. I’ve given them puppy milk formula, but some refuse to lap it up—only one of them can do it.

I’ve also tried making a mash (dry food and milk), but again, only one is going for it.

You wouldn't believe the mess in the whelping box; I’m having to change the blankets several times a day, lol.

So, what should I do? I’ve tried the bottle but they don't want that either. They just cry and go back to sleep, but it breaks my heart to hear them wailing while their mum couldn't care less.

Translated from French
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6 answers
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    • Loustick
    Loustick Icon representing the flag French
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    Yes, she should normally be able to nurse again in a few days. Mind you, in the wild, once the puppies start scratching too much, the mum will wean them at 3 weeks.
    Translated from French
    C
    Cass_1957 Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi everyone, My girl ended up having two surgeries for a hysterectomy after having her six puppies, as she had a stillborn pup left inside her. Will she be able to nurse them again? In the meantime, I’m trying to save the babies by bottle-feeding them, which they are taking, thank goodness... but on top of all the emotion, it’s just mental! I don’t know if I’ll be able to cope for two months like this... I really hope someone has some answers.
    Translated from French
    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    HI EVERYONE I’ve been so busy with these little rascals that I haven’t had a single second to get back on here 😎 Yes, mum has her food bowl handy (she always has) and she’s on special puppy dry food (for lactation etc.). She’s lost quite a bit of weight but apparently that’s normal; I’m keeping an eye on her teats to make sure they aren't hard or swollen. When I got in yesterday I clipped the puppies' claws—what a nightmare! I was so worried about doing it wrong and hurting them 🤧 I only cut the tiny white tips for all the little ones and put a good layer of soothing cream on mum. It must have given her some relief because when I got up in the night, I saw she was nursing 👍 I tried the bottle yesterday but they really aren’t interested, even though I did my best to encourage them. The babies are nursing right now, which is a massive relief because we’ve already lost two (two days after whelping because mum wasn't looking after them—even though I was bottle-feeding and keeping them warm, it wasn't enough).
    Translated from French
    Humeur-De-Chien
    Humeur-de-chien Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi Clémentine,

    The first thing you should do is definitely have a chat with your vet.

    Is she eating enough?

    At the start of lactation, metabolisable energy requirements are 2 to 3 times higher than an adult dog's normal maintenance needs. Depending on the number of puppies she has to feed, this can even go up to 4 times as much.

    Towards the end of lactation, the energy requirements are about 1.6 to 2 times higher.

    An adult dog weighing 30 kg (around 66 lbs) needs about 1,600 kcal a day.

    The same dog in early lactation (up to week 4) will need between 3,200 and 4,800 kcal a day.

    By the end of lactation (up to week 7), she’ll roughly need between 2,400 and 3,200 kcal a day.

    Beyond just energy needs, the entire balance of nutrient intake usually needs reviewing during lactation. This is why there’s normally specialist food available for dogs during the nursing period.

    Translated from French
    Tania28
    Tania28 Icon representing the flag French
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    Yes, bottle-feeding is a must (every two hours, I think) if you want to save the babies.

    Keep an eye on the mum too, so she can recover in peace.

    Translated from French
    Jador
    Jador Icon representing the flag French
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    Have you mentioned this to your vet? It's important to keep an eye on her teats. You really don't want her to end up with an infection on top of the pain she's already in.

    If she’s refusing to let the pups nurse, you’ll have to look into bottle-feeding them. At three weeks old, you can start offering weaning mush, but nursing is still their main source of nutrition.

    Keep offering the puppy milk. Pups don't know how to lap yet—it often ends up being more of a milk bath than an actual meal, but it’s important for them to get some practice! If you think they’re still genuinely hungry, stick with bottle-feeding for another week or so until they’ve got the hang of using a bowl.

    Translated from French

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