There could be something wrong with the pup, or it could be simply that she doesn't have enough milk and has chosen a puppy to neglect so that the others get plenty. At any rate, I'd take the puppy to the vet for a check and if the vet says it's healthy, look into bottle feeding it.
If a dog is at all unwell and suffering from injury or illness after giving birth, this can lead to rejecting a litter. Sometimes, mothers can contract mastitis which causes inflammation, pain and discomfort in the teats which will cause her to avoid nursing her pups.
If your female is feeling stressed or threatened by too much noise or activity around her puppies she may begin harming the puppies as a way to protect them from any perceived outside threat. Some female dogs just simply were not cut out to be mothers.
Once a dog gives birth to her puppies, two different hormones contribute to her motherly instincts. The first is oxytocin, sometimes called the “love hormone.” It's what drives a mother dog to nuzzle her puppies or wrap around them to keep them warm while nursing.
Mother canines can reject their puppies for a variety of reasons and then try and bury them away from the other puppies in their litter. Even something as subtle as the puppy being too hot or cold can cause the mother to reject the pup. It could be an indication something is wrong with the puppy or the mother herself.
The ideal minimum time that the puppy should be able to separate from its mother is 8 weeks. Still, many ethologists also claim that the puppy should be with its mother until 12 weeks of age. We must point out that the longer a puppy is with its mother, the better its development.
For full health protection, puppies need a series of vaccinations and boosters to prepare their immune system fully, so they are ready in case of exposure to viruses. Until that happens, your puppy may pick up an illness if he goes outdoors.
How Long Can Puppies Be Alone? Remember, dogs and especially puppies need to urinate often. As a guideline, new puppies up to 10 weeks old typically can't hold their bladder for more than an hour. Dogs between 10 to 12 weeks old can usually hold it for around two hours.
If the mother is still trying to care for any dead pups after a few days, be sure to remove them even if it causes the mother distress. Parasites from the decaying carcasses can be passed on to the mother and the remaining pups. If the mother or surviving pups seem ill in any way, remove the dead puppies immediately.
It's generally not a good idea to leave newborn puppies alone with their mom at night. Puppies are vulnerable to many health problems and can easily become separated from their mother in the dark. If you must leave them alone, make sure they're in a safe, warm place where they can't fall or get stuck.
Yes, a mother dog can reject her litter and turn on her puppies. This may happen because she feels unwell herself, or because a puppy seems too weak to be worthy of her care, or simply because of a lack of maternal instinct. Such behavior may appear from the moment she has given birth, or a few days or weeks later.
Nearly every canine mother loves every single one of their puppies. This is hormonally influenced initially and they are incredibly protective of their young. The older pups get, the more they can develop a relationship with that dog as opposed to something purely biological.
The mother dog sees her owner's attention being diverted away from her toward the puppies and becomes jealous. She may begin ignoring the pups and trying to exclude them from the maternal nest.
Along with lack of bite inhibition, typical problems in singletons include being unable to get out of trouble calmly and graciously, an inability to diffuse social tension, inability to handle frustration, lack of social cues and skills, lack of impulse control, and touch sensitivity.
This is simply due to the puppies developing sharp teeth which then becomes highly agitating and uncomfortable for mum as her pups constantly try to feed. As the pups become older, their mother will gradually decrease the time she spends looking after them.
A few days after your dog has given birth
She has a fever, is unwell with a loss of appetite, is listless or lacks interest in the puppies. Any of these could indicate an infection within her uterus. Her mammary glands are red, firm and painful, or discharge from her nipples is smelly, brown or bloody.
Around 30% of pedigree puppies die in their first few weeks of life, with only about half of them dying due to identifiable causes.
Sadly, not every puppy in a litter will survive—even with all the veterinary care you can provide, according to Dr. Holmboe. A study with a large sample size of over 10,000 litters born across 224 different breeds found that 24.6% of litters had some stillborn puppies or puppies who died within their first eight days.
The best way to determine if a dog still has puppies inside her is to x-ray her abdomen. Sometimes, it is possible to palpate and feel the presence of pups, but occasionally a pup may be within the birth canal and be missed using this method.
It is recommended, particularly with a first-time mother, to check the puppies every few hours to make sure they are all suckling and are warm and content.
Take the dogs to the vet.
Take both the mother and the puppies to the vet. The vet will do bloodwork and other tests to determine what is going wrong. Occasionally, something might be wrong with the puppies, causing the mother to abandon them. Your vet may be able to help them thrive.
Caring for Newborn Puppies and Dams. Once puppies are whelped, it is important to monitor their weight at birth, after 12 hours, and after 24 hours to ensure they are growing.
No paws on the ground means that you carry your puppy any place that they may be exposed to pathogens or other, unknown animals (essentially, anywhere that is not well known to you and private).
Generally, puppies can go outside to public spaces around 2 weeks after their second puppy vaccinations. At this time, their immune response to the vaccinations kicks in and reduces the changed of them catching a disease they've been vaccinated against.