Rottweiler mom not nursing her pups.

by toni
(chattanooga tn)

My rottweiler had 11 puppies, 6 died, and she acts like she doesn't want to nurse them.

I have to pick the puppies up and put them by her nipples, does this mean she doesn't want them?






Hi Toni
Some dogs just don't make good mommas, and the first litter can be overwhelming for some too. I'm not sure why 6 puppies died, whether they were stillborn, or she crushed them accidentally, or they died because she's not feeding them.

Whatever the reasons, you need to do your very best to protect the surviving puppies, and you'll need to be watching and supervising the mom and her pups round the clock. If she will let them nurse when you put the pups on the nipple, then continue to let them do that as long as they're gaining weight and are warm and contented.

However, if the puppies aren't gaining weight and thriving, are crying a lot of the time, or any more of them die, then you will need to supplement feed them with puppy formula. I'd recommend that you take a look at this webpage New Born Puppies as it has lots of tips and advice to help you.

I also suggest that you go to your veterinarian for help if the pups seem unwell at all. I hope this helps and wish you the very best of luck.