Postpartum Neglect: What to Do When a Dog Mother Ignore

Section 1: Reasons Why a Female Dog May Ignore Her Puppies After Giving Birth

1. One common reason a mother dog may neglect her puppies is due to mastitis, an inflammation of the mammary glands. The pain caused by the puppies nursing can be so intense that the mother dog refuses to feed them. In such cases, it's crucial for pet owners to seek veterinary care promptly. This may involve administering oral or injectable medications to reduce inflammation and arranging for the puppies to be fostered temporarily.

2. Another possibility is that the mother dog either has no milk or not enough milk, leading to discomfort and pain when the puppies nurse. To address this, pet owners can try feeding the mother dog nourishing dishes like crucian carp soup, soybean porridge, or pork trotter soup to stimulate milk production.

3. A firsttime mother may lack the necessary maternal instinct and may not know how to nurse her puppies. In such instances, pet owners may need to forcibly encourage the mother to feed her puppies, which can help stimulate her maternal instincts. Once the mother gets the hang of it, she should begin to nurse her puppies on her own.

Section 2: How to Force a Mother Dog to Nurse Her Puppies

Newborn puppies require the nourishment of their mother's milk, especially the first milk they receive, which is rich in immunoglobulins. This provides the puppies with essential maternal antibodies to protect them from illness before weaning. If the mother dog does not initiate nursing, the owner can gently hold the mother and, wearing gloves, place a newborn puppy near her teats. This method can effectively stimulate the mother's maternal instincts, and after the first feeding, she should continue to nurse her puppies. If the mother's milk supply is insufficient, feeding her with galactogogues can help increase milk production. If all else fails, consider supplementing the puppy's diet with goat's milk for nutritional support.

Section 3: Signs of Poor Maternal Instinct in a Mother Dog

A mother dog with poor maternal instincts might eat her puppies, a behavior more common in firsttime mothers. Such dogs may not know how to care for their puppies and can become restless and weak after giving birth. In such cases, the mother dog might resort to eating her puppies. Therefore, during the postpartum period, pet owners should closely monitor the mother dog. If signs of poor maternal instinct are observed, such as the mother dog attempting to harm her puppies, an Elizabethan collar should be used to prevent her from doing so. Additionally, feeding the mother dog a sugar and salt solution can help replenish her energy.

The Oxygen Pet Doctor has compiled a summary of methods to deal with a mother dog ignoring her puppies after giving birth, hoping it will be helpful to you.