# Friend has lost nearly whole litter of pups. Why?



## dozzie (4 October 2008)

My friends bitch had pups 2  weeks ago- accidental mating. The bitch is a 9 months old  so nowhere near fully grown. 5 pups were born dead and now she has lost another seven with one remaining which is not looking good. My friend has spent the whole day trying to save them to no avail.

Just wondering whether it was due to the age of the bitch, management or viral. They were kept indoors but dont think they had a heat lamp. 

I was just wondering what possible reasons there could be for losing a whole litter so quickly. I know the pups were feeding from the bitch fairly quickly.

I  dont know the whole story hence no judgements please. All I know is that 12 out of 13 pups have died.


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## joeanne (4 October 2008)

its one i think only a vet could tell you for sure.
if the surviving pups were feeding and looked to be fairly strong, i wonder if the bitch was producing sufficent milk to feed?
i think without all the facts it would be too hard to say, could have been one of half a dozen different things.


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## dozzie (4 October 2008)

Thats why I asked really! I agree only the vet could really know but I was just interested to know what the reasons could be. 

Also I was wondering whether the age of the bitch could have had a big impact. I had always assumed that the reason you dont breed until the bitch is fully grown is because it is detrimental to the bitch. Is it detrimental to the pups too? 

How would you know if the bitch wasnt producing sufficient milk? And what would you do about it?


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## joeanne (4 October 2008)

generally failure to thrive would be the first sign of milk loss, you could check by gently squeezing the nipples to see if milk is expelled, bulging teats would have been a sign her milk came in.
if there is no milk, the only option is to bottle feed, and this can be tricky with the smaller breeds. your friend would need a milk formula (lactol is a favoured one) suitable for puppies.
one thing to be aware of is a lactating bitch will eat up to 3 times the normal amount of food, depending on the size of her litter. 
yes age is a factor, breeding from an immature bitch is more risky than breeding from a well grown animal, but as your friend has discovered this is not always the way things happen.
i would suggest though if your friend has no interest in breeding from her dog, then get it spayed. this will have been a traumatic experiance not only for the dog but your friend too!


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## MurphysMinder (5 October 2008)

Obviously impossible to give a definite answer.  The age of the bitch wouldn't have helped, and 13 is a huge litter for a bitch of 9 months.  She may well have been short of milk, but could also have been fading puppy syndrome, which can cause whole litters to die in the first 2 or 3 weeks.  Very sad but maybe the last pup will survive.  Presume the owners have consulted a vet, if not I certainly think they should.


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## dozzie (5 October 2008)

Totally agree about having her speyed. I think she wanted the bitch to be a bit older before she was speyed. She is a large breed so wont be physically mature for some time.


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## dozzie (5 October 2008)

It does sound like fading puppy syndrome as from what I know they died one after the other very quickly. I would think she consulted the vet but not sure tbh as I know money is tight. I know the pups were checked when they were born.

I havent really got involved and maybe, although this sounds harsh, it is for the best as I dont think my friend was in the best position do deal with the pups.

Nevertheless I hope the last pup has survived the night as it must have been very traumatic for her and her children.


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## Foxfolly (6 October 2008)

Fading puppy was my initial thought, only heard of it as my OH's friend lost a whole litter of terriers last year, they were experienced breeders and there was no other explanation!
Poor dog and your poor firend as it must be very upsetting to watch them fading in front of you!


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