My newborn puppy won't suckle mom. What should I do to help?

Question

Lulu just had birth. One of the puppies keeps crying and won't suckle at her teats. I've tried putting it by her teats and it to drink by putting the teat in its mouth, but it's still not suckling. It was born two and a half hours ago(born at 16:40, it is now 19:00) and it hasn't suckled once. What is wrong? Am I doing something wrong? Or is there something I can do to help. There are no vets in the area. Pet's info: Dog | Jack Russell Terrier | Female | unspayed | 4 years and 11 months old | 20 lbs

Dr. Dayna, DVM, CVA · Accepted Answer

Hi there, and thanks for posting this question. Look in her mouth and make sure the palate is normal. If she has a hole in it (cleft palate) she may not be able to suckle. If it looks normal maybe giver her a few drops of sugar water under her tongue so her glucose levels don’t drop, and keep trying to get her to suckle. Try different teats too, one may be easier for her than the others. You may also want to consider buying a bottle and esbilac to bottle feed her if she won’t suckle Mom. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

My newborn puppy won't suckle mom. What should I do to help?

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