There’s nothing warmer to your heart than seeing the runt of a litter trying to get by with “the bigger guys.” Compassion for the little and the weak seems to be a very real human emotion, innate in all of us. -But empathy alone will not warm or nourish the pup. If the pup wants to survive, his love, action and commitment can get him through. Do not give up! Even when the vet recommends discontinuation, tender loving care can often accomplish what modern veterinary medicine cannot. Watch for signs if the mother is rejecting the pup and take action. Provide 24/7 support for the first few days. Provide comfort when the mother does not. Finally, provide food in addition to breast milk. Rest assured it can be done! We know. Raising our dwarf Dachshund was a blessing for us as we learned to care for the pup we named Itty Bitty.
The first sign that Gwenny, our female Dachshund, was rejecting a pup was when she completely ignored him after the other pups were born. She knew something was wrong with him and turned her attention to the healthy pups. As soon as she Gwenny was strong enough, she lifted Itty Bitty up and out of the whelping box. How emotional that was, hearing him scream and then finding him alone and shivering on the cold tile floor. We took our runt to the vet that morning and the prognosis was not good. He had an irregular heartbeat and, the vet guessed, a liver problem. He gave him two days to live. That’s when we said a prayer and jumped into action by taking the following steps:
1. Provide 24-hour support for the first few days: The night Itty Bitty was born, I pulled an old camping cot and sleeping bag out of storage and set up a nursing station right next to the birthing box. When Gwenny took Itty out of the box, she would gently pick him up and put him back in the box with Gwenny and the other pups. The bond between the puppies and the mother at this point is very, very critical, so you don’t want to completely eliminate the pup if you can help it. You want the pup to bond with the mother too, despite her rejection.
A. Set your alarm to go off every two hours for the first night or two. Control the puppies. Doing this together as a family can be a very rewarding time that will provide a lasting memory.
b. If you need to sleep, have a helper or two; set up a time for everyone to take a turn.
2. Provide comfort when the mother won’t: Don’t miss an opportunity to comfort the pup. In those moments when Gwenny was taking the cub out of the whelping box, she would wrap Itty Bitty up in a soft, dry towel and comfort him. She would pet him and talk to him very softly. Surprisingly, just like a human baby, she responded to comfort and my voice. This started a strong bond between me and the pup that Itty Bitty and I have to this day.
A. During the day, I would find Itty Bitty alone in a corner of the whelping box. Gwenny’s attention was entirely on the healthy pups. She would wrap the towel around him and hold him against my chest while she watched TV. Puppies love body heat! Your warmth warms and comforts them. It will not be unusual for the mother to worry and want the pup back in the crate, even if she rejects it again. Her rejection doesn’t mean she doesn’t care about her puppy. She’s trying to tell you that she doesn’t know how to fix what’s wrong.
3. Provide food in addition to the mother’s milk: You will notice right away that your puppy is not getting his share of the mother’s milk. The others are getting stronger and he is too weak to “fight” for his part. However, it is very, very important that you regularly move the other puppies away (such as to the other end of the crate, or even to another crate) and let the little one nurse on its own. Even if the mother tries to move away from her, hold her gently and ask her to stay still in a soft voice (being strong or firm with her will not only annoy her, but the dwarf will notice as well). The pup MUST have access to some of his mother’s milk. There are life-protecting antibodies in his milk that will help the pup fight off disease.
A. Next, buy some puppy milk replacer. I like the powdered version that you mix with water. You will want to have an eyedropper or syringe to feed the newborn pup, depending on the size of the puppies. For the Itty Bitty, I found the puppy formula and a small syringe-like applicator at the local pet store.
b. Heat the milk by adding warm tap water to the mixture. Refrigerate milk between meals. Cold milk can be warmed by placing it in a small container and placing that container in a larger bowl or container that is filled with hot tap water. DO NOT PUT MILK OR WATER IN THE MICROWAVE! This will make the milk so hot that it will burn the puppy.
vs Set feeding intervals for two hours at first, then increase to four as the dwarf gets stronger. When you can, move from the small applicator to a syringe, then to a puppy bottle (you can get these at the pet store, too).
d. The pup may not suck on the syringe at first. Simply place a small amount at a time in your mouth. Be careful not to put in so much that you choke. The milk will slowly come down.
my. As the puppy gets the hang of the idea, in a day or two, he will notice that he will start to suck the milk directly from the syringe.
F. As the pups get older and you switch them to a rice cereal, make sure the dwarf continues to get his share, including nursing from his mother.
Keep in mind that sometimes puppies may not make it because they are, in fact, too sick; but also know that, as of this writing, Itty Bitty is now twenty months old and is starring in her own children’s book (“Itty Bitty Saves the Day”)! If my wife and I had not worked hard to save our Itty Bitty, we would have denied ourselves the blessing he has become in our lives. The way he runs in to say “good morning” to MaryAnn every day, the way he runs around the house on his “happy feet,” the way he climbs up my leg when I’m on the couch and climbs on my shoulder, and the way he loves us unconditionally; We would have missed that! Fortunately, tender care, commitment and love were the right recipes for Itty Bitty, the runt of the litter.
