6 day old dachshund won't poop

by tamara moore
(des moines, ia usa)

My 3 year old pure black dachshund had a litter of 5 pups on 3/8/10. Only 3 are alive, although if I knew she was about to give birth I would have been there and I believe they all would have lived. She delivered them alive, but as soon as they made their 1st whimper she bit them and killed them.

I delivered the last 3 and they seem fine, except for the one that has the hick-ups and seems gassy, so I am hoping you can tell me how to get her to poop. The mom will not do anything but nurse. I tried to let her nurse without my help, but the first thing the mom wanted to do was bite the pup, so now I let the pups nurse and hold the moms head or I will cradle her mouth so she can not bite.



Hi Tamara
I'm sorry to hear about what happened to the puppies, some dogs just don't make good mommas and it seems as though yours is one of them. At least you have been able to save 3 of the pups, and it sounds as though you're doing a great job with them so far.

If you haven't already read my New Born Puppies page, I'd recommend that you check it out as it has lots of tips and advice on raising newborns.

You need to stimulate the puppies to pee/poop if the momma isn't doing it herself by licking them. To do this, gently rub their lower bellies and genital areas with a warm, damp washcloth or something similar. This should activate the impulse to eliminate.

If there's one pup that is having a lot of trouble with this and doesn't poop regularly, I'd recommend having the vet check him out to make sure that he doesn't need an enema. This is something the vet would need to do in such small, young pups. He could possibly be a bit dehydrated if he's not getting enough milk, but if he's growing and seems healthy it's probably not a huge problem. A little warm water from a bottle may help him avoid getting constipated due to dehydration. It may be worth a try.

If you have any worries about these little ones, I'd recommend talking to your vet as he/she should be able to give you more advice and help.

I wish you the best of luck and hope these remaining puppies grow up happy and healthy.