newborn puppies dying

My dog had a litter of puppies about a week ago all of them have died. I am heartbroken this has never happened before.

They first stop nursing & then they were sticking their tongues out like they could not breathe & within a few hours the tongue would swell & they would die.

It was very hard to watch & happened so fast. Please help me find an answer.
Sincerely ,Cheryl




Hi Cheryl
I'm so sorry that your puppies died, that must have been heartbreaking for you and very difficult for their momma to understand.

I'm afraid that it's impossible for me to say what caused them to die, but as all of them were affected it was most likely either a contagious condition. It's possible that it was congenital, or the result of health problems if they were maybe born too soon, but infection is more likely.

An autopsy done by your vet could give you a definitive answer, but at this point I'm not sure if it would help. However, if you're planning on breeding your dog again, I'd make sure she has a thorough check up and is fully vaccinated, as the momma dog can pass infection/disease onto the pups in the womb, during birth, or when nursing.

It sounds as though the pups became dehydrated because they weren't feeding, and this can lead to death quite quickly in newborn puppies. But what caused them to stop nursing I can't say I'm afraid.

Please have your dog examined and make sure that she is 100% healthy. Best of luck in the future.