# Newborn puppy - swelling issues.



## SouthernThistle (Nov 16, 2005)

My in-laws to be are bottle feeding 2 weeks old puppies (their neighbors asked them if they "wanted puppies" and since their dog just passed away, they said "sure" without realizing they were NEWBORN PUPPIES! 'cause the mom "done run off." Gotta love the country.)

They took the puppies to the Vet, and they've been bottle feeding them.

However, my FIL-to be called us just now and said that the male puppy's tip of his penis is swollen. His penis is in the sheath, but the skin around the tip is swollen.

I told him he needed to take the puppy to the Vet, but that won't be until tomorrow morning. 

Any ideas? We asked if the puppy had been urinating, etc. and he said the puppy did not urinate after being fed at the most recent feeding. 

Puppies are kept in a clean (constantly cleaning) "box" (kind of a small whelping box with blankets.)


ETA: Don't know if it matters or not, but the puppies are Lab/Coonhound mixes.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Are your inlaws HELPING the pups pee and poop? Mom would lick them to stimulate the pups to go. Your inlaws needs to use a SOFT, warm rag (damp but warm) and wipte the pups anus and genitals to stimulate them to go.


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## SouthernThistle (Nov 16, 2005)

Yup - they're already doing that...each and every time they feed. They only stop stimulating each puppy right after eating after they urinate and defecate. This isn't their first time bottle feeding puppies. Their Boxer that passed away's one and only litter had to be bottle fed.


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## SouthernThistle (Nov 16, 2005)

I asked him to check and see if the swollen part was wet or there was any discharge, but he said, "no." I, personally, have never been around newborn puppies before so I don't know if it's something normal in development or what, and as we live over an hour from them, I can't see for myself for a better description.


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## StGeorgeK9 (Jan 5, 2008)

I'm probably not the best one here to answer this, but I have rescued kittens that young, and I had to use a warm wet washcloth on them pretty frequently to "stimulate" them to void. It was supposed to replace momma cleaning them, perhaps that is what needs to happen? It worked, while I cleaned them with the warm washcloth, they did their "business".


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## SouthernThistle (Nov 16, 2005)

He's been doing that after each time that they've been fed and throughout the day, too. The bedding is also changed often since they're 2 weeks old and, well, definitely nowhere near controlling their bladder and BMs. (And loud little squirming things - my goodness!)


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## Kurys Mom (Oct 11, 2008)

Not sure if this is a posible with puppies but I once raised a litter of 3 week old kittens and they all suckled on each other's personal areas. There is actually a name for when this happens. Was awful, had to seperate them to stop it from happening. They got very sore and swollen.


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## MajicForest (Aug 18, 2009)

Tank and Alice came from a litter that I ended up hand raising, well kind of......... they where about this same age but I had adult dogs that took over the cleaning and licking. Does your dad have another dog with mothering instincts?


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## SouthernThistle (Nov 16, 2005)

No, he doesn't have any dogs except for these puppies that were given to him.


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## cindy_s (Jun 14, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: Kürys MomNot sure if this is a posible with puppies but I once raised a litter of 3 week old kittens and they all suckled on each other's personal areas. There is actually a name for when this happens. Was awful, had to seperate them to stop it from happening. They got very sore and swollen.


I was thinking that as well. I was talked into 3 orphan pups a long time ago, and they did the same thing. They were orphaned from birth, and they spent all their waking time sucking on each other. One poor guy also had swollen genitals. We were initially on a 4 hour feeding schedule, but we ended up having to take shifts and feed them every 2 hours for a while. That seemed to stop the problem. Thank God it wasn't for too long! I would check with the vet to see what he/she thinks.


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

Agree. That's a pretty common issue with handraised puppies and kittens because they're not getting all their sucking instinct out with bottlefeeding - it's less frequent than nursing from mom and bottles require less suction to get the milk out. 

I think the idea to try more frequent feedings is a good one. They might also try using a low flow nipple - but only if the puppies can still use it successfully and get plenty of formula.


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## SouthernThistle (Nov 16, 2005)

Just some updates:

As previously said, this is not my IL-to-be first time bottle feeding puppies. They were already feeding them every 2 hours based on their age as well as stimulating potty time as well. 

My FIL-to-be took all of the puppies to the Vet's this morning for a check up, and he showed the vet the little male. The vet asked the same questions - "is he urinating? is there any discharge? any pain?" Then the vet looked at the male puppy - there wasn't anything wrong with him, but the vet said to just keep an eye on him (obviously), but since no discharge, no pain, and the puppy is still urinating, defecating, and eating, it would probably go away and was probably due to one of the little girls trying to nurse him. 

My SIL-to-be is living with her parents due to a loss of job and her rental house being foreclosed on so she feeds the puppies during the day. 

Glad our two puppies are past young puppyhood phase


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