# Need delivery advise



## swalker88 (Oct 11, 2021)

Good day, well not so great atm. My 2yo gsd got pregnant mid Aug 2021. She delivered 4 pups last night, I was not home, and 1 this morning, I believe she may have gone into labor early. The pups seemed smaller than I expected. It's my first time with a female, I've always had male dogs. I don't know what happened, but none of the 5 survived. She also cannibalized her pups. She tried to keep the 4th alive, but I stopped by to check on her from work and it was half gone. Please help. What is going on, why did this happen?, what could have been done differently.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

That's hard to tell. Maybe have a vet look at the puppy remains if you have them still, to see how far they were in the pregnancy. In the meantime, don't blame your dog; she must have had a tough time being alone. Feed her well and be gentle with her. She probably has milk which is another reason to ask your vet on how to go about that. If you decide to spay her, wait until her body is all healed up in and in between heats. Maybe motherhood is not her thing. Hopefully breeders here will respond.


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## swalker88 (Oct 11, 2021)

swalker88 said:


> Good day, well not so great atm. My 2yo gsd got pregnant mid Aug 2021. She delivered 4 pups last night, I was not home, and 1 this morning, I believe she may have gone into labor early. The pups seemed smaller than I expected. It's my first time with a female, I've always had male dogs. I don't know what happened, but none of the 5 survived. She also cannibalized her pups. She tried to keep the 4th alive, but I stopped by to check on her from work and it was half gone. Please help. What is going on, why did this happen?, what could have been done differently.





wolfy dog said:


> That's hard to tell. Maybe have a vet look at the puppy remains if you have them still, to see how far they were in the pregnancy. In the meantime, don't blame your dog; she must have had a tough time being alone. Feed her well and be gentle with her. She probably has milk which is another reason to ask your vet on how to go about that. If you decide to spay her, wait until her body is all healed up in and in between heats. Maybe motherhood is not her thing.


I don't want to spay her, it was her very first litter. I been doing research, they were about the size of a 3 week old kitten. I was able to compare cause my cat has her kittens inside. I know my husband had been riding his atv in our yard, which I keep telling myself stressed her, she was to be due by end of this week to beginning of next week. The 8 to 9 weeks of gestation. My husband buried the remains. I'm hoping that in future it'll go well. If not then she'll get spayed.


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## swalker88 (Oct 11, 2021)

wolfy dog said:


> That's hard to tell. Maybe have a vet look at the puppy remains if you have them still, to see how far they were in the pregnancy. In the meantime, don't blame your dog; she must have had a tough time being alone. Feed her well and be gentle with her. She probably has milk which is another reason to ask your vet on how to go about that. If you decide to spay her, wait until her body is all healed up in and in between heats. Maybe motherhood is not her thing. Hopefully breeders here will respond.


I'm just trying to understand why she cannibalized her pups. Why did she not just abandon them, I would have taken the responsibility of doing the best I could to keep them alive.


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## Bramble (Oct 23, 2011)

Some dogs are simply not good mothers and will cannibalize their pups every time. Talk with the breeder you got her from and see if it is an issue for the line. If the pups were born dead she may have instinctively consumed them to deter predators. Animals also know when something is wrong with their offspring and will abandon or eat them vs. wasting time and resources on them. I would not have left her alone with the remaining puppy after she cannibalized the others. 

Please educate yourself and properly prepare before breeding you bitch again, idealy find a mentor. Also if you do breed her be prepared for her to try to eat her next litter and decide if you are willing to hand rear a litter of pups, which may contain one puppy or 10+.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Why don’t you want to spay her?


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

I would 200% spay her instead of risking the death of new pups. Raising a litter with a good mom is a tough job as it is, let alone if you need to do that instead of her. Think hard before you breed her again.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

swalker88 said:


> I'm just trying to understand why she cannibalized her pups. Why did she not just abandon them, I would have taken the responsibility of doing the best I could to keep them alive.


Because dogs do not leave carcasses laying around to rot and attract pests? 
You are expecting a dog to behave like a human. It's a dog. 
Not a dog I would allow to have a litter, definitely not a dog I would leave alone with pups.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

There are soooooo many reasons a Dam may kill and/or eat her pups. THIS alone is the reason you need a mentor should you decide to breed her again! Testing stud dog and Dam for infections, brucellosis, breed genetic issues PRIOR to breeding, prenatal care, vet care and checkups, diet and nutrition, stress, genetics……the list goes on and is why breeding is not as simple as putting 2 dogs together and then forget about it.
Every reputable breeder I know, not only knows due dates but has made arrangements to be home when the Dam goes into labour (in some cases to prevent the Dam from killing pups) and has had vetting done during the pregnancy to catch any serious issues that may be brewing.
You have now learned how important the above is.

You left her and surviving pup unsupervised after losing 4 pups???


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