Our rescue mama dog Buttercup has been growling at her 3-week-old puppies when food is present. This morning, it got worse—one puppy ended up with a puncture mark near her eye. Buttercup also has diarrhea that’s been going on for about a week. I’ve been feeding her separately for now, but I’m wondering if anyone has advice on dealing with this aggression and her health issues? Also, how often should the puppies be eating at this age?
Sounds stressful! Feeding mama dog separately is a great start. Maybe she just needs some space to feel less threatened?
MissNicklaus said:
Sounds stressful! Feeding mama dog separately is a great start. Maybe she just needs some space to feel less threatened?
Yeah, I’ve been feeding her in another room. She does seem to enjoy the break. Hoping it helps long-term.
MissNicklaus said:
Sounds stressful! Feeding mama dog separately is a great start. Maybe she just needs some space to feel less threatened?
Have you checked if she’s feeling unwell? Diarrhea might be affecting her behavior too.
3-week-old puppies usually need to eat every couple of hours. Are you bottle-feeding them or just letting them nurse?
Matthew said:
3-week-old puppies usually need to eat every couple of hours. Are you bottle-feeding them or just letting them nurse?
Mostly letting them nurse for now. Good to know about the timing, though. Thanks!
Matthew said:
3-week-old puppies usually need to eat every couple of hours. Are you bottle-feeding them or just letting them nurse?
Every two hours can be exhausting. Make sure you’re getting some rest too!
When you say ‘puncture mark,’ was it deep? If so, might be worth getting that checked by a vet ASAP.
Masitsa said:
When you say ‘puncture mark,’ was it deep? If so, might be worth getting that checked by a vet ASAP.
It wasn’t too deep, thankfully. Cleaned it up and keeping an eye on it for now.
Diarrhea for a week sounds rough. Could be stress or something in her diet—has she seen a vet for that yet?
Charlie said:
Diarrhea for a week sounds rough. Could be stress or something in her diet—has she seen a vet for that yet?
Not yet. Planning to take her soon. I’m starting to get worried it might be more serious.
Charlie said:
Diarrhea for a week sounds rough. Could be stress or something in her diet—has she seen a vet for that yet?
Good call. Diarrhea can dehydrate her quickly, so keep her hydrated in the meantime!
Wait, what does ‘nurse’ mean in this context? Sorry, not super familiar with dog care terms.
BillSmith said:
Wait, what does ‘nurse’ mean in this context? Sorry, not super familiar with dog care terms.
It just means the puppies are feeding directly from their mom. Totally normal term in dog care!
BillSmith said:
Wait, what does ‘nurse’ mean in this context? Sorry, not super familiar with dog care terms.
No worries! Yeah, it means the puppies are drinking milk from Buttercup.