Horror beyond words... puppy deaths

I can barely function, and need to express my feelings about what happened. We have 2 black miniature schnauzers, 5-year old Jet (US Champion) and 3-year old Star (champion lines). Last year we bred them, and it she produced only one puppy which was defective and stillborn. We bred them again in March, and Star gave birth to 5 pupplies on Sunday, all perfectly formed.

We were there when she had them all, and I let her eat the first puppy's placenta even though I cut the membrane and umbilical cord. The second puppy was stillborn. The third puppy came, and Star did a pretty good job cleaning it. She had a very hard time delivering the fourth puppy, and it stayed in her birth canal for nearly 10 minutes. When it finally came, it was a huge puppy but we could never get it to breathe. Finally, the fifth puppy came, and Star did every thing right.

We had three healthy, squirming, little black schnauzer puppies, two females and one male!

We cleaned up all the mess, and got the whelp box all set up with a heating pad on half of the floor and lots of old towels and a blanket. Star was still licking all the puppies when we decided to go to the kitchen and eat, which would leave the new 'mommy' alone with her puppies.

About 15 minutes later, I just wanted to check on Star and the babies to make sure they all had found nipples to nurse on. At first, I looked in the whelp box and only saw one puppy, and then I saw Star about 4 feet away. She was eating something!?! When she turned her head, her entire face was dripping with blood, and there were entrails hanging out of her mouth. I saw a puppy's severed head laying at Star's feet in a pool of blood.

I started screaming. I couldn't stop. I just kept screaming. I grabbed the last puppy and put it in my shirt, next to my heart so it would be warm and be able to hear me breathing. I just kept screaming, and I don't remember much else after my husband Glenn, came.

I have been bottle feeding this little puppy every 2 hours since Sunday at 7:00 PM. I am so traumatized by this I cannot even look at my beloved Star. I can't get the image of her face and the bloody carnage out of my head.

Golden Gate Geckos said:

I can barely function, and need to express my feeling about what happened. We have 2 black miniature schnauzers, 5-year old Jet (US Champion) and 3-year old Star (champion lines). Last year we bred them, and it she produced only one puppy which was defective and stillborn. We bred them again in March, and Star gave birth to 5 pupplies on Sunday, all perfectly formed.

We were there when she had them all, and I let her eat the first puppy's placenta even though I cut the membrane and umbillicle

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Marcia, did something happen to them? If so, I am so very sorry.

Can you share the rest of the story?
Did they all die?

Oh Marcia, how awful. ((((Marcia))))) I am so very, very sorry. What a shock, I do not know what could have happened.

...sorry, I hit the wrong key and it posted. I edited the original post.

Marcia I am so sorry that you had to experience that and those poor babies had to die. Sounds like Star lacks the maternal instinct to care for them. There is always a possibility that something may have been wrong with the pups that she sensed. Unfortunately I have seen mother dogs attack their own young for no reason. Good luck raising your littlest survivor.

techgirl said:

There is always a possibility that something may have been wrong with the pups that she sensed.

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I was just thinking the same thing. Since you've had back luck with two breedings now, perhaps that is a sign that those two aren't suitable for breeding together. Perhaps some kind of genetic defect pops up with that cross...maybe the mom sensed it and she figured the pups would die anyway?
When I was younger I experienced something similar, except with barn kittens. They had been slaughtered by tom cats I'm assuming to bring the female back into heat quicker. Different scenario of course, but I can relate to how you are feeling, as that was one of the most horrid things I had ever seen.
I'm sorry for what happened to the puppies.

Marica, I am so so sorry, that is a horrible thing to go through and I hate you had to see her like that. Your love for her will pull through for you, it may take a few days but I think you will be able to look at her again and maybe not see that image stuck in your head.

I hope the one you saved does good for you.

What a horrible experience. I feel for you, Marcia. But don't forget that Star is your baby too.

Oooh! Harsh.

I witnessed the same behavior in a Boston Terrier bitch. She had been brought into the hospital for dystocia. She was very young and it was her first litter. She eviscerated two pups before we noticed what was going on. We were able to save two. The owners were strongly encouraged to spay her and strongly discouraged from breeding her again.

It is an extremely difficult behavior to comprehend. I think it is most likely that the mother isn't "wired" to properly care for puppies. Pups that are saved and hand raised tend to be physically normal.

The vet said they really don't understand this behavior completely. It could be a result of some inherent problem and the dogs instinctively 'cull' the defective pups. She also said that Star could have become 'neurotic' about licking the pups and somehow began chewing the umbilicle cord and just kept going... or she could just not have ANY maternal instinct.

Glenn and I were able to hold Star while we laid on the bed and she did let the puppy nurse until it fell asleep with a very round little tummy. But as soon as the pup rolled off, Star tried to bite it and made the pup bleed. She cannot be trusted. I can barely even look at my own dog right now... it's like having PTSD. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I am obsessing on the grotesque image in my mind.

We will have Star spayed as soon as she recovers form giving birth in about 4-6 weeks.

I'm so sorry this happened Marcia. It is indded a traumatic experience, and I wish I could say something to make you feel better, but I just don't have the words.

This does unfortunately happen, and it's NOT Star's fault as such.....she just doesn't understand what she's supposed to be doing. Having the problems with her first litter, and with some pups in this litter may have been indicative of deeper problems, but no one can say for certain, we can only speculate. Just like with humans, some dogs just aren't meant to be mothers, I'm glad you made the choice to spay her, and in time I think you will be able to forgive her and enjoy her companionship as you did before, but for now that baby is what you need to focus on. I've bottle-raised many puppies.....if there's anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask.

Thanks everyone.

Marcia, I'm so sorry! How horrible for you!

I can't imagine how disconcerting this is for you in relation to your feelings for your dog, but please know that she's simply operating on instinct, just not the one you'd hoped she'd have.

Good luck raising that little pup!

Marcia, I thought about you and the puppy this morning. I hope you are recovering from the terrible ordeal; and I hope the tiny puppy did well his first night (I know you must have woke up to feed him, hope you got some rest).

how is the little bundle doing anyway? loving the lack of sleep? brings back many fond nights of bottle feeding kittens and oppusums. I'm glad right now the kitten i rescued is able to eat on him own. how is star? I know it's hard to imagine star having done what she did, but remember she is your baby. the thoughts may be still too vivid for you to come past that right now. but in time you will be able to see star as she once was, the shining little light of your life. we are here for you marcia if you ever need to talk.

Well, the little schnauzer baby is doing well. At around 7:00 PM she will have made it through her first critical 72 hours. We have been holding Star on the bed between us and allowing the little one to nurse about every 2-3 hours. The little one is urinating and defecating with the help of a wet washcloth on her bottom... simulating the mother's licking motion which actually stimulates the pup to go to the bathroom. Despite our efforts, she is not gaining any weight. She has another vet appointment tomorrow, and in the meantime I am going to have to increase her bottle feeding to supplement Star's milk.

To make matters worse, I have been running a high temperature all day today with vomiting. Thank God Glenn took the week off for his "girls".

Marcia, I know you are not feeling well and the puppy is a handful, but those symptoms really call for YOU to go to the doc.
Get well soon....

Well, we just got back from the vet and had the pup's tail and dew claws docked. She is still holding her own, but is slightly dehydrated. We will no longer be allowing her to nurse on Star because it appears her milk is all but dried up, so we will be relying soley on bottle feeding her every 3-4 hours for another 3 weeks when we can start weaning her. The vet said the little one is amazingly strong, and has an excellent chance for survival.

I am so exhausted, and have had the stomach flu for 2 days, so I am also dehydrated from vomiting myself. Glenn took the week off, but my geckos are being neglected. It's all I can do to throw crickets in and fill water bowls.

I am afraid to love this little helpless baby dog for fear I will lose her.

Oh Marcia, so sorry that you had to go through such stressful event; with your care, the little one will surely survive. Good luck, and get well soon.