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.

Originally Posted by Golden Gate Geckos

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

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.

Originally Posted by techgirl

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

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.