Q&A: Nursing Pups Hurting Mother
Read this tip to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Frequently asked questions and other Dog topics.
Q&A: Nursing Pups Hurting Mother
Q: How can I help my female dog whose nursing pups are hurting her nipples?
A: Most mother dogs will stop her puppies from doing that by disciplining the pups calmly but firmly. Here is an online article that talks about the natural behavior of female dogs with biting puppies:
http://www.animalnetwork.com/dogs/reference/children.asp
If your female is not doing that and she is very uncomfortable, that may mean you need to separate the puppies from their mother except at feeding time -- and then you'll need to supervise the feeding.
Puppies start getting their first or puppy teeth at about three weeks of age, and weaning typically starts at four to five weeks of age. So you need to help your female dog through this period when the pups have teeth and are still nursing.
If the problem is really serious, you should talk to your veterinarian for treatment options and you should consider starting the weaning process as soon as is reasonable. Again, your vet can advise you on that.
