Question:
HI everyone, I hope you can help.

I'm house and dog sitting for my friend, who is also the breeder I got my dog from. One of the dogs that is here, Simone, (my dog's sister, a shih tzu) had puppies a week ago friday. Simone has had the runs since I've been here. I know there is nothing unusual about that (I've helped take care of several litters and Roxie just had puppies 4 1/2 weeks ago). I know that this happens as their bodies adjust to cleaning the puppy waste. However in the last 24 hrs she's eaten maybe an 1/8 of a cup of food and that was last night. She also hasn't taken any water.

The breeder leaves two full water bottles which the dam has access to all day as well as dry kibble. At 8am, 3pm and 8pm (ish) she also gets 1/2 a cup of watered down food as well. She has not touched any dry kibble, since yesterday at 8pm (when I refilled the water bottles) she's had maybe 1/12 of a liter water bottle. And she has not eaten any of her wet food today.

The last time she was out she did a teeny tiny drop of runny poop and I did not see her pee (she might have, but I was busy chasing the pom out of the garden). She's still cleaning her pups and everything, but I am concerned that she hasn't taken anything. I've tried to hand feed her the wet down food (so she'd get water and food at once) she would take the kibble from me but then spit it out?!?!?

I don't have a car or money for a cab to get to the after hours vet, nor do I have the money (I know she'd reimberuse me, but I was in a car accident and have been off work so i LITTERALY have no money to take her). The breeder is on a boat, so I can't get her by phone. She's due back sometime tomorrow.....is there anything else I can do? Any idea's as to how to get her to eat? She was fine up until today (one day left and something has to happen....grrr). I know she needs water to produce milk, if I can't get her to drink does anyone know how long it will take for her milk to dry up? Would it be wrong to put the pups with my dog to ensure they get milk?

Any suggestions would be helpful.

also she did leave a contact number for another breeder (for a just in case) but I keep getting the machine.......

Answer:
I would contact her vet explain your situation I know a breeder and her vet makes house calls. Maybe the vet can offer some advice this is starting to sound dangerous to both mother and pups. Why would a responsible breeder leave a mom and new pups this early?

Answer:
Her vet is closed until 8am tomorrow morning, I already called the number.

I would like to point out that she's not an irresponsible breeder, dispite what you might think. She had no reason to think anything would happen, she's only been breeding for 30 years. I have taken care of MANY litters for her in the past with no trouble. For that matter I was the one who delivered my dogs puppies 4 1/2 weeks ago, and have been raising those puppies the entire time. We have had very little trouble. There was no reason for her to think that going away for 3 days would be a problem. She talked to another breeder in the area to help me incase there was trouble. If I could get her on the phone, I wouldn't have posted here.

All I'm trying to figure out is what I can do until tomorrow, when the breeder gets home, or I can call the vet or even get in touch with the other breeder.

I find it funny that every time I have a question everyone chews off my head and my breeders head. It really sucks that everyone on here is so eager to start a fight, instead of offering assistance.?!?!?

Well I found an eye dropper and got some water in her, so I'll just get up every couple hours and keep doing that to at least keep her hidrayted.

Thanks for nothing

Answer:
Sorry, but you seem to post questions that make this breeder not look too great...

I hope you can get a hold of somebody tomorrow and the dam recovers...

I don't know how else to force a dog to drink other than giving fluids at the vet...

Answer:
There is a lot of information that is in your 2nd post, and you are very quick to jump on people just because they can't give you the help you want. I have to admit though, that leaving to go on a boat seams a little odd to me, if the bredder's dog just had pups...

Answer:
I find it funny that every time I have a question everyone chews off my head and my breeders head. It really sucks that everyone on here is so eager to start a fight, instead of offering assistance.?!?!?
Sorry you feel this way but you won't find very many breeders or vetenarians on this site. You seem to have quite a bit of experience raising and delivering puppies .. we are mostly pet owners ourselves or rescuers. Their may of been members who could of helped but they obviously were not on line or certainly they would of offered their assistance.
Well I found an eye dropper and got some water in her, so I'll just get up every couple hours and keep doing that to at least keep her hidrayted
Good thinking and good luck, we hope she get's seen by a vet as soon as possible as nursing mom's can get dehydrated very fast when not eating/drinking and having diarrhea

Answer:
Just an update to let everyone know that the dog is fine. The breeder called the next morning. As the mother was still cleaning the pups and they we're still feeding, there was nothing to worry about. She told me to add a bit of cheese to her wet food, and she'd be fine. It took a little while but by the end of the day, she was fine, eating drinking all that.

Answer: