my pit bull had one pup earlier today and when i just checked on her it was missing. did she eat it?

Question

I have torn the house apart and still have not found it, nor is there any blood around her or where shes nesting

it didnt disapear. i have looked EVERYWHERE. she is in an enclosed area. nowhere to hide it. puppy was tired but seemed healthy. she has seen the vet already today mother and pup. she had the pup 16 hours ago. and is expecting 4-5 more. had xrays at vet.

thank you for your advise everyone, my friend amy had been doing the typing for me, so i thought i would update. she still has not had the other pups. my vet insists that she is still okay and to call him in the morn i guess we shall see, as for the pup that has gone missing the vet said it is not uncommon for dogs to eat their young if they see a problem. to bad he was a beautiful pup, looked just like his dad, only smaller of course... anyway wish me luck, or i guess wish her luck ill keep updates posted, thank you again for your advise i think im more nervous than the ***** haha, and for the asshole who said that pits were "born killers" you are mistaken that is as stupid as saying that African Americans are born Gang-Bangers . it is all in how you raise them, give them love and they will return it 100 fold. its just ignorant. it is more likely that you were "born stupid"!!!

Answer 1

It's very common for a stressed animal to eat their young. Try keeping a closer eye on her - it's possible that you may have to raise the pups yourself.

Answer 2

I have to ask some questions as I'm not sure what you actually saw.

Did you see the pup? Was it out of the birth sac? Has your dog given birth to any more pups since this morning? Is your pit still in labor? Do you know how many pups she was expecting?

You wrote that you had not seen any blood around her or her nest. Did you change her bedding after the pup was born?

You really need to call your vet or an emergency clinic. Especially if her nesting area shows no evidence of soiling.

I just read your additional comments.
If you haven't already, call your vet about the missing pup and follow his or her recommendations.

You may want to keep a close watch over her tonight and after the pups are born. The mom may need to be watched when the pups are with her.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy litter.

My response to your second comment:
Thanks for the update. I was wondering how your dog was doing and if the other pups had been born yet. I was sorry to hear that the first pup did not survive.

Answer 3

Yes. It sounds like she ate it.

Yes, the pup was probably sick, and she would be better able to determine if it was fit to live than you or a vet. It is also possible that it may have died, and then she ate it.

No. Pit bulls are NOT born killers, and I would know better than the idiots who say different. I raised them for over eight years. All of my females were excellent mothers, and none of them ever hurt their own pups.

No, it was NOT your fault for touching her. You can touch her pups at any time, during or after birth, and it won't have any effect on how the mother will care for the pups. Even with wild animals, this is a myth.

Maybe, your dog is just not a good mother. Some bitches are careless and accidentally crush their pups when they lay down to feed them, step on them, or play with them so rough that it kills them. Some will outright attack their own pups, killing them before they even have a chance to nurse for the first time. You will find some females like these in any breed. If your dog is one of these types, you shouldn't breed her again, as this trait can be passed on.

Watch her closely as the other pups come out. Good luck.

Answer 4

Mom will eat their pups for several reasons, they don't feel safe in the environment or the pup could have been born dead and to keep the den clean the mom will eat the pup to keep predators away and free from disease. If the pup was alive, she could have laid on it, or moved it several times too roughly and killed the pup. And then again, some bitches weren't meant to be mothers. I doubt the newborn wandered off. But I would stay close if she is still giving birth to avoid any other pups disappearing. You may have to take the pups from her and hand feed them if you feel she will do this again.

Answer 5

I have never heard of a dog eating its young. Was the pup healthy, or was it lethargic? If the pup died, the mother may have removed it from the nest. Dogs and cats will often remove dead pups and kits from the nest or move them to the side. Keep looking: it may have crawled away. Also, are you sure the mom didn't move it to a place that she thought was safer? Keep an eye on mom - she may have moved the pup.

Answer 6

It's possible she hid it. Dont underestimate your dog's thinking skills. When my cat had kittens, she would move them everyday, it wasnt untill 2 weeks later when they started making noise that we actually found the litter. The mother will do a very good job of cleaning up any blood or remnants of the birth.

And sometimes if the pup dies on it's own, the mother will properly take care of it by sneaking it outside to bury it.

They are very protective of thier young, don't try looking for it, but instead watch the mother, see if she dissapears or how she acts around you.

Answer 7

She might have eaten it. Did you touch the puppy? There is a limited time when you are aloud to touch it. You should take her to the vet to tell her the problem and she will tell you the solution. But too help if you have a few floors in your house and stairs, you obiously know that the puppy can't go up the stairs. So just be on the look out for anything on that floor. Hope it helped.

Answer 8

I was emailing my breeder, we are actually still friends and here is what he said:

"my guess would be yes..the b_itch ate the pup...if there was only one it sounds like the rest died in her and did not trigger the labour actions....the ***** may have felt threatened and some ******** will eat their pups..I had one rottie do that..my first female..Jewels..ate her entire litter...

or maybe she hid the pup real well..young pups that young will dehydrate to about the size of a small lime or flatten right out...."

Answer 9

Cats and dogs as well as other mammals will eat their young if they detect something wrong with the baby or something very wrong with the whole situation. I had a friend who's cat did the same thing. Dogs and cats don't have a sense of "right" and "wrong" that is the same as humans, so please don't think that your dog is "evil" or something.

Also, please get your dog spayed. The world does not need any more pit bulls or pit mixes. They are a lovely breed of dog and I like them a lot, but currently about 60% of the homeless dogs in my local shelter are pits and pit mixes. The breed is tragically overbed all across the U.S. Get your dog spayed.

Answer 10

I'm gonna say YES. Pits are known for eating their kids. My friends old dog ate 2 1/2 of hers. EEWWW!!! But I think they weren't feeding her to much. I would just feed your dog a lot the next time she's "with puppy". That way when they come out she's already stuffed. Oh yeah don't forget to look under the bed :)