my female akita had only 1 puppy on Sunday, and it died tonight. how can i help her not be sad?

Question

this was to be Destiny's last litter, she is a very healthy, beautiful 5 1/2 years old. im not sure why but she only had 1 puppy, and that one was not healthy. Destiny and her baby just got back from the vet this evening and then her baby died tonight. ( we think she died to fading puppy syndrome) now my akita is walking around the house and crying,... of course that breaks my heart because she is my baby.. is there anything i can do to help her not be so sad. and to keep looking for her dead baby? how long will she continue to do this?

she had two previous litters, her last one was about a year and 1/2 ago. she had 10 healthy puppies in each litter. which really surprised us that she only had 1 this time. We are getting Destiny fixed, and I already had her at the vet today to be checked out. Im not sure what happened, but Destiny had 1 puppy on Sunday, than had another puppy last night, (3 1/2 days later, of course the puppy was not alive) He said that she is fine, and in good health, and she can be spayed as soon as her milk dries up.

o.k. i have had a few people say to contact a shelter. one of our other puppies, a fox terrier is due to have her puppies any day now. if she has a few do i take one from her and let destiny raise it? what if her last puppy died from an infection that destiny passed on to her? the vet today could not tell us what was wrong.

Answer 1

I am so sorry. I read and replied to your post earlier. I have been in your shoes with some of my chihuahua pups. If you thought she might accept other dogs, you could call the shelters in your area and see if they have any pups that need fostering where the mom has died or abandoned the pups.. If not she will be okay in a few days. just give her lots of extra loving.

Cagney is wrong when she says they do not mourn the loss of a pup. They do. Not just when one dies but when their pups leave to go to their new homes. I see huge tears in my mama dogs' eyes.

You can take one or 2 pups from the other dog when she has her babies and give them to the Akita. You have to be very careful and watch that she doesn't hurt them. Also you would need to keep the 2 females seperated or the fox terrier will not be happy o see the Akita with her babies.

Answer 2

As dogs get older, their litters tend to get smaller and less healthy. My fiance's uncle had a mini dachsund that was 6 pounds that he bred and each time she had 2 puppies. The first time the boy died and the girl lived. The second time the girl died and the boy lived. She ended up having C-sections with both of them as she was too small to deliver naturally. This really weakened her and she ended up dying from all her surguries. Also this one lady I know had never fixed her dog, who was 9 (she was not breeding so I don't know why she did not get her fixed), anyway, the dog had 7 puppies and 4 died because they were sick because the mom was old and weak. Also, having puppies is harder on older female dogs and the dog as well as the puppies can die if the birth is to difficult and the mommy dog not big and strong. I don't know what the right age is to stop breeding dogs, but I do know if you are not using the dogs to breed, then get them fixed at 6 months old, or right before their first heat. Bigger dogs go into heat later than little dogs, and also my vet said that you should put it off as long as possible to make sure the dog is healthy enough and big and strong enough for the surgery.

As for your dog, you could get some puppies who lost their mom and let your dog be a surrogate mother to them. Or just get a puppy, a cat, or some other small pet for your dog to bond with. A puppy or a cat/kitten would work well too. Then she won't feel so lonely and maybe she can nurse the puppies because she will have milk that would have been for her puppies.

Answer 3

I'm very sorry to hear that the puppy died. Why not contact one of the animal shelters or similar organization in your area and see if they have puppies that need a mom. You can foster the litter if Destiny will allow it until it is time to give the puppies back. This might make mom feel better and it helps the foster puppies out.

Answer 4

Congratulations on your puppy. Akitas are great dogs and NOT vicious as someone else suggested. They are considered a National Treasure in Japan. They do require firm and consitent leadership, and need to be properly socialized and trained. Learn all you can about the breed. I would start with the link below. Since they are originally a Japanese breed, everyone tends to look for Japanese names. So if you want to be unique, go somewhere else for a name. Mine are named for figures out of Greek and Roman mythology. And whatever you do, avoid Kuma or Bear - there have probably been more Akitas given those names than any other. Kuma = bear in Japanese, BTW.

Answer 5

Oh that is so sad!!! I was so hoping the puppy would pull through. That is just heart breaking! I would see if she will accept a stuffed animal. She is still having her maternal instincts and without her baby, she doesn't understand what is going on not to mention she is full of milk and probably feeling a lot of pressure due to that and needs relief. Show her tons of affection and try to distract her. Try the stuffed animal thing, about the same size as her pup. This worked for my aunt when this happened to her Sheltie. (but her pup died from under developed lungs) Talk to your vet about something to help dry up her milk faster so she can have some relief. I am so sorry you both are having to go through this. Bless your hearts!

Answer 6

There was so much good advice given. I feel so sad for poor Destiny and also for you because, like you said,you're watching your baby suffer too . Destiny was used to the process of pregnancy and then the results of Having the beautiful reward and then the mother instinct of taking care of them after wards. But this time was so strangely different for her. It seems like there really should be more that the Vet should be able to do for her. Maybe some kind of extra hormones and vitamins to help her through all of the stress she has gone through.

Luv and Blessings to you both.

Answer 7

I'm sorry! One thing I do know that I didn't see listed already. Did she see the dead pup? Animals aren't like humans- when something's not there they look for it, not listen to someone else break the news to them. I know it sounds wierd, but sometimes it's better to let her have some time with the dead pup...dogs know when something is dead, they will sniff it and they know that it's no longer a puppy or anything else. It helps them let it go. I would let her see the pup then just let her cry, it's going to be hard, but she has to get through it. Don't scold her, just show her some love. Make sure that you make her mind tho or she'll learn that whining will get her rewards.

Answer 8

Usually a few days. Having only one pup is a sign that her best breeding days are behind her (especially since it wasn't well) , so I'm glad you've already decided that this is her last. Stay with her as much as you can, encourage her to rest quietly with you. I know it's hard, but try not to act upset yourself, Akitas are smart and will pick up on your mood. So try to be calm and quiet, give her calm attention like brushing and petting, and try not to get upset by her crying (or at least don't show that you're upset) because that might encourage her to be even more upset than she already is.

Answer 9

i'm sorry for you and your dog's loss. dog's do not grieve the loss of a pup the same way we do. she may be out of sorts for a few days or so. i'm not saying she's not sad, but the stress of being at the vet for the day and then her pup dying was difficult for her. just show her affection and keep her on her routine,this will help her to feel secure. and as soon as she's healthy take her into be spayed. if she seems lethargic or sick though call your vet immediatly. good luck.

Answer 10

Sadly there is not much that you can do except wait it out. She may continue to act that way for a week, but it may last longer. I would just be sure to giver her lots of attention.

I am sorry to hear about the puppy, it is always hard to loose a dog but it seems worse when it is just a little puppy.