A friend of my brother has a dog and she just gave birth to some puppies and wile she was doing it she started eating one of the pupps soposely he call a vet and he said that that was normal that sometimes the mom do that because they notice that something is wrong with the pupp and that they it them???!!!!!!
I want to know more a bout this I think It's not normal at all!
2007-01-27 05:14:41 · 14 answers · asked by nati 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
It is normal for dogs and many other animals as well. If the puppy is born dead or seriously defective, the mother dog will eat it.
The behavior is "left over" from when dogs were wild animals and didn't get a big dish of kibbles to eat every day. The mother dog has put a lot of energy into the pregnancy and she will also need to put a lot of energy into nursing her new puppies, so she "recycles" the defective ones.
It doesn't mean the mother dog is mean or crazy. She's a dog and we can not judge her by human standards.
Humans don't eat defective babies, but in many cultures, especially in the past, defective or weak babies were "exposed" and left to die.
2007-01-27 05:24:34 · answer #1 · answered by Char 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
How many pups a dog may have can be effected by many different things: the age of the female, the female's fertility, the breed of the male (and how big the resulting pups are), how potent the male was, how many times the female was bred, etc. Although many dogs have at least 2 puppies in a litter, having one is generally nothing to worry about. But if you're concerned, take your dog to the vet. Experienced vets can tell just by "palpating" (feeling) the mother dog's abdomen if all of the pups have come out and the uterus is in good shape.
2016-03-29 05:07:56 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sadly and unfortunately it does happen. There are various reasons why mothers eat their young. Sometimes it is because they are nervous (a lot of activity around the nest can cause that). Also if a puppy is dead, they will eat it to get it away from the nest.
2007-01-27 05:25:29 · answer #3 · answered by HDB 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Tell your brother's friend to get a book on whelping puppies. The dog is not eating her puppies.
2007-01-27 05:43:50 · answer #4 · answered by woooh! 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well they say that they know when the puppies are born wrong and they eat them so they wont see them suffer. it is normall dont worry if not then ask the vet more questions about this.
2007-01-27 05:28:24 · answer #5 · answered by i <3 [[P.IT]] 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
for all my experience i know that mothers eat all the placenta as the puppies are been born and the mother will push aside or ignore the sick or abnormal ones its the way of nature but i have never known a mother to eat her babies
2007-01-27 05:28:20 · answer #6 · answered by majella h 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, I've heard of dogs eating the amneotic sac around the pups...they do eat that because it gives them important nutrients they need, but actually eating a pup, no.
2007-01-27 05:41:49 · answer #7 · answered by ♥Catherine♥ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
THIS IS NORMAL! THE DOG WILL EAT ITS PUPPIES IF IT SENSES THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH IT. THE PUPPY COULD HAVE BEEN SICK OR HAD SOME KIND OF HEALTH PROBLEM, SO IT EATS IT BECAUSE ITS PROBABLY GONNA DIE ANYWAY. SO THE ANSWER IS YES ITS NORMAL, IT NATURE. ~QUAN~
2007-01-27 05:49:09 · answer #8 · answered by QUAN 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A dog would kill her puppies if she suspected a health problem, I have never heard of eating them. Id double check with your friend.
2007-01-27 05:26:15 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
i have heard of this. i think your friend is mistaken, the dog probably ate a sack the puppies were born in. it helps replenish the dogs blood supply. that may be what the vet was referring to.
2007-01-27 05:22:35 · answer #10 · answered by insane 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋