What to Do When a New Puppy Forgets How to Suckle

If your puppy has forgotten how to suckle, you must take steps to ensure that it is receiving an adequate amount of food and nutrition. Puppies obtain food from their mothers, and in order to receive that food, they must suckle. If not, they can die from starvation. If your puppy has forgotten how to perform this essential task, you must try to encourage it to do so. If it still refuses, you need to feed the puppy yourself.

Things You'll Need

Puppy bottle
Puppy replacement milk
Soft catheter

Instructions

- 1
  Stroke the puppy gently under its neck when it is near its mother's teat. Doing so will often encourage the puppy to suckle. If it still doesn't, try to feed it from a bottle.
- 2
  Purchase a puppy bottle from your pet store or veterinarian office, along with puppy replacement milk. Pour the recommended amount of formula for your puppy based on its weight. Hold the bottle upside-down to check the flow of the liquid from the nipple. The milk should drip, not pour, out of the nipple. Insert the nipple into the puppy's mouth. Sometimes, a puppy becomes agitated when it has to compete with other puppies for food and can refuse to suckle as a result. Feeding the pup from a bottle can help eliminate that agitation, and the pup might suckle again in the calm, nurturing environment. Gently stroke the pup under its neck to encourage it to suck. If it still refuses, you will need to tube feed the puppy.
- 3
  Consult with your veterinarian about tube-feeding your puppy. Tube feeding involves inserting a soft catheter into the puppy's nose so that it reaches into its stomach. You then give the puppy the food through the catheter. The veterinarian will instruct you on how to insert the tube into the nose and how far to go in. He will also provide you with the necessary supplies and tell you how much replacement milk to give, based on the puppy's weight. If you have never tube-fed a puppy, do not attempt it without consulting a veterinarian.