One of the most important things once you have new puppies born is getting them to nurse. If you are struggling to get your babies to nurse you can read this article but most of all, watch the video below, where I show you how to manually latch a puppy to nurse on the momma dog.
Why Is It So Important?
Puppies get the much-needed first milk, or colostrum, from the mother after being born. I have had many litters where a puppy is half-born and already nursing. There is nothing better than having a brand new litter of puppies born and they are already all nursing.
Sometimes you get what I call a gaspy puppy — looking like they are trying to breathe. Sometimes that can be normal as they work their lungs and start breathing. Sometimes they have gotten fluid down into their lungs, throat or nasal cavity. I like to use an electronic nose sucker because that clears the nasal passage so well. Fluid in the lungs can clear on its own if it's not too much — but a puppy with a lot of fluid in their lungs will typically be very poor at latching.
Sometimes if I can't get a pup to latch, I will let them have a 30 minute break from trying and then go back again. I am always careful never to express a bunch of milk from mom and pool it near the pup's nose or throat because they can aspirate that way.
I originally made this video because a friend of mine in Nevada had a litter via C-section and the baby pup was not latching. I hurried to take this video for her after she texted me. She called me back after watching it and said she didn't realize she needed to get that nipple all the way in. When she called me — the pup was nursing!! No better feeling than watching a newborn puppy nurse their mama. 🐾
Why Do They Need to Nurse Within 4 Hours of Birth?
The intestinal wall of newborn puppies undergoes a significant change after birth in its ability to absorb antibodies from the mother's milk. This process is known as "gut closure." During the first few hours of life, a puppy's intestinal wall is uniquely permeable, allowing the large antibody molecules found in colostrum to pass through and enter the puppy's bloodstream — providing crucial passive immunity during their early weeks of life.
This window is limited. The ability to absorb antibodies significantly decreases within the first 12–24 hours after birth and is minimal to nonexistent after about 24 hours. By the time 4 hours have passed, the efficiency of antibody absorption has already begun to decline. The process is gradual — with the highest efficiency in the very early hours — making it essential for puppies to receive colostrum as soon as possible after birth.
Research & Studies
I take the sharing of this information very seriously. Here are links to studies and practical research supporting the information about 'Gut Closure' in newborn puppies:
