Expert: Jannie Balliett - 1/8/2012

Question
I have a 5 year old boxer that just had her first litter of pups. She had 11 with 1 being stillborn. Then all but 3 off them died. They would get stiff like they were having a seizure then go limp. After about 3 or4 times of doing this the puppy would die. Would you know why this would happen?

Answer
Sounds as though they were too cold and not nested properly in a whelping box with a heat lamp, draped, etc.

Do not have puppies until you educate yourself on the whelping and care of newborn puppies. This is what happens when you leave it up to "nature" to deal with on it's own.

That many puppies cannot possibly have seizures, nor does a seizure cause a puppy to go "stiff." They would convulse and shake.

The "stiffness" came after the shivering just before they died of being too cold.

Unless you did have a whelping box that was heated and inside out of the weather in a controlled environment,  and properly equipped and they still died.. I have no clue.

Sorry to be so blunt but this angers me to hear that many puppies- almost the entire litter, died. It is not nature- it is an improper knowledge of newborn care. I've never heard of this in my 20 years.