Eclampsia in Nursing Dogs: Signs and Emergency Care

What causes it

Milk is rich in calcium. As a mother dog nurses, calcium moves out of her blood and into the milk. Her body normally replaces it from her food and her bones. In eclampsia, her body cannot keep up, and the level in her blood falls. Nerves and muscles need calcium to work normally. When it drops too low, the nerves become overexcited, and the muscles start to twitch, tremble, and cramp.

Most cases appear when the puppies are one to four weeks old, around the time milk production peaks. Rarely, it starts late in pregnancy. It can also start during the birth itself, where low calcium can make labor more difficult. Cats can develop the same problem around birth and nursing, but it is uncommon in them.

Eclampsia comes from the mother's own calcium balance. It is not an infection, so it cannot spread to other dogs, cats, or people, and the puppies do not catch it.

Dogs at higher risk

Any mother dog can develop eclampsia, whatever her breed or litter size. Some are more likely to.

• Small and toy breeds, such as Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, Toy Poodles, Miniature Pinschers, and Shih Tzus
• Mothers nursing a large litter for their size
• Mothers who ate a poor or unbalanced diet during pregnancy and nursing, including homemade diets that are not complete
• Mothers given calcium supplements during pregnancy
• Very devoted mothers who rarely leave the puppies to eat and rest

Extra calcium during pregnancy raises the risk because it makes the body turn down its own system for controlling blood calcium. When nursing begins and demand jumps, that system is too slow to respond. For this reason, vets generally advise against calcium supplements and large amounts of dairy during pregnancy unless the vet has prescribed them.

Signs to watch for

The first signs are easy to miss, because they can look like the normal fuss of a new mother. She may pant heavily and seem restless or anxious. Her walk may look stiff and stilted.

As calcium keeps falling, the signs become clearer.

• Trembling, twitching, or muscle spasms, often in the legs or face
• Whining, pacing, or drooling
• Rubbing her face with her paws or along the floor
• Wobbly or stiff legs, weakness, or being unable to stand
• Confusion, unusual irritability or aggression, or strong reactions to noise and touch
• A high body temperature and a fast heartbeat
• Seizures, with the body and legs held rigid
• Collapse

Without treatment, eclampsia can lead to coma and death. The change from mild signs to severe ones can happen within hours.

When it is an emergency

Eclampsia is treated as an emergency every time. Vets recommend calling your vet or the nearest emergency clinic as soon as a nursing or heavily pregnant dog starts trembling, walks stiffly, or seems restless in a way that is out of character. Waiting to see if it passes is not safe, even if she seems to settle for a while. It helps to tell the clinic she is nursing so they can prepare.

While you get ready to leave, it is best to take the puppies away so they cannot nurse. They can stay together in a box with a warm blanket, and either come with you or stay with someone who can keep them warm. Keep the mother somewhere quiet and calm, and handle her gently. A dog in this state can be confused and may bite, even if she is normally gentle. If she has a seizure, keep your hands away from her mouth and move anything she could hit.

Vets advise against treating her at home with calcium tablets, milk, or other supplements. Home treatment loses time, and the treatment that works quickly is given into a vein at the clinic. If you are fostering for a rescue, call the vet first and let the rescue know as soon as you can.

How vets diagnose and treat it

Vets often suspect eclampsia straight away from the history and the signs. A small mother dog with tremors a few weeks after giving birth is a very typical picture. Because the condition is urgent, treatment often starts before test results are back. A blood test confirms that calcium is low. The vet may also check her blood sugar, since low blood sugar can look similar, and rule out other causes such as poisoning, epilepsy, or infection of the uterus or mammary glands.

The main treatment is calcium given slowly into a vein. Calcium affects the heart, so the vet listens to the heart or watches an ECG monitor while it goes in, and slows down or pauses if the rhythm changes. Many dogs improve within minutes. Depending on how sick she is, she may also receive fluids and medication to stop seizures. Her fever usually settles quickly once the muscle spasms are under control, and the vet will decide whether any cooling is needed.

Once she is stable, the vet will usually send her home with calcium to give by mouth, and sometimes vitamin D, for the rest of the nursing period. It is best to give only the product and amount your vet recommends. When treatment is fast, most dogs are back to normal within hours and recover completely.

Caring for the puppies afterward

Vets usually advise keeping the puppies off their mother for 12 to 24 hours after treatment. During that time they need a puppy milk replacer, fed by bottle or syringe, and steady warmth. Very young puppies cannot control their own body temperature well, so ask your vet how often to feed them and how warm to keep them.

When the puppies go back to her, your vet may suggest topping them up with milk replacer to lighten her load. If eclampsia returns during the same nursing period, the litter usually needs to come off her for good. Puppies younger than about four weeks are then hand-raised on milk replacer, and older puppies are weaned onto puppy food.

How to lower the risk

Good nutrition is the main protection. Through pregnancy and nursing, vets recommend a complete commercial diet made for pregnant and nursing dogs, or a good-quality puppy food. While she is nursing, let her eat and drink as much as she wants, and place food and water where she can reach them without leaving the puppies for long. Calcium supplements and dairy are best avoided during pregnancy unless your vet prescribes them.

A large litter drains a lot of calcium. From about three to four weeks of age, puppies can start on milk replacer and soft puppy food alongside nursing, which reduces how much milk she has to make. Short breaks away from the puppies, so she can eat and rest quietly, also help her.

Eclampsia is likely to come back in future pregnancies. This is one reason to talk with your vet about spaying her once the puppies are weaned and she has recovered.

Rescued and foster mothers

Rescue groups often take in pregnant street dogs, or mothers found with a young litter. Many have eaten poorly for a long time before rescue, and nobody knows their history. A small mother with a big litter who has lived on the street fits the risk picture closely, so foster carers benefit from knowing the signs well.

At Paw Squadron, the first stops after every rescue are the vet and a bath. The vet visit includes a checkup, deworming, and treatment against fleas and other parasites. If you foster a pregnant or nursing mother, ask the vet early about her diet and about when to start extra feeding for a large litter. Keep the numbers of your vet and the nearest emergency clinic at hand until the puppies are weaned, and check on her several times a day. Trembling, stiffness, or heavy panting that seems out of place is a reason to call right away.

Our FAQ answers common questions about adoption, and PawPedia has more guides on caring for mothers and young puppies.