New momma poodle acting lethargic

Question
Dear Dr. Fry,

  We are new breeders of AKC miniature poodles.  We have both parents, and had a litter of 6 (!) healthy puppies born Jan. 9 (63 days after 1st mating).  During the pregnancy, Lady's behavior and personality were AWESOME.  My wife even allowed her to sleep in our bed - quite an accomplishment!  

   Since the birth, Lady has decided that bladder and bowel control are not high priorities, and takes little interest in her babies except to lick their privates - without regard to nursing them.  At this point we basically have to make her lie down and stay with her until the puppies are done.  We are working on introducing regular food to the puppies and they are tolerating it well, but we aren't sure if they are ready for to be completely weened yet.

   Today, Feb 9, I found Lady in her pen having wet and apparently thrown up.  She is acting fairly listless, not even showing interest in licking her puppies.  She ate very little, drank nothing, and just seems out of it.  She appears to have slightly labored breathing, and was shaking.  After feeding the puppies and eating, she just went and layed down at the side of the kitchen.  She is usually significantly more active, and more interested in food.

   We are concerned that she may have gotten some bad food from the trash can (another bad habit I'd like to break), or perhaps some other problem has developed.  Do these symptoms point to anything in particular in your experience?  Any advice would be appreciated, and feel free to ask more questions.  Thank you!

     Daniel

Answer
You need to get her to the vet.  She may have low blood sugar or low calcium levels causing her weakness.  Or she could have developed a uterine infection.   Her behavior is not a typical response for a mother, and I would not wait to get her medical attention.