Discharge after whelping

Question
My Pit Bull gave birth 10 days ago.  She had 5 healthy pups.  The 3rd pup is half the size of the others.  Will he need special care?  I make sure he gets a chance to feed before his siblings and he seems to be doing just fine despite the size difference.  Also is it normal for the dam to have some discharge?  It's reddish brown.  There's not a whole lot of it but I wipe her a couple of times a day just so it doesn't get on the sheets.  This is our 1st litter so I'm not sure if I should be worried or not.  Thanks for being there.  It's great of you to answer questions of concerned owners.

Answer
Hi Tanya:

A bitch will normally have some vaginal discharge following whelping but it shouldn't continue for very long nor be heavy in flow. If I were you, I'd have your vet examine her to be sure all the puppies were delivered - a retained puppy or placenta can cause a life-threatening uterine infection called Pyometra. The other signs to watch for with this are a foul odor emitting from her vaginal region & an increased thirst. She's probably just fine but better safe than sorry.

The little puppy may need some extra help from you, particularly during the first few weeks. It's great you're already helping by allowing him a head start on nursing. I'd definitely continue that & realize the older the litter becomes, the stronger & more vigorous they get during nursing. It's a perfect example of "survival of the fittest."

Please let me know if you have any other questions - I can imagine with this being your first experience it can seem scary but it sounds like you're doing very well. Just the fact that you obviously truly care about your girl & her pups speaks volumes! I can easily send you some good links for sites that may help you even more, if you'd like. If so just give me a holler. Hang in there & don't hesitate if I can help ease your mind in any way!