Beagle Puppies Death

Question
Hi, my husband and I bred our two pure bred beagles in Nov. and the bitch gave birth four days ago on Jan. 15th. She is about a year old and this is her first litter as far as we know. She had a litter of nine, one was born with the intestines hanging out and had to be put down. The others all survived the night with some big and some small. The second night, we lost one of the larger females. Then the next day we lost a male and a female. The first two seemed to die for no reason. The third had yellow fluid coming out of her nose and mouth. I was thinking infection. That night, three more died. We were told by the vet, that they could have a problem with their palettes and be getting fluid into their lungs. There are two left and they seem to be healthy. Is this normal? They have a whelping box with sides, but we often catch the bitch laying on some and we don't know if she just doesn't know how to care for them. If we ever breed her again, should we keep an eye on her 24/7? Please give me your opinion.

Answer
Hi Devin. If the puppies suffered from cleft palate, then you should be able to tell just by running your finger at the roof of their mouths. You may want to reconsider breeding her again, especially if you had puppies that suffered from cleft palate in this litter. It's hereditary, and can be passed on. Also, you may keep running into it with each litter. Your breed is known for this disorder, so is mine, the Boxer. However, there are other things that can cause this as well. Before you breed her again, I'd try to find out from her breeder if her mom produced any pups with this problem. THe breeder may not want to say, as sadly, some don't want to tell others of the problems that they have in their own lines.

She may not know how to care for them. She is awfully young. If you do decide to breed her again, I'd keep a really good eye on her. If she acts the same way with the next litter, then again, I would seriously reconsider breeding her ever again. I know I'm not bringing good news, but this is my opinion, and take it as that. It's your dog, and your decision. I'd really try to find out everything you can before you breed her again though. Good luck, and if I can help with anything else, let me know!