Has your dog just given birth? Do you have an orphan puppy to take care of? In both scenarios, caring for a newborn puppy or puppies is always a tricky thing. From feeding the puppies rightly to offering them a warm and cozy environment, high-quality care is extremely crucial to get healthy puppies. We recommend following this guide to do proper newborn puppy care.
Prepare The Puppy Bed
The first step of proper newborn puppy care is to prepare the bed for your dog and puppies. The dog bed should be large enough to accommodate the mother dog and her puppies. You can get a whelping box where the pregnant dog can give birth and reside with her newborns. Make sure to create a separate space for puppies to prevent their mother from lying on them. Also, manage to place a polyester fleece or thick towels to keep the bed dry. However, you will need to change these towels often. Don’t forget to place a heating mat on the bed to keep little puppies cozy whenever their mother is away. If you have got an orphan puppy, get a small bed, make it warm enough, and place it in a quiet and cozy place.
Initial Handling & Care
Do not take newborn puppies in your hand for the first 3-4 days. Afterward, limit the handling and handle them only when required. Let the puppies bond with their mother during the first week. However, make sure to check their body temperature every day by slightly touching them. If it’s an orphan puppy, you need to keep it warm using a heating pad or lamp. Remember not to overheat your device as it can lead to redness on the puppy’s body. Also, weigh the puppy or puppies for the first 3 or 4 weeks. You can keep a record of their weight to ensure you are giving them the right nutrition. Keep the puppies away from other people and pets.
Feeding The Puppies
Newborn puppies can’t see until they are 9-10 days old. Although they will search for their mother’s nipples and latch on themselves, you may need to help if this isn’t the case. Wash your hands, pick the puppies one by one, and place them against a nipple. If the puppies still couldn’t find the nipple, open their mouth gently from one hand and squeeze the nipple from another hand. If it’s a puppy without the mother, you need to bottle feed him or her. Remember not to mix mother feed with bottle feed. Get a bitch’s milk substitute from a pet store and mix it with hot water before using it. Feed the puppy every 2-3 hours for the first two weeks and then every 4 hours. Other puppy feeding considerations to follow:
- Do not use human baby milk formula, cow, or got milk.
- Use a bottle designed for puppy feeding. Sterilize them from time to time.
- You can use dilute evaporated milk temporarily.
- After feeding an orphan puppy, rub their belly gently.
Offering Healthcare
Providing subtle healthcare to newborn puppies is extremely crucial. You need to give a worming product to the puppy once it is 2 weeks old. Besides this, apply flea treatment to the puppies once they are 6 weeks old. Never give flea treatment to a newborn puppy. Some treatments may require waiting for at least 8 weeks. Once the puppies are 6 weeks old, start immunizing them. Seek a good veterinarian for regular immunization.
Opt for proper newborn puppy care with the help of this guide to ensure your little puppies stay healthy and happy!
