Having to feed a newborn puppy is a very complicated task that requires dedication and time The puppy is a very sensitive being that It needs constant care from you. Do not offer to do it if you do not have all the time available or at least one trusted person to help you.
The most common reasons that lead to having to feed a newborn puppy are the abandonment or rejection of the dog and although it is a wonderful experience, we emphasize the importance of the dog nursing him. If you find yourself in this situation, read and follow all the recommendations that we give you on our site, because the risk of them dying is high, find out how how to feed a newborn puppy
Newborn puppy's temperature and environment
All over the world, and usually attached to pet shelters or shelters, there are so-called shelters for dogs and cats that have just arrived in the world. If you think you will not be able to care for newborns due to the multiple demands that this entails, we recommend that you go to these people and leave them in their care.
- To start, you'll need to create a stable environment for the puppies. A cardboard box, a comfortable carrier or a basket will suffice.
- Dogs will need a body temperature between 20ºC or 22ºCIt is very important that we respect this temperature and never raise or lower it, even in winter because the puppies cannot regulate it themselves. We can get a bag of water that we will change regularly, a thread that maintains heat or an electric mat (always covered and protected by towels preventing them from gnawing the cables). We will be very attentive to temperature control.
- We will cover the heat source with a towel and over it with a blanket, isolating them well from direct contact.
- Once the environment has been created and with the puppies inside, we will cover the basket with a blanket, leaving a gap through which air can pass. It must look like a burrow.
- As an extra recommendation we can add a clock covered by a blanket that will simulate the beating of the mother's heart.
Puppies that are less than 15 days old are easy to identify, as they have not yet opened their eyes. It is important to keep in mind that we must not touch them outside feeding times.
Feeding a newborn puppy
The main cause of death in puppies is incorrect feeding.
If we have found some newborn dogs on the street, we must bear in mind that it is very likely that they will not survive since they need to be fed every 3 or 4 hoursIf you miss any of the shots your chances of surviving drop drastically.
How do I feed a newborn dog?
- We will go to a veterinary clinic or center quickly and after discussing the case with them they will provide us with no problem artificial formula milk However, we can also You can make homemade infant formula at home, an emergency solution, until you go to the specialist.
- We must get several bottles, one for each member of the litter. It is important that each one has their own, because in case of pneumonia or another type of disease, it would be very easily transmitted from one to another. It is also important that we have one or two teats for each bottle, and observe which one best suits the dog's snout.
- We will heat the milk briefly and check that it is lukewarm.
- We will take the first puppy and (with the teat full of milk without a drop of air) we will stimulate him to wake him up He will be in the position normal dog, on "four legs" we will never hold him like a human baby, and finally we will administer milk (about 10 milligrams).
- It doesn't matter if he consumes a little more, what is important is that we never feed him less than those amounts.
- We will be very attentive when giving him milk and if we notice that he makes an excessive or strange noise or that he expels the milk through his nose we will immediately go to a clinic vetThose are signs that the milk has gone to the lungs. That's why we stress the importance of not cradling him like a baby.
- After ingestion, with a cotton garment or a wet wipe for newborn babies, we will massage the genitals and observe that at that very moment he pees and poops. This procedure is done by the bitch with her tongue under normal conditions. It is important that we do not forget this step
- Finally and after all the puppies have been fed we will wash the bottles with boiling water, without using any detergent. To know which one belongs to each puppy, we can make a mark or buy them in different colors.
Once the feeding process of each of the dogs in the litter is finished, they will go back to the basket that must continue at the temperature indicated in the interior section. We will never stop feeding a single dog, even if we see him asleep or apathetic.
It is very important that we continue to drink milk every 3 - 4 hours, otherwise the newborn dog could die. In addition, we should never store any leftover milk for more than 12 hours.
Puppy Development
From the first day we will weigh each of the puppies and write down their weight in a table. To be sure that they eat what corresponds to them and observe a correct development, we must check that every day everyone increases their weight by 10% If this increase in weight is found something below we must provide a little more food.
Until 2 - 3 weeks of life we will strictly follow this feeding ritual every 3 - 4 hours including obviously at nightIt is convenient that we have someone who can help us in this process and who comes to our home to feed them and watch them if we are not there.
After 3 weeks we will begin to extend the intake time and it will be a gradual change. The first two days will be every 4 - 5 hours, the next two every 5 - 6 hours and so on until 4 weeks of age. In addition, in these three weeks we will increase the dose up to 15 milliliters or 20 if you accept them We will never force you to drink more.
At 4 weeks we will already see more restless, active and developed puppies. It is time to reduce their milk consumption by 5% and give them for the first time a tablespoon of wet food, wet food or pâté. Always soft food.
From the moment he starts to eat soft food we will gradually reduce the dose of milk until weaning him after a month and a half, in which he will only eat wet food and special soft food for puppies.
What else do you need to know to care for a newborn dog
If at the time of feeding you find a puppy apathetic and barely moving, he may be suffering from a drop in blood pressure. Using a syringe without a tip, apply sugar water to its mouth or stick some honey on its snout, which it will suck little by little.
It is important to know that bottle-fed puppies lack some of the natural defenses provided by their mother's milk. We will completely remove them from the street and we will not let any dog near them. Besides, we won't bathe them either.
If we see fleas, ticks or any other parasite it is very important that we go to the vet as soon as possible, he will know what to do. Do not try to remove them yourself with repellents under any circumstances.
From 6 - 8 weeks will be the ideal time for us to go to the vet and administer the first vaccinations such as the distemper, hepatitis, parovirus, coronavirus, parainfluenza and Leptospira. From then on we will take you regularly to give you the boosters and other vaccines that are given at an older age. It is also the ideal time to implant the chip and register the animal in someone's name, very important in case it gets lost or any problem occurs.
Breastfeeding problems
The chances of success of an entire litter are not always 100% since on some occasions, and unintentionally, we may not follow all the steps or the puppy is affected by some problem.
Below we offer you the most common breastfeeding problems:
When drinking from a bottle, puppies can sometimes choke. This echo is sometimes due to a bad position at the time of feeding the puppies. It can become very serious and lead to the death of the animal, for this reason we recommend that you go to the vet as soon as possible, who will show you how to use a probe
You observe the puppy weak and without strength. Is the puppy taking the amounts that he should? If you are not sure that he drinks the right amounts, you should make sure that he complies with his diets by putting the exact amount in the bottle (and even a little more) and making sure that he drinks it. Of course, never force it
The puppy has a fever. This is a very common problem that can be a consequence of a lack of temperature stability or lack of power. You should go to the emergency vet to make sure that his life is not in danger
If you have any strange symptom in the behavior of the puppies you should go to the veturgently because sometimes, and due to their weak immune system, they won't have much chance of surviving if treatment isn't administered in record time.
And so far our article to know how to feed a newborn puppy, comment and share your suggestions!
