What do I do to care for the newborn puppies?
The mother should spend most of her time with her puppies during the first few days after birth. For the first month of life, puppies require very little care from the owner because their mother will feed and care for them. In fact, in the vast majority of cases, the pet owner should not interfere with the mothers care.
The puppies should be kept warm and should nurse frequently. They should be checked every few hours to ensure they are warm and well fed. The mother should be checked to make certain that she is producing adequate and normal-appearing milk.
If the mother does not stay in the whelping box the majority of the time, the puppies body temperatures must be closely monitored. If the puppies are cold, supplemental heating should be provided but caution needs to be taken to avoid burns as puppies do not have the same reactions to heat as adult dogs do. During the first four days of life, the newborn puppies box and external environment should be maintained at 85° to 90°F (29.4° to 32.2°C). The temperature may gradually be decreased to 80°F (26.7°C) by the seventh to tenth day and to 72°F (22.2°C) by the end of the fourth week. If the litter is large, the external temperature does not have to be kept as warm. As puppies huddle together, their body heat provides additional warmth.
If the mother feels the puppies are in danger or if there is too much light, she may become anxious and not produce adequate milk. Placing a sheet or cloth over the top of the box to obscure much of the light may resolve the problem. An enclosed box is also an excellent solution. Some dogs, especially first-time mothers, are more nervous than others. Such dogs may attempt to hide their young, even from the owner. Moving the puppies from place to place may endanger the puppies if they are placed in a cold or drafty location. Dogs with this behavior should be caged or confined in a secure, secluded area. This type of mother has also been known to kill her puppies, intentionally or inadvertently, presumably as a means of protecting them from danger.
When do puppies start being nursed?
When a puppy is whelped, the dam should typically immediately turn her attention to the puppy. She will vigorously begin licking the puppy. She will eat any of the membranes (placenta, too) on the puppy. The puppy will be kept very close to the dam’s body.
The puppy, as soon as it is cleaned and stimulated by the dam, will seek out the dam’s body and teat, and ask for nourishment. If the dam is still laboring the puppy may not be able to continually nurse until its littermates are finally whelped. When all puppies are whelped, all the litter will be focused on sucking and staying close to its mother’s warm body. Puppies naturally will nurse every two hours on average. They are born with an amazing package of instincts that tie them to the dam, and more often than not, they need no interference from any human being.
In a first litter, the dam’s labor will be longer and there may be more interruption in the nursing of the delivered puppies. However, each puppy will naturally seek out and begin to nurse as soon as it is whelped. The puppy does not need to see its dam in order to recognize her. That recognition more than likely begins even before birth. This is thanks to the rooting instinct in which the puppy finds the teat, and stimulates the flow and production of milk.
Puppies will nurse until they are approximately four weeks old and puppies should be fully weaned by six weeks of age. Dams will begin to wean their offspring over a period of time, gradually. Weaning is best for the dam and for the puppies because a dam will gradually have her milk supply dry up, and the nutritional needs for the puppy will start requiring actual foods.
If nursing is prematurely and suddenly stopped, the dam will experience uncomfortable engorgement, and possibly mastitis—an infection of the mammary gland. If for some reason a dam is not available, softened solids can be introduced as early as three weeks. Weaning off puppies is best done gradually. The eruption of the milk teeth at around three weeks will cause the dam some discomfort when a puppy nurses and the dam will naturally start weaning her puppies.
A cookie sheet of puppy chow can be set out for puppies beginning at three weeks of age. The puppy chow should be softened with some puppy formula or with water.
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Mother dog won’t let puppies nurse; mother dog not producing milk for puppies
Newborn puppies are just like any other babies: their time is spent eating and sleeping and being cute. Most dogs are naturally good mothers and will see to the needs of their babies. Typically your only job will be to monitor the puppies physical condition to ensure their health.
Newborn puppies need to nurse roughly every two hours. Their mother will stay with them most of the time, which allows them to eat whenever they need to. As they mature, the time between feedings increases, until at around four or five weeks the pups are old enough to start weaning and transition to solid food.
The mother dogs milk contains all the nutrients that a newborn puppy needs. It is vital that puppies be able to nurse from their mother at least for the first 24 hours of their lives. This is necessary because the mothers milk contains colostrum, a substance that provides important antibodies to the puppies to guard them from infection for the first few months until they start producing their own antibodies.
As you monitor your dogs litter, all the puppies should be nursing heartily and be plump, gaining weight consistently. If you notice that any of the pups dont seem to be gaining weight or nursing enough or at all, you shouldnt hesitate to contact your veterinarian for an immediate visit. Puppies can become sick quickly if they arent getting sufficient nutrition. Other signs that you should consult your vet about are vomiting, diarrhea, coughing or difficulty breathing, and continuous crying.
There are unfortunate occasions when you might need to bottle-feed a puppy, either to supplement nutrition for a small, weak pup or for the whole litter if the mother is unable or unavailable to nurse her babies. In these cases, the most favorable situation will be that the babies were able to nurse for at least their first 24 hours or longer. When it is necessary to bottle-feed, you can get puppy milk replacement formula from your vet or at a pet supply store, along with puppy-sized bottles. You will need to feed the puppy on schedule (every two hours for those under two weeks old), but your vet will be able to provide advice on feeding frequency based on the puppys age and condition. She will also show you how to safely feed your pup from a bottle.
Always check with your veterinarian before changing your pet’s diet, medication, or physical activity routines. This information is not a substitute for a vet’s opinion.
Elle Di Jensen has been a writer and editor since 1990. She began working in the fitness industry in 1987, and her experience includes editing and publishing a workout manual. She has an extended family of pets, including special needs animals. Jensen attended Idaho and Boise State Universities. Her work has appeared in various print and online publications.