How to care newborn puppies? When a dog arrives at our house for the first time, doubts often arise about how to care for it. If he has just been born, we question almost everything for fear that he may suffer any kind of damage. Some of the most common issues are what you should eat, how we should treat it, how to keep it at an adequate temperature, and so on.
Being more complex than it may seem at first, it is necessary to know important aspects to know how to care for a newborn dog correctly. In a COMO we give you some tips so that you can offer your newborn puppy everything it needs and, thus, the link with your best canine friend is the best possible from the beginning.
Index
- care for a newborn dog – tips
- feed a newborn dog
- How to keep a newborn dog warm
care for a newborn dog – tips
Before entering into the subject, it is important to differentiate between caring for a newborn dog with its mother or, on the other hand, caring for an orphan newborn dog.
Having a mother will always be a great advantage since she usually takes care of her young in her first weeks of life. However,
it is not always possible that puppies are with their mother and raising them with the absence of this is somewhat more complicated.
It should be taken into account that dogs are born without the sense of sight or hearing, that is, they are deaf and blind in the first weeks of life since they have the ear canal and eyes still closed and just developing.
After 12 days, puppies open their eyes and it is in the third week when they develop these senses and even some take their first steps.
Now that we know a little better how newborn puppies are in some important ways, here are some tips to care for a newborn dog:
Quiet and clean environment
It is imperative that puppies are not exposed to the cold in their first weeks of life. Therefore, it is necessary that they be in places with an ambient temperature ranging between 20 ºC and 22 ºC.
To achieve this, you can use bags or bottles filled with warm water wrapped in a cloth to simulate the mother’s heart. In addition, if you do not have his presence,
you can also place a small clock inside the bed so that the dog feels a sound similar to his mother’s heartbeat and does not feel only the moments in his bed.
All this, of course, must be combined with proper hygiene of the area mostly inhabited by the small canine: his bed. Although you do not have to be cleaning the area with very strong products on a daily basis, you have to change the bed or blanket when it becomes dirty and clean that piece of soil with a natural cleaning product or suitable for the hygiene of a house with puppies (you will find in animal products stores).
Follow the vaccination plan
After a month and a half of life, the vaccination plan for a newborn dog begins. It is essential to comply with it so that it does not fall into any disease that affects its growth or its health in general.
Therefore, you should be vaccinated periodically throughout the first year of life and then meet the dates stipulated by the veterinarian to ensure that our dog will grow healthy and strong.
It must be borne in mind that the vaccination plan may change according to the country and region, but that it is necessary to inform and comply with mandatory vaccines. In this other article of COMO, we resolve the question about what vaccines I should give my dog.
Follow the deworming plan
Similarly, internal and external deworming must be taken into account, which must also be organized with the veterinarian and complied with to avoid contagion and disease. In these other posts, we explain how to eliminate fleas in newborn puppies and when to start deworming a puppy.
Pet the puppy and help him walk
There comes a time when the little dog stops crawling and tries to support himself with his four legs to walk and be more independent.
To help him in his learning, it is advisable to caress him from the head to the tail and vice versa, because with this we manage to simulate his mother’s licks if he is not present.
It is a great encouragement for him, which will make him feel more secure.
Likewise, another way to stimulate him to walk is to show him some food, for example, his bottle or if he already starts with some solid food then a piece of it, and move it away a little so that he approaches to look for it.
Although here we have already given you various tips to make your little puppy more comfortable and grow well, we continue to explain more vital points, such as feeding, to care for a newborn puppy in its first weeks properly.
How to care newborn puppies
feed a newborn dog
Another of the most important aspects to take into account the arrival of a newborn dog to our home is that of feeding. We must be very clear that it will depend exclusively on us, so it is our responsibility to eat properly.
In the case that the mother is there, it will be necessary to let her breastfeed him for the necessary time.
However, the usual thing is that we do not have the presence of the mother so that feeding a newborn dog becomes our 100% responsibility. Therefore, it must be clear that to begin, we must give the bottle every 2 or 3 hours.
It is essential that not many hours pass between takes and takes so that the puppy stays hydrated and acquires the necessary nutrients for its growth and development. At this point, the question is clear: how to give it to him?
How to give milk to a newborn dog
First, we must be aware of the type of milk you need, so it is essential to ask the veterinarian about the best milk powder for our dog considering its age, weight and other factors.
However, in the case of not finding this type of milk, a mixture of several protein ingredients can be made to make a formula suitable for the newborn puppy.
An example of a recipe for homemade breast milk for dogs is one that contains cow’s milk, egg yolks, and milk cream to achieve a complete food.
For you to see this and other recipes, we recommend that you enter this link to our article on How to make infant formula for dogs – emergency recipes.
We must give milk to our dog using a special bottle appropriate to its size. These types of bottles are sold in many animal care businesses, so it is not difficult to find them in the market. An eyedropper can also be used in the case of not having a bottle. In addition, the milk must be heated to a temperature close to 38 ° C.
Tips to move from milk to feed
To move from milk to feed, you should always check with the veterinarian to make sure we do it at the right time. Some of the most important health problems arise in the first months of life, so no false steps should be taken so that our dog grows properly and can strengthen his immune system.
It is also advisable to consult the type of feed ideal for him because the variety in the market is extensive and not all are valid for all dogs. To do this, we must take into account their weight, habitual activity, general health status and observe that the nutritional components are of quality. It is also convenient to talk with the veterinarian about the combination of feed with a natural and homemade diet since the variety is more optimal in many ways.
keep a newborn dog warm
As we have explained throughout the article, it is essential that we keep our newborn dog at an ideal temperature. In a stable climate of about 20 ° C or 22 ° C, the puppy will have the heat it needs to make its condition comfortable.
Therefore, it is advisable to put at your disposal a bed adapted to your size with pillows and blankets of a suitable thickness. The bottles of warm water and the mats or thermal mats for dogs can also be a good solution,
However, it can be so bad that the dog goes cold as if it has an excess of heat, so it is necessary to observe the temperature of your bed and, occasionally, your own, as well as to look for if you are looking for shelter or if you want to get out of bed, then maybe it’s hot.
