How to Feed Orphaned Puppies

By eHow Pets Editor

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Have an orphaned puppy? You'll need to step in as nursemaid using the following guidelines.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Step1
Use a bottle and nipple made for nursing puppies or a human preemie nipple bottle (a nipple for premature infants).
Step2
Buy commercially prepared formulas for feeding orphaned puppies. Avoid using goat's milk.
Step3
Measure out the appropriate amount of milk for the puppy for one day: A 1-week-old puppy needs 13 mL of milk per 100g of body weight, a 2-week-old needs 17mL milk per 100g body weight, a 3-week-old needs 20mL milk per 100g body weight, a 4-week-old needs 22mL milk per 100g body weight.
Step4
Divide the above daily dosage by 4, and feed this amount to the puppy four times a day.
Step5
Warm the milk.
Step6
Invert the bottle to let the milk ooze out slowly before inserting into the puppy's mouth.
Step7
Avoid feeding the puppy while she's on her back. It's acceptable for the pup to slightly elevate her front paws while feeding.
Step8
Check that the puppy's abdomen is enlarged but not overextended after feeding. Puppies should gain 2 to 4 g per day per kg of anticipated adult dog weight.
Step9
Weigh the puppy daily.
Step10
Encourage a 3-week-old puppy to eat solid food.

Tips & Warnings

  • Puppies generally just eat and sleep for the first several weeks. If crying excessively, they could be cold or hungry or both.
  • Orphaned puppies need to be stimulated to defecate. Soak a cotton ball in warm water and very gently rub the anal area.
  • Never squeeze milk out of the bottle while the nipple is still in the puppy's mouth. This could result in aspiration pneumonia and death.

Comments

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on 4/8/2008 for some reason the mom started to kill her pupz after 2 die i decided to take over well i have been bottle feeding for 4 one week olds so far there going to be two weeks in 2 days so far everything is good there all at 1lb and more i use a warm cloth to wipe them before they eat then write everything down then i feed them on there stomachs head in my other with the bottle when they dont want nomore i rub them to make them burp on my chest so far they just started to open there eyes and they have been gaining about 7 to 10 ozs a day

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on 4/8/2008 for some reason the mom started to kill her pupz after 2 die i decided to take over well i have been bottle feeding for 4 one week olds so far there going to be two weeks in 2 days so far everything is good there all at 1lb and more i use a warm cloth to wipe them before they eat then write everything down then i feed them on there stomachs head in my other with the bottle when they dont want nomore i rub them to make them burp on my chest so far they just started to open there eyes and they have been gaining about 7 to 10 ozs a day

debi3376 said

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on 2/8/2008 I have a week old german rottweiler and the mother rejected her because of no milk. I have been bottle feeding her since she was a day old. and now she wont eat or anything. i need help.

crisco41 said

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on 11/18/2007 get disposable vinyl gloves..I have fed 12 rott pups, 4 maltese pups, several standard poodle pups and french bulldog pups,,never had a refusal to nurse and never lost a baby.puppy bottles went in the trash once i discovered gloves.

abbysmom said

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on 9/8/2007 Karo syrup saved the lives of an orphaned litter of 7 puppies. 10 were born, one died with seizures and the others were wheezing. I had to suggest to the Vet that we start them on antibiotics after two more died (not of aspiration ) but it was the hourly feeding of karo syrup and water and the antibiotics which I believe saved them. You have to be vigilant. Check for dehydration constantly by pinching the skin on the back of the puppies neck and if it doesn't return quickly they could be dehydrated-with very young puppies dehydration can kill them within hours. A spoon fill of Karo works amazingly. The puppy nipples are useless in my experience. I used pre holed (slow) baby nipples. All are almost 5 weeks old now, taking a bottle a couple times a day (mostly comfort bottles) and eating food. My heart is broken because I miss their mommy and my best friend but the puppies helped me.

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eHow Article:  How to Feed Orphaned Puppies

eHow Pets Editor

eHow Pets Editor

Category: Pets

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