How to Feed a 2 Day Old Puppy

This article is going to teach you how to properly feed your newborn puppy.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• High - quality, commercially prepared, puppy formula.
• Small syringe, or special puppy bottle.

1. First of all, when dealing with newborn puppies, you have to remember it is the same thing as having a newborn child. These puppies depend on you for everything. Now the first thing you will need to do is go to your local Petco, Petsmart, or Vet office and request a commercially prepared puppy formula. You DO NOT make your own. Many people will say that it is ok, but it can really harm your puppy. You can use either powder puppy formula or ready-to-feed. The ready-to-feed is very easy and convenient, but can be very expensive. If you use the powder form be sure to mix it well, if there is chunks it can mean that the puppy does not get the right nutrients every time it eats. You can use a blender to mix the formula, or go to wal-mart.com and buy a special formula blender.

2. Depending on how big the puppy is, you can use a small syringe, puppy bottle, or a bottle designed for premature babies and all of these can be bought at your local Wal-mart. You will need to test the nipple of the bottle. When you turn the bottle upside down the milk should drip out. If it flows to fast it can cause choking, if it flows to slow the puppy will be very aggravated and exhausted. This can cause the puppy to become malnourished.

3. Cool the formula to room temperature. Place the puppy on your lap. Do not put puppy on back, it can cause choking or the puppy can inhale the milk and get pneumonia. Puppies that are under a month old need anywhere from 3.5 - 3.75 calories per once of body weight per day. So basically a 6 oz puppy would need 22.5 calories a day. Most puppy milk has 1ml per calorie. So a 6 oz puppy could 22.5 ml per day. Newer puppies need to get 6 feedings per day. Some puppies can sleep through the night but then they will take there 6 feeding during the day. Other puppies still will wake at night. By the time puppies are a month old, they need to be sleeping through the night. Puppies need to be burp half way through their feeding. You burp a puppy the same way you burp a baby.

Tips & Warnings

• You will need to remember that puppies are just like babies. If they are warm and feed properly they will sleep most of the time. If they are crying alot try to make them comfortable, if after everything is tried they are still crying take them to a vet. It is very easy for newborn puppies to get sick.
• Also remember that newborn puppies can not have bowel movements on their own. You will have to act as their mother would and take a warm, wet cloth, and rub their anal area until they start having a bowel movement. If their bowel movement is hard or crusty, increase feedings with less formula in each. For example instead of giving 6 feeding with 4oz, give 8 feedings with 3oz. Also try diluting the formula a little more.
• If puppies are crying none stop, take them to a vet.
• If puppies have green/yellow stool or have blood in their stool, take them to a vet immediately. This is signs of infections and can become fatal very quickly!