How to Care for a Newborn Puppy

The decision to allow your bitch to give birth should not be made hastily, but with much thought and preparation, including discussions with your veterinarian and a mentor (a professional breeder). Taking care of a litter of newborn puppies is a complicated task. Even though the puppies' mother will do much of the work, your part in helping to raise a healthy litter will take a serious commitment, a lot of hard work and many hours, days and weeks of patient labor.

Things You'll Need

• Whelping Box
• Clean, Soft Bedding
• Heat Lamps
• Food Scale
• Puppy Formula
• Baby Bottles
• Puppy Food
• Blender

Instructions

1. 

   Fill your whelping box with plenty of soft, clean bedding (old sheets, towels and blankets work well). The puppies will, of course, soil the bedding, so change it at least once a day.

2. Keep the whelping box warm. One of the main reasons for puppy death following birth is chilling. Place the heating lamps around the whelping box, but out of reach of little puppy paws and noses. For the first five days the temperature around the box should be 85 to 90 degrees F. From days five to 10, slowly reduce the temperature to 80 degrees F. By the end of the puppies' fourth week, the room temperature should be around 75 degrees F.

3. Monitor the puppies' weight and keep a daily, written record for each puppy. Use a food scale to weigh the puppies every day for the first two weeks, then at least once a week for the next eight to 10 weeks. Puppies should gain 1 to 2 grams per day per pound of estimated adult weight.

4. Monitor the puppies' urination and defecation. If you notice that the puppies are not soiling the bedding, then you may need to step in. To stimulate elimination, before and after each feeding, rub the puppies' stomachs and perineal regions (the area between the anus and genital organs).

5. 

   Make sure the puppies are nursing. Puppies should nurse approximately every two hours. If they are sleeping quietly and their little stomachs appear rounded, they are well fed. If they are moving around a lot and crying, they are not well fed. If this is occurring, you will need to hand-feed the puppies with a baby bottle and puppy formula.

6. When the puppies reach three weeks of age, place a stable, shallow dish of water in the whelping box for them.

7. When the puppies reach 3.5 weeks of age, begin to offer them puppy mush. In your blender, place 2 cups of high quality, all-natural, dry puppy kibble and 12.5 oz. of puppy formula; fill the rest of the blender with hot water. Mix until you have mush. Serve the puppies mush three to four times per day. Each week, decrease the amount of formula and increase the amount of dry food, until by eight weeks of age, the puppies are eating only dry puppy kibble.

8. 

   Between the ages of six to eight weeks, your puppies should begin receiving their vaccinations. Consult with your veterinarian about setting up a vaccination schedule.

Tips & Warnings

• Within 24 hours of delivering her puppies, have the mother examined by a veterinarian. She will need to be checked to make sure that there are no internal complications. The new puppies need their mom to be healthy and strong. Rely on the guidance of your mentor and veterinarian. As tempting as it is to snuggle the little ones, try not to handle them more than necessary for the first three weeks.

• If you notice that one of the puppies is not thriving (not gaining weight, losing weight, not eating, crying continuously or behaving strangely in any way), take him to your veterinarian immediately.

Resources

• After the Puppies Arrive: Caring for Mom and Her Litter
• Before, During and After the Birth of Your Puppies
• Puppy Care From Whelping to Weaning