How to Care for an Abandoned Newborn Puppy

Newborn puppies must be kept very warm.

If you have somehow come across an abandoned newborn puppy and are inexperienced with young dogs, you likely are left wondering how to care for it. Some puppies are orphaned because the mother has passed away while giving birth, isn't producing adequate milk or has psychological problems that keep her from caring for her pups. Some puppies are simply ignored by their mothers because the mother just doesn't care to be a mother. Whatever the situation may be, you may become the foster mother. Always seek veterinary care and advice before starting to care for an abandoned puppy.

Instructions

1. Keep the room where you have the puppy very warm. The first week of life, the puppy needs to be in an environment that reaches about 90 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the temperature most puppies maintain with their mother and littermates. To achieve this level of heat, use heat lamps, lightbulbs or heating pads covered with layers of towels. Be cautious and carefully observe the heated environment, as the abandoned puppy likely will not be able to move away from a heat source if it is too close and could become overheated. Keep a thermometer in the area -- don't guess at the temperature. Reduce the temperature by about 5 degrees every week.

2. Keep the room dry, with a relative humidity of 55 to 65 percent. Do not keep the puppy in a wet or damp area, advises veterinarian Dr. Race Foster of Doctors Foster & Smith. The puppy can become very sick and die from fungus, mold or mildew.

3. Feed the puppy a formula made for puppies. Commercial puppy formula is available at a pet store. Some brand names include Esbilac and Puppylac. Use a bottle made for puppies or a small baby bottle. Feed the puppy on its stomach, not on its back as you would with a human baby. Feed the puppy several times per day. Dr. Foster advises you can expect a half-pound puppy to consume an ounce of formula in a 24-hour period. If the puppy doesn't gain weight, it needs more food. If it has diarrhea, it likely is being overfed.

4. After you have fed the puppy, wipe the puppy with a warm, damp towel to simulate the mother licking the puppy. This will also help to get the puppy to burp and have a bowel movement. Encourage the puppy to have a bowel movement by gently wiping the genital area with a warm, wet cotton ball or tissue after feedings. Be persistent, as the puppy does not have the muscle control to urinate or defecate on its own and relies on the mother -- now you -- for help with this task.

5. Clean up immediately after the puppy has a bowel movement or urinates. Clean the area with an antibacterial agent to keep the newborn puppy healthy.

Tips & Warnings

• Call local animal shelters and local vets to see if they have a female dog who has recently given birth to foster the puppy.

• If you have more than one puppy, do not allow them to suck on each others' tails, ears or feet because it can lead to health problems. If the puppies are doing this, they will need to be separated.

References

• Talk To The Vet.com; Feeding Orphaned Puppies
• Doctors Foster and Smith Pet Education.com; Orphaned Puppies: How to Raise Them; Dr. Race Foster