Caring for a litter of Puppies

Emergency Care for Cold Puppy

Immediately take the puppy and place it near your heart. Newborn puppies cannot regulate their own temperature. They are born wet and chill quickly and easily, even after they dry off. You don’t want to feed a cold baby. And by warm I mean really warm, he should feel as warm as a heating pad on low. Do not try to feed him until he warms up. Take care not to burn him when warming him or to overheat him. Normal neonate temperature is 95-99 degrees. If a puppy is cold, you can try the following to help warm them up:
- Cover them with a warm blanket or towel
- Place a heating pad or hot water bottle wrapped in a towel under the blanket (not touching the puppy directly)
- Use a hair dryer on low to blow warm air on them
Take a drop of Karo syrup on your finger and then swipe on his tongue. This will give him a little blood sugar boost. Clinical signs of hypoglycemia include weakness, lethargy, poor appetite, altered mentation, twitching, tremoring, seizures, and coma. If left untreated, hypoglycemia will be fatal. Increase blood sugar by rubbing a small amount of Karo syrup on the gums & tongue.
Put your finger in his mouth and see if he will suckle. If he does suckle, then spend some time trying to help him latch on the dam. It’s not always immediate. I’ve spent well over half an hour with puppies helping them latch on. They MUST be warm to do this. If it takes time and they get cold, warm them again then try again.
If the puppy won’t latch on after an hour, consider bottle feeding.

A note on supplementing: All puppies should get as much mother's milk as possible in the first 48 hours of life, with the first 12-24 being the most critical. However, after the first 48 hours, it's not necessary for antibodies. Unlike humans, a puppy's GI epithelial lining is only open to antibody absorption for the first 48-hour max, with the best absorption in the first 12 hours of life. So if you can't get a puppy to latch on to mom, get some food in the puppy, whether a commercial or homemade formula. As soon as the puppy is stable, try to get it to latch on. Sometimes it just takes warming and a first nutritional boost. If the puppy still won't latch on after supplementing and warming, then I would recommend a colostrum supplement to get some antibodies in him. Some breeders freeze plasma, which will work well (you can ask your vet about this) or you can use a commercial product like Nurture Mate.

We are advocates of products as natural as possible, but for tube feeding, unless you are able to pump mom's colostrum, we recommend a commercial puppy supplement like Esbilac over plain goats milk (the Esbilac goat's milk formula is fine—it has been balanced to avoid nutritional deficiencies). We like the powder, we can make only what we need and the powder lasts 6 months if stored in your freezer. Goats milk is great for goats but is lacking in several nutrients needed for puppies. It's fine for very short term but not suitable for more than a day or two. Long-term use of goat's milk as a main food can cause amino acid deficiency for eye development that can cause nutritionally mediated cataracts.

Honey is generally safe for puppies to consume in small amounts, but it is not recommended to feed them large amounts or to give them honey on a regular basis. This is because puppies, like all young animals, are more susceptible to bacterial infections than adult animals. Honey can contain spores of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which can cause botulism in puppies. Botulism is a serious illness that can cause paralysis and even death.

Homemade Puppy Formula

1/3 cup liver water (boil liver in small amount of water.
1 can evaporate goat milk undiluted or fresh goat milk
1 cup full-fat plain yogurt
1T Karo syrup (NO honey)
2 raw egg yolks
1 dropper of liquid infant vitamins (no iron)

Blend the ingredients and strain. Pour into an ice cube tray and freeze, then store frozen in a baggie. This recipe has about 10-12 calories per cc.

Caring for PUppies after whelping

Caring for a litter of puppies can be a rewarding experience, but it also requires a lot of time, effort, and patience. Here are some tips for how to care for a litter of puppies:

Provide a clean, safe environment: Make sure the puppies have a clean, comfortable place to sleep and play. This can be a crate, a pen, or a designated area of your home. Keep the area free of hazards and check it regularly to make sure it is clean and dry.
Keep the puppies warm: Puppies cannot regulate their body temperature as well as adult dogs, so it is important to keep them warm. Provide a heat source, such as a heating pad or a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel, for the puppies to snuggle up to.
Feed the puppies regularly: Puppies have small stomachs and need to eat frequently. Follow the feeding schedule recommended by the breeder or veterinarian. Use a high-quality puppy formula and follow the guidelines on the package for the amount to feed.
Keep the puppies hydrated: In addition to their regular meals, puppies should have access to clean water at all times. Check the water bowls frequently and refill them as needed.
Socialize the puppies: Puppies are very impressionable and it is important to socialize them to different people, animals, and environments. This can help prevent fear and aggression later in life.
Keep the puppies clean: Keep the puppies clean and groomed by regularly bathing them and brushing their nails.
Provide medical care: Take the puppies to the veterinarian as needed for check-ups, vaccinations, and other medical care.

Caring for a litter of puppies is a lot of work, but it can be a very rewarding experience. Make sure to give the puppies the time, attention, and care they need to thrive and grow into healthy, happy adult dogs.

First Few Weeks

Like newborn babies, newborn puppies will spend most of their time sleeping and feeding. As a responsible breeder it is your job to ensure that all the puppies are feeding regularly. You should contact your vet if you have a puppy that is restless, cries a lot or does not seem to be receiving as much milk as the other puppies. The above symptoms are consistent with Fading Puppy Syndrome.

If your puppies are a working breed they will need to have their tails docked. Although this is a very controversial issue, working dogs with long tails are more susceptible to injury and infection. It is worth finding a vet that will carry out such a procedure before the puppies are born, as the docking must take place within the first two days of life. Do not assume that your local vet will be happy to do this for you as some larger practice have a policy against docking. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons have said that docking purely for cosmetic reasons will result in disciplinary action, as the act is perceived as gross professional misconduct.

At the same time as docking the tails, the vet will remove the puppies dew claws. On no account attempt to dock tails or remove dew claws yourself. A vet has the experience to carry out these procedures quickly, without fuss and with minimal pain to the puppies.

At some point in the second week of life your puppies will start to open their eyes, shortly afterwards the ear canal will open. Try and block out some of the lighting at this stage and keep noise levels to a minimum. The puppies eyes can be cleaned with a clean, wet cotton wool ball. If your puppies have excessive discharge from the eye you need to contact your vet.

Monitor the puppies weight and growth rate every couple of days. Record your findings. Any weight loss or no growth for a few days should be reported to your vet as these can be early indications of Fading Puppy Syndrome. A puppies birth weight should double in the first 7-10 days.

The whelping area will need to be cleaned everyday. Remove the old newspaper (if using) and replace with new. Remove any feces immediately. Place the puppies gently in the second box that you have prepared while you disinfect the area.

Do not allow other pets (especially dogs) into the whelping area. The puppies are very susceptible to infection and illness in the first few weeks and it is best not to take any chances. Your bitch will probably be quite protective of her puppies and show signs of aggression to other animals.

Once the pups are three weeks old, they can be moved into a busier room in the house where they will get accustomed to the smells and sounds of a busy household and lots of attention from visitors! They will need a larger area to play in, although they still need to be contained for their own safety. A purpose built run is ideal, with sides low enough for the bitch to jump over, but high enough to keep the puppies in. The litter can be moved to an outside building if not already. Adequate heating remains to be very important. The area will still need to be cleaned daily and feces removed immediately.

Make sure you check the puppies regularly and that they receive lots of attention. Socializing is very important at this early stage. It is good for your puppies to get used to such sounds as the vacuum cleaner, television, washing machine, etc. If your puppies are in an outside building try leaving a radio on for them intermittently. A station with stories and lots of talking is preferable to a purely music channel. But remember, your puppies need to get used to the quiet as well as to the noise.

Feeding

Milk should remain the sole source of food until the puppies are three weeks old. At this time they should get inquisitive and start to explore their surroundings. Now is a good time to introduce solid food. If they have access to the bitch's food they may start to eat it around now, as long as the bitch has a good diet this will not harm the puppies. But it is best to start them on a purpose made puppy food. Your vet can recommend a good brand. Purpose made puppy food is smooth and wet so it is easy to consume and digest. It also contains all the correct nutrients that a weaning puppy requires. Initially you may have to encourage the puppies to eat solid food by letting them lick small amounts from your finger. They will soon pick it up. Supervise feeding times closely, puppies should not be allowed to defecate or urinate in their feeding bowls.

As the puppies get used to one solid meal a day, move them away from their mother at feeding time. This will aid their independence. Then gradually increase their meals so they are spending more time away from their mother. This will allow the bitch's milk to dry up slowly and steadily. By the time the puppies are 6-7 weeks old they should be on four solid meals a day and totally independent of their mother. This is only a guide. Your puppies should not leave their mother until they are seven weeks old and they need to be on solid food before they move into their new homes.

Make sure the puppies have clean, fresh water readily available to them, but keep it in shallow bowls. The water will need to be changed more often as the puppies get more adventurous and active to make sure it stays clean and fresh.

Vaccinations and Worming

All puppies should be vaccinated against four potentially fatal diseases: Distemper, Parvovirus, Canine Hepatitis and Leptospirosis. These vaccinations are given in the form of two injections. The first injection can be given at eight weeks and the second at twelve weeks. Some vets recommend earlier vaccination at six and ten weeks, but you will need to discuss this with him/her.

By the time your puppies are six weeks old, they should've been wormed two or three times to eliminate Toxocariasis, caused by the roundworm Toxocara Canis. Your vet will prescribe a medicine usually containing Piperazine, which should be given to your puppies and two weeks old and every subsequent two weeks until they are three months old. The worms will be expelled via the feces.

The administering of worm medication will begin with the breeder and finish with the new owner. Therefore the new owner will need to know accurately when the treatment has been given.

Socializing

It is important to start socializing your puppies from an early age. Once they have reached three weeks old, and their eyes and ears are open, they will start to get quite adventurous and playful. If you have been handling your puppies regularly from birth, your bitch will be quite happy to let more people get close. Spend as much time as possible in amongst the puppies, playing with them and fussing them. Introduce them to children, but remember it is the children that require the supervision! Potential new owners should be encouraged to handle the puppies and interact with them as much as possible. This is also a good exercise for you to assess the people you are dealing with.

Exercise

With most breeds it is recommended that you do not excessively exercise your dog until its bones have formed properly. This varies greatly between breeds.

House Training

The bitch will actively encourage her puppies not to soil in the bed. Within the run (or pen) the puppies will usually soil away from the bed on newspaper. However, you do not want them to associate newspaper with defecating. Therefore it is wise to get the puppies out in the garden at regular intervals, i.e. after a meal or a sleep. From three or four weeks old the puppies can go outside with their mother. When a puppy urinates or defecates outside you give him lots of fuss and praise. But NEVER chastise a puppy for soiling in the wrong place. An obvious sign that a puppy needs to relieve himself is circling in the same place, or restlessness when the other puppies are feeding or sleeping. Be prepared to take all of them outside for short periods, often. Consistency is key.

Your puppies new owners will need to know your routine and rewards in detail, so that training can continue in the way the puppies are accustomed.