All about newborn puppy care, puppies needs to be taken care of with utmost attention the way babies do. The first few weeks are crucial for the puppies since they are still very vulnerable to outside factors which would mean that they need protection in the utmost possible way. This is also why the puppy’s growth and other factors should be focused on day by day and week after week. Setting up a clean environment for the mother dog before the puppies are born will be a good step to start from. Here I will make newborn puppy care less scary for all individuals.
Preparing for Newborn Puppy Care
Preparing everything which the puppies and the mother need is the key to have it smoothly. Before anything else, there are two things which you would need to prepare for and what you should know about them. The first thing you need to prepare is the puppy nest. The nest needs to be low enough for the mother to hop in and with high enough walls so that the puppies would not escape the nest and wander off around. It should also be wide enough to accommodate the mother and all the puppies. This size of the nest would be dependent on the breed. In addition to that, having the right temperature for which the puppies won’t be cold and too warm at the same time is also a must. Putting a heat pad may be recommended especially for first time mothers . The second thing which would need preparing would be the milk bottle to be used as a replacement if the mothers milk is not sufficient. Remember to use goat’s milk and not cow’s milk to avoid infections and use distilled water for powdered milk.
Weeks 1 to 8: Caring for the Puppies for the First Time
Pupppy Nutrition, What to Feed Infant Puppies?
Feed the puppies every 2-3 hours because these puppies get famished fast. On the third week, adjust the feeding time to four hours and add little bits of cereals everyday after that. Make sure to weigh the puppies starting on the 3rd week to see and verify some improvements. You will be amazed by how quickly they will pack on the pounds. By the 5th week you can introduce some mushed up good quality hard food along with some can foods. Use milk or warm water when mushing up the food for them. By week 7 and 8 you can give them regular dry puppy kibbles. You can now cut down the feeding time to 4 times per day and per directions on the commercial food bag.
Puppy Hygiene, Bathing Your Puppy for the First Time
Cleaning the nest and changing the bedding everyday is necessary especially since the mother would still continue to have discharges on the first few weeks. And since puppies are not yet ready to be bathed, cleaning the puppy’s rear with a damp cloth is recommended. You should wait to bath your puppy after 8 weeks and only if it is necessary. Too much bathing can get rid of natural oils in their skin. As they are still tiny, it is more convenient to bath them in the sink. Get them used to the splash of water on their body and give them plenty of treats. Always use a shampoo made for dogs when bathing your puppy. Human shampoo is not at all good for dogs due to skin PH differences. Make the initial bath quick and painless. If you have a puppy suffering from fleas, you can add a tiny amount of olive oil mixed in with crushed garlic on their skin. Let that sit for 5 minutes and wash it off with dog shampoo. Keep your young pup away from Chemicals! This is an excellent natural remedy for puppies that are too young to use commercial flea remedies.
After 8 Weeks: Getting Used to Puppy Care
The start of the 8th week would be easier now since you pretty much already got used to taking care of the puppies. Bear in mind though that taking care of the puppies doesn’t stop on the 8th week. Start an exercise habit and behavioral training for the puppies which would teach them what’s wrong and right. And lastly, when the 6th – 8th week comes, make sure to have them immunized to prevent them from getting sick. They will have their first set of shots as they are beginning to wean of their mothers immunity. Personally I like to do their complete vaccination sets with Petco & LuvMyPet to avoid crazy veterinarian fees. They will even remind you by phone or email every year when vaccinations are due. You can check out when LuvMyPet is visiting the Petco’s near you by visiting Luvmypet.com. I hope my article on newborn puppy care was helpful in dealing with your puppy and here is another great article on puppy proofing your home.
