How do you care for a newborn puppy? Newborn puppies depend entirely on their mother. The essential care is to keep them in a warm environment, make sure they nurse the colostrum in the first hours, monitor their weight daily and see the vet at any sign of weakness.
These are the basic care steps for a newborn puppy:
- Keep them warm: newborns cannot regulate their temperature well; they need a warm, draught-free nest (around 28-30 ºC in the first week, lowering it gradually afterwards).
- Ensure nursing: they must nurse the colostrum in the first hours of life. If the mother is absent or has no milk, use puppy milk replacer every 2-3 hours (never cow's milk).
- Check weight daily: they should gain weight every day; weight loss or stagnation is a warning sign worth checking.
- Stimulate elimination: after each feed, gently massage the genital and anal area with a warm damp gauze so they urinate and defecate.
- See the vet: to check their condition, set up deworming and answer questions. At any weakness, constant crying or refusal to feed, consult as soon as possible.
Newborn puppies are charming, sweet and adorable animals. But they are also delicate beings that depend entirely on their mother during the first days of their lives, until they are able to fend for themselves.
There will be times when you have to take charge of their care, whether the mother is present or not. Following certain basic care guidelines will be necessary, which is why in this article you will learn how to handle the basic care of a newborn dog.
Visiting the vet is key
When it comes to giving your puppy the best care, visits to the vet are essential, as the vet will advise you on the guidelines to follow to keep your puppy healthy and to ensure its proper development and well-being.
In addition, it is the vet who examines its state of health, being able to detect specific problems and needs that may require particular care or treatments.
Observe the puppies from start to finish
From the moment they are born, it is important that you observe the condition of the puppies. That is, whether they breathe regularly or irregularly, whether they have any deformity, weight differences between the litter, or indeed the relationship between the mother and the puppy.
This is the most important point, since the natural care that the mother provides influences the animal in many ways. While caring for a puppy, you cannot let them go without maternal warmth, due to what this means for the dog both physically and psychologically.
The nutrition of the newborns
The mother's milk is the fundamental food for the proper development of her young, above all because it contains colostrum.
But what is colostrum? It is a mixture of fats, water, carbohydrates and proteins, in which a compound called immunoglobulins is also present.
The latter, together with those mentioned above, provides all the nutritional value the puppy needs to grow, as well as protecting it from diseases during that process.
However, it can happen that your puppies are left without their mother, or that you have adopted a little one that should not have been weaned yet. In that case, you must resort to the basic care for newborn dogs and obtain prepared mother's milk; your vet will recommend the most suitable one.
On the other hand, the feeding of your little puppies usually occurs every two to three hours, an interval that will increase as the first weeks go by.
“The first weeks are delicate and precious. Warmth, feeding and hygiene are the foundation for growing up strong.”
Always mindful of the temperature
As much as feeding, maintaining the dogs' temperature is another fundamental aspect of caring for a puppy, and one you must watch closely. This is because the little ones are at an ideal temperature inside the womb, and when they come out, that warmth must be maintained for them to survive.
One of the most common reasons for health problems in newborn puppies is an unfavourable temperature.
Therefore, it is advisable that you have available for your dog and her puppies a comfortable place, with a degree of privacy and, above all, warm. For this you can use any mattress, blankets of a certain thickness and some cushions or pillows.
Likewise, it is advisable to have a spare set of these items, since you will need to clean the place every day to maintain the little ones' health. This is something fundamental during the basic care of a newborn dog, and you will avoid diseases related to dust and dirt.
Socialisation with their siblings
The socialisation of the puppies in their first weeks of life will allow them to develop the appropriate behaviour of a dog, as well as to fend for themselves later on. Furthermore, this period of interaction will grant them a healthier and happier psychological state.
For this reason, it is important not to separate any puppy from its siblings or mother during the first two to three months of life. You should also get it used to contact with people (for short periods), with noises (storms, firecrackers, the car: you can play audio for it) and other animals (cats, other dogs… as long as they are properly vaccinated). It is one of the most essential factors in caring for a puppy.
Take it upon yourself to fully develop a sense that is indispensable in its life, smell: hide food in different places and encourage it to look for it. It is a very fun game for everyone.
We hope these tips are useful to you when caring for your newborn puppy, and do not forget the importance of going to the vet so that they can check your puppy's condition and indicate the best care adapted to its specific circumstances and needs, as well as the right time to start the process of preventing parasitic and infectious diseases.
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Frequently asked questions
How often does a newborn puppy eat?
In the first weeks, feeding usually happens every two to three hours, and the interval increases as the first weeks of life go by.
Why is the mother's colostrum so important?
Colostrum is a mixture of fats, water, carbohydrates and proteins that contains immunoglobulins. It provides the nutritional value the puppy needs to grow and protects it from diseases during that process.
What temperature do newborn puppies need?
They need to keep the warmth they had inside the womb, so a comfortable, private and, above all, warm place is best. An unfavourable temperature is one of the most common causes of health problems in newborn puppies.
Clínica Veterinaria Somo, vets in Cantabria
We help you care for your puppy with quality veterinary attention provided by professionals with years of experience.
