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 Nursemate or 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. Bottles can be a huge issue for many species, including dogs.
We have found the Maam Anti-Colic bottles to be the best received bottles—we have not had a hungry puppy refuse that nipple yet. When bottle feeding, feed your puppy in a prone position—try to create a position that mimicked eating from mom.
So on his tummy—this will also help prevent aspiration. Never force food from a bottle into a puppy, always allow the puppy to suckle on his own. Aspiration is always a risk. If you would like to use a homemade supplement, this is Myra's formula. She uses it for puppies of all ages and also for adult dogs that need extra nutrition.
It helps stabilize puppies and gain weight, helpful for the GI system, diarrhea and constipation. Myra's Homemade Puppy Formula.
Blend the ingredients and strain. If puppies don't nurse within a span of half a day, then they will not be able to receive the mother's antibodies and disease immunity. Once half a day has gone by, puppies simply are unable to take in these protective blood proteins. Apart from a mother's milk, commercial puppy milk replacer can also accomplish the job, so breathe easy if mama is for some reason either unable or unavailable to nurse.
A mother dog may engage her newborn pooches in a feeding session for a maximum of 45 minutes at once. During nursing, it is not uncommon for puppies to all vie for direct access to nipples, so pay close attention and make sure that all of the little ones are receiving their fair shares of milk. In some situations, a mother dog will not be willing to allow any outside parties to observe the nursing process, so take note. During their first few weeks, puppies rely exclusively on their mother for their nutritional needs.
Although she may be less active during this time, nursing uses up a lot of the mother's energy and her daily caloric requirements will be higher than normal, says the AKC. To ensure both mother and puppies receive adequate nutrition throughout the nursing stage, the mother should be fed several servings of a quality puppy food throughout the day.
Your veterinarian can recommend the type and amount of food to feed your nursing mother. It's important to keep an eye on the puppies' weight during this time. If you notice any of the puppies being underfed, you may need to keep an eye on them when it's time to nurse and make sure the smaller puppies latch onto the fullest nipples for feeding, says The Nest.
Puppies who cry or whimper frequently may also be hungry and need more attention during feeding. If the smaller puppies still don't show signs of healthy growth or weight gain, talk to your vet. It might be necessary to take over and bottle-feed them. It's also important to watch the mother for signs of mastitis, says Wag! Signs of mastitis include red and swollen nipples and reluctance to nurse.
The mother may even snap at the puppies when they try to eat. If you notice these signs, contact your vet right away. By the fourth or fifth week, the puppies will start getting their teeth and the weaning process will begin as the mother's milk production slows. Once you notice the puppies starting to sample Mom's food, it's time to provide them with their own dish of puppy food. Young puppies are susceptible to disease and infection, so you'll need to keep a close eye on them.
Newborn puppy care should include regular inspections to watch for signs of infection or poor health. Report anything unusual such as vomiting, diarrhea or a puppy who won't stand or eat to your vet.
Little puppies are also especially vulnerable to fleas and other parasites, says The Spruce Pets , so talk to your vet about appropriate parasite control. Although antibodies they receive from nursing will help protect them from illness in the early weeks, these antibodies wear off around six to eight weeks, which is when they will need to receive their first round of vaccinations.
Make sure you and all family members thoroughly wash your hands before interacting with these puppies to help reduce the risk of getting them sick from any bacteria that might be lying in wait on your hands. By the fourth week the puppies are ready to begin socializing with humans and other dogs.
Weeks four through twelve are a critical window during which puppies need to learn about the world they'll inhabit so they'll become well-adjusted, happy dogs, says The Spruce Pets. Poorly socialized puppies tend to grow into anxious dogs who may have behavioral problems, so whether you plan to keep the puppies or send them to good homes, it's important to cuddle and play with them, allow them to explore and play and expose them to as many new experiences as possible.
Newborn puppy care entails a lot of work, but these first several weeks go by in a flash. If your puppies end up being adopted, you'll be saying goodbye to them in no time, an event that is often bittersweet. Enjoy the pups while you have them, and when it's time to let go, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you gave them the best possible beginning.
Jean Marie Bauhaus is a pet parent, pet blogger and novelist from Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she usually writes under the supervision of a lapful of furbabies. Select Your Region.
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