Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 6: Preparing the Birthing Box
• Method 2 of 6: Preparing for Puppy Birth
• Method 3 of 6: Providing relief in the first days after birth
• Method 4 of 6: Helping Your Puppy Feeding
• Method 5 of 6: Caring for a Deprived Newborn Puppy
• Method 6 of 6: Providing Puppy Care
• Tips

Having puppies in your home can be a joyous event. At this stage, it is extremely important to provide good care for both the puppies and their mother. This allows the mother and puppies to stay healthy and feel safe. The tips in this article will help you prepare for your puppies, as well as provide them with proper care.

Steps

Method 1 of 6: Preparing the Birthing Box

1. 1 Choose a box that will fit your dog's size. This box will be the birthplace of your dog. Make sure this box is warm and has enough room for the mother and puppies.
   • The box must have 4 sides and a bottom. It should be about twice as large as the space the mother needs to lie down. This box should fit your dog and newborn puppies. Therefore, make sure you have enough space.
   • The walls should be high enough so that the puppies cannot get out of the box, but low enough so that the mother can jump in and out without difficulty.
   • You can purchase a birthing box at most pet stores. You can also use a cardboard box or make a hardboard or plywood box. Take two large boxes, for example, from a TV and some other device. Join the two boxes together by removing one side that creates a baffle between them. You will end up with a large box.
2. 2 Provide adequate space for the puppies. Puppies need enough space to prevent their mother from lying on top of them, as this is fraught with serious consequences. You can make a demarcation in the box to create an area for the puppies. To do this, you need a wooden board about 10 centimeters high.
   • You can use the broom handle to make a puppy fence.
   • This is especially important if the puppies are over two weeks old and are more mobile.
3. 3 Line the bottom of the box. Line the bottom with newspapers and thick towels. You can also use fabrics for dogs that absorb liquid well.
4. 4 Place a heated mat on the bottom of the box. After you have prepared the box for the puppies' birth, place a heated mat in it. After the puppies are born, you will turn on this mat to keep the puppies warm while they are away from their mother.
   • An alternative to a heated mat could be a lamp placed at an angle. However, the lamp is a dry heat source and can dry out puppies' skin. If you are using a lamp, check the puppies' skin regularly. It shouldn't be red and dry. If you notice such manifestations on the skin, remove the lamp.
   • Use a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel to provide temporary warmth.
5. 5 Make sure your dog feels like he is in a hiding place in the box. This is especially important during childbirth. The dog should feel safe, thanks to this, the process of childbirth will be less painful. You can use a towel or blanket for this.
6. 6 Place the box in a quiet room. During childbirth, the dog should not be distracted by extraneous noises. So choose a quiet room.
7. 7 Place food and water near the box. Food and water should be kept as close as possible to the box where the dog is. Of course, you can still put food and water in the usual place for the dog, but if it is time to give birth, make sure that the water and food are near the box so that the dog has easier access to them.

Method 2 of 6: Preparing for Puppy Birth

1. 1 Let your dog explore the box. At least 2 weeks before giving birth, introduce your dog to the box. Make sure you put it in a quiet place. Your dog will tend to be more in a quiet, secluded place.
2. 2 Place your dog's favorite treats in the box. To help your dog get used to the box, put something in the box that he loves. Thanks to this, the box will be associated with silence and delicious food.
3. 3 Let your dog choose a birthing site. Don't worry if she doesn't prefer the box you made. She will choose a place where she feels safe. This space can be behind the sofa or under the bed. If your dog is safe, leave him alone.
   • If you try to move your dog into a box you have made, it can negatively affect the birthing process. This can slow down or even stop labor.
4. 4 Prepare a flashlight. If your dog is choosing a birthing spot under the bed or behind the couch, you may need a flashlight. Thanks to this, you will be able to follow her.
5. 5 Keep your veterinarian's phone number handy. You can enter the vet's number in your phone's notebook or hang it on the refrigerator. If an emergency arises, you can quickly contact your veterinarian.
   • Be sure to ask your veterinarian if they can be contacted if the baby is due at night.
6. 6 Make sure that at least one adult is present during labor. It is very important to control the birth process. This person should be very familiar with the dog. Do not let strangers into the room where the dog is giving birth. This can distract the dog and affect the actual birthing process.
7. 7 Do not invite visitors to watch puppies. Your dog should be fully focused on the birthing process. Do not invite neighbors, children, or friends to watch the dog's labor. This will distract the dog from giving birth and may slow down the process.

Method 3 of 6: Providing relief in the first days after birth

1. 1 Don't touch the placenta. Otherwise, it can lead to bleeding. Leave the placenta intact. After a while, she will burst herself.
2. 2 Do not treat a newborn puppy's navel. There is no need to use disinfectants. If the box containing the newborn puppy is clean, then you should not use disinfectants.
3. 3 Change the towels and newspapers in the delivery box. It is important that the box is clean after the puppies are born. However, do this so as not to disturb a dog that has just given birth to puppies. You can change towels and newspapers while the dog is defecating. Throw away dirty newspapers and replace them with clean ones.
4. 4 Let the mother bond with her puppies for the first 4-5 days. The first few days of a puppy's life are critical in establishing a bond between mother and puppies. So leave the first few days of the newborns and their mother alone.
   • Avoid picking up puppies for the first few days. You can only do this when you need to reshape the newspaper.
5. 5 Watch the temperature in the box. Feel the puppy's body. If the puppy is cold, then most likely the temperature is not enough. In addition, the puppy can be very quiet. If the puppy is hot on the contrary, his ears and tongue will be red. In addition, you will notice that your puppy is overly active as he tries to escape the heat source by any means.
   • The body temperature of a newborn should be 34-37 degrees Celsius. At two weeks of age, the temperature can rise to 37.7 degrees Celsius. There is no need to measure your puppy's temperature using a thermometer. Check with your veterinarian if you have any questions.
   • If you are using the lamp as a heat source, watch your puppy's skin. It shouldn't be red or dry. If you notice such manifestations on the skin, remove the lamp.
6. 6 Control the temperature in the room. Newborn puppies are unable to regulate their own body temperature, which can lead to hypothermia. A covered heating pad will serve as a substitute for the mother when she is absent. Therefore, take care of a suitable heat source.
   • The room temperature should be such that you are comfortable in shorts and a T-shirt.
   • Provide extra warmth in the puppy's box. You can place a heating pad under your puppy's bedding. However, do not overdo it, the puppy should not be too hot. Please note that a newborn puppy cannot control the temperature on its own.
7. 7 Weigh newborns (on a precision electronic scale) daily for the first 3 weeks. Recording the weight of each puppy will help you monitor the puppies' health and nutrition. Disinfect the bowl on the scale before placing your puppy on it. Use a disinfectant that you have at home.
   • Weigh your puppy every day. Don't panic if your puppy hasn't gained or even lost weight in one day. Your puppy is alive and well, check the weight the next day. Check with your veterinarian if your puppy is not gaining weight.
8. 8 Make sure your visitors are completely healthy. Most likely, your friends and family will want to see your puppy. Make sure they are completely healthy. Bacteria or viruses can also be found on the hands and on the soles of shoes.
   • Ask visitors to take off their shoes before entering the puppy's room.
   • Ask visitors to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching the puppies. Also, ask visitors to avoid touching the puppy if possible.
9. 9 Do not bring animals into the room that do not live in your home. Other animals can carry harmful bacteria that can be harmful to newborn puppies. Even your dog who recently gave birth to a puppy can be vulnerable as well. Limit the newborn puppy's contact with other animals.

Method 4 of 6: Helping Your Puppy Feeding

1. 1 Help the puppy pick up the nipple. A newborn puppy is blind, deaf, and unable to walk until 10 days old. Therefore, for a newborn puppy, finding the mother's nipple may not be an easy task. In this case, you must come to the rescue and teach the puppy to do this.
   • First, wash and dry your hands. Take the puppy and place it in front of the nipple. The puppy can make movements with his mouth, but if he does not find the nipple, gently point his head towards it.
   • You can squeeze a drop of milk out of the nipple. The puppy will hear the smell and begin to suckle milk.
   • If the puppy hasn't picked up the nipple yet, gently insert your finger into the corner of his mouth to open his jaw slightly. Then place the nipple in your mouth and release your finger. The puppy should start sucking.
2. 2 Supervise the feeding of the puppies. Remember which puppy ate from which nipple. The back nipples can produce more milk than those in the front. A puppy that constantly sucks on the front nipple may gain fewer grams than a puppy that sucks on the rear nipple.
   • If your puppy is not gaining weight at the same rate as the others, have him start eating from the back nipple.
3. 3 Do not mix breastfeeding with bottle feeding. When a mother feeds her puppies, her body will produce milk. If you start feeding the puppies, milk production will decrease. If milk production is reduced, there is a risk that the mother will not be producing enough milk to feed her babies.
   • Only use bottle feeding as a last resort. For example, you can bottle feed your puppy if he lacks the physical strength to feed himself. Another reason might be: your dog brought in too many puppies, more than nipples.
4. 4 Place food and water as close to the dog as possible. She will most likely be reluctant to leave newborns, so make sure she has easy access to food and water. Some bitches don't even leave the box for the first 2-3 days. In this case, you can put food and water inside the box.
   • Puppies will be able to watch their mother eat their food.
5. 5 Let the puppies explore their mother's food. Puppies will be fed exclusively on mother's milk for 3-4 weeks. By the end of this time period, they may become interested in their mother's food. At this stage, they are no longer newborns.

Method 5 of 6: Caring for a Deprived Newborn Puppy

1. 1 Be prepared to provide 24-hour care. While this may not be so easy, try to provide as much grooming as possible, especially in the first two weeks of your puppy's life. You will need 24-hour care first.
   • You may need to take time off to take care of the puppies as they require constant care for the first 2 weeks.
   • Think about this before you breed a bitch. If you can't take care of the puppies, then you shouldn't.
2. 2 Find a milk replacement. If your puppies are unable to feed on breast milk, you must provide them with a suitable milk replacement. The ideal option is considered to be a milk replacer. It is sold as a powder (lactol), which is diluted with boiled water (the formula is identical to milk for newborns).
   • You can buy milk replacers at your veterinary clinic or major pet stores.
   • Do not use cow's or goat's milk or baby food. This food is not suitable for newborn puppies.
   • You can temporarily use a mixture of condensed milk and boiled water while you are looking for a milk replacer.Use four parts condensed milk and one part boiled water.
3. 3 Feed newborn puppies every 2 hours. Puppies need to eat every 2 hours, which means you have to feed them 12 times a day.
   • Follow the instructions on the package to prepare the milk replacer (usually 30 g of powder is mixed with 105 ml of boiled water).
4. 4 Watch for signs that your puppy is hungry. Hungry puppies are very noisy. They squeal and whine, trying to get the mother's attention. If the puppy is whining and hasn't eaten for 2-3 hours, it is possible that he is hungry.
   • Pay attention to the shape of the puppy's belly. Since the puppy is still low on fat when its stomach is empty, its belly will be flat or concave. When his stomach is full, his stomach will resemble a barrel.
5. 5 Use a bottle and pacifier designed for puppies. Teats made for puppies are softer than those made for babies. You can purchase them at veterinary clinics and large pet stores.
   • In an emergency, you can use a dropper to feed your puppy milk. However, use this option only as a last resort, as there is a risk that the puppy will swallow a lot of air with the milk. This can lead to bloating.
6. 6 Let the puppy eat until he turns away from the bottle. Follow the instructions on the milk replacer packaging. As a rule, you can find on it a mention of the serving size of a newborn puppy. However, you can follow this rule: feed the puppy until he is full.
   • The puppy will most likely fall asleep and then wake up and demand the next meal when it gets hungry again, or after about 2-3 hours.
7. 7 Wipe the puppy's muzzle after each feed. After feeding, wipe the muzzle with cotton wool dipped in warm water. By doing this, you mimic the action of a bitch and reduce the risk of skin infection.
8. 8 Sterilize feeding utensils. Wash your feeding utensils and then sterilize them. Use a liquid disinfectant made for baby dishes or a steam sterilizer.
   • Alternatively, you can boil the dishes in water.
9. 9 Wipe down your puppy's bottom before and after feeding. Newborn puppies do not urinate or defecate spontaneously and should be encouraged to do so. Puppies do not go to the toilet until the mother starts licking their priests so that they can do their job.
   • Wipe your puppy's bottom with cotton wool soaked in warm water before and after each feed. This will stimulate the puppy to void. Wipe the puppy's bottom off after he's done his job.
10. 10 As the puppies get older, you can start lengthening the time between feedings. The puppy will grow up and will be able to eat more at one time. By the end of the third week, feed the puppy every 4 hours.
11. 11 Keep your puppies warm enough. Use your hand to taste the puppy's body. If the puppy is cold, you will feel it. He can also be very quiet and motionless. A hot puppy has red ears and red tongue. In addition, he will be very mobile, this is due to the fact that he will try with all his might to dodge the heat source.
    • The body temperature of a newborn should be 34-37 degrees Celsius. At two weeks of age, the temperature can rise to 37.7 degrees Celsius. There is no need to measure your puppy's temperature using a thermometer. Check with your veterinarian if you have any questions.
    • If you are using the lamp as a heat source, watch your puppy's skin. It shouldn't be red or dry. If you notice such manifestations on the skin, remove the lamp.
12. 12 Control the temperature in the room. Newborn puppies are unable to regulate their own body temperature, which can lead to hypothermia. The heating pad will serve as a replacement for the mother. Take care of a suitable heat source.
    • The room temperature should be such that you are comfortable in shorts and a T-shirt.
    • Provide extra warmth in the puppy's box. You can place a heating pad under your puppy's bedding. However, do not overdo it, the puppy should not be too hot. Please note that a newborn puppy cannot control the temperature on its own.

Method 6 of 6: Providing Puppy Care

1. 1 When your puppy is 2 weeks old, give him a worm medicine. Having parasites in your puppy can lead to health problems. Therefore, give your puppy a worm medication when he is old enough. To date, there are no drugs for worms for newborn puppies. However, fenbendazole can be used from 2 weeks of age.
   • Fenbendazole is a liquid form of release, so the medicine can be given to the puppy from a syringe after a meal. For 1 kg of body weight, take 2 ml of the medicine. Give the medicine once a day for three days.
2. 2 When your puppy is 6 weeks old, you can start treating your puppy for fleas. Remember, flea treatment should not be given to a newborn puppy. Most flea products recommend a minimum weight and age to use. There is currently no medication that is suitable for newborn puppies.
   • Puppies must be at least 6 weeks old before you can use selamectin (a stronghold active ingredient).
   • Puppies must be at least 8 weeks old and weigh more than 2 kilograms before you can use fipronil.
3. 3 Start immunizing puppies at 6 weeks of age. Puppies start life with immunity passed on by their mother. But they need additional immunization to stay healthy. Check with your veterinarian about your immunization schedule.

Tips

• Do not pick up a newborn puppy until he starts to open his eyes and walk, the bitch may be aggressive!