Hand rearing pups.

If for any reason, you have to hand rear new puppies it is important why dogs do what they do to puppies. For instance, the licking action of the mother stimulates the dogs to go to the toilet. Newborn puppies like babies are totally dependant on their carers for the first few weeks of life.

This is very time consuming, as the puppies must be bottle-fed every two hours to start with. Each dog breed has a different formula for food and it is important for the puppies’ healthy growth and development that they are fed properly. Once they have been fed then they need to be cleaned and the genital areas washed with a cloth. This process has to be a substitute for the maternal licking.

Each day the eyes and the ears need to be cleaned with warm water and a cloth. Watch the length of the nails they may want trimming to prevent them scratching each other.  Normally with new puppies, you should weigh them daily so that you know whether they are gaining enough weight. As you are giving them the milk by hand, you know that they are getting the nutrients that they need.

Diarrhea is a common problem in hand-reared puppies, and if left unchecked dehydration can result in death. Dilute the feed with boiling water but if there is no improvement within 24 hours, consult your veterinarian. Listless crying pups are a sign that not all is well, if a puppy cries for longer than twenty minutes then they are trying to tell you something.

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