Third Street Veterinary Hospital, PC
McMinnville, Oregon 97128
Office phone: (503) 472-9418
Raising
Orphaned Puppies
Raising
an orphaned puppy is a noble and rewarding experience. Bonding that will occur in the first few
days will likely last for many years.
However, orphaned puppies are very fragile; raising them requires
jumping numerous hurdles. Do not be
disappointed if you are not successful.
The Problems You Must Face
Several
critical problems must be addressed in caring for orphaned puppies. Among these are chilling, dehydration, and
hypoglycemia. These problems are
interrelated and may often exist at the same time. Close observation and prompt attention if any of these problems
develop are essential to survival. Of
course, proper feeding of the orphaned puppy is extremely important.
Chilling
Chilling
in newborn puppies can lead to significant mortality. A puppy will dissipate far more body heat per pound of body
weight than an adult dog. The normal
newborn puppy depends upon radiant heat from its mother to help maintain its
body temperature. In the absence of the
mother, various methods of providing heat, such as incubators, heat lamps, or
hot water bottles can be used.
Rectal
temperatures in a normal newborn puppy range from 95 to 99 F for the
first week, 97 to 100 F for the second and third weeks, and reach the normal
temperature of an adult (100 to 102 F) by the fourth week.
When
the rectal temperature drops below 94 F, the accompanying metabolic
alterations are life threatening.
Therefore, immediate action is necessary to provide the warmth the puppy
needs to survive. A healthy newborn can
usually survive chilling if warmed slowly.
During
the first four days of its life, the orphaned puppy should be maintained in an
environmental temperature of 85 to 90 F.
The temperature may gradually be decreased to 80 F by the
seventh to tenth day and to 72 F by the end of the fourth week. If the litter is large, the temperature need
not be as high. As puppies huddle
together, their body heat provides additional warmth.
Caution: Too rapid warming of a chilled puppy may
result in its death.
Dehydration
The
lack of regular liquid intake or the exposure of the puppy to a low humidity
environment can easily result in dehydration.
The inefficiency of the digestion and metabolism of a chilled puppy may
also lead to dehydration and other changes such as those discussed in this
paper.
Experienced
breeders can detect dehydration by the sense of touch. Two signs of dehydration are the loss of
elasticity in the skin and dry and sticky mucous membranes (gums) in the mouth.
An
environmental relative humidity of 55 to 65 percent is adequate to prevent
drying of the skin in a normal newborn puppy.
However, a relative humidity of 85 to 90 percent is more effective in
maintaining puppies if they are small and weak.
Caution: The environmental temperature should not
exceed 90 F when high humidity is provided. A temperature of 95 F coupled
with relative humidity of 95 percent can lead to respiratory distress.
Hypoglycemia
Signs
of hypoglycemia (abnormal decrease of sugar in the blood) are severe
depression, muscle twitching and sometimes convulsions. If a puppy shows signs of hypoglycemia, a
solution containing glucose will have to be administered. A few drops of corn syrup on the tongue can
be life saving.
Food Options
Total
nutrition for the newborn orphans must be supplied by a milk replacer until the
puppies are about three weeks of age.
At this age, the puppies are ready to start nibbling moistened solid
food.
Preferred
diets:
1.
A commercial puppy milk replacer
2.
For short-term emergencies:
l cup of milk
l
tablespoon corn oil
l pinch of salt
3 egg yolks (no whites)
Blend mixture uniformly
Since
the newborn may have trouble generating enough heat to maintain its body
temperature, the milk replacer should be warmed to 95 to 100F for the best
results. Testing the milk replacer's
temperature on one's forearm (as for babies) is generally accurate enough. The milk replacer should be about the same
temperature as one's skin or slightly warmer.
As the puppies grow older, the milk replacer can be fed at room
temperature.
Feeding Options
Spoon-feeding is slow and requires great
patience. Each spoonful must be slowly
"poured" into the puppy's mouth to prevent liquids from entering the
lungs. The puppy's head must not be
elevated, or the lungs may fill with fluids.
Newborn puppies usually do not have a well-developed gag reflex to
signal this.
Dropper feeding accomplishes the same
result as spoon-feeding but is somewhat cleaner and generally speedier.
Baby bottles made for puppies can be
used quite successfully in most situations.
The size of the hole in the nipple is critical for success. If the bottle is turned upside down and milk
replacer drips from the nipple, the hole is too large. Use of this nipple may cause drowning of the
puppy. If the bottle is turned upside
down and milk replacer comes out only after considerable squeezing of the
bottle, the hole is too small. Use of
this nipple will result in the puppy becoming discouraged and refusing to
nurse. The hole is the proper size if
the bottle is turned upside down and milk replacer drips from the nipple with
minimal squeezing of the bottle. If you
are having trouble enlarging the hole, heat a needle with a match and push it
through the nipple several times.
Tube feeding is the easiest, cleanest
and most efficient method of hand feeding.
However, it requires proper equipment and technique to prevent putting
milk replacer into the puppy's lungs.
If bottle-feeding is not successful, we will supply the equipment and
demonstrate the proper technique. This
is not a difficult procedure, so do not hesitate to ask about it if it is
needed.
Feeding Amount and Frequency
Commercial
milk replacers have directions on their labels for proper amounts to feed. It is necessary for the puppy's weight to be
obtained properly in ounces or grams.
The amounts on the labels are based on the puppy getting only the milk
replacer. The amounts given are also
for a 24-hour period. That quantity
should be divided by the number of feedings per 24 hours. Four
meals, equally spaced during a 24-hour period, are ample for feeding a
puppy when adequate nutrients are provided.
Six or more feedings may be necessary if the puppy is small or
weak. Hand feeding can generally be
ended by the third week and certainly by the fourth. By this time the puppy can consume food, free-choice, from a dish
(see below).
Causing Urination and
Defecation
The
puppy's genital area must be stimulated after feeding to cause urination and
defecation. The genital area should be
massaged with a moist cloth or cotton ball to stimulate action. This cleaning should continue during the
first two weeks. If this procedure is
not followed, the puppy may become constipated.
Beginning Bowl Feeding
By
three weeks, the puppy can start to eat food from the dish along with the milk
replacer. A gruel can be made by
thoroughly mixing a puppy food (canned or dry) with the milk replacer to reach
the consistency of a thick milk shake.
The mixture should not be too thick at first or the puppy will not
consume very much. As the consumption
of food increases, the amount of milk replacer can be gradually decreased.
By
four to four and one-half weeks, the orphaned puppy can consume enough
moistened solid food to meet its needs.
It
is better to avoid starting a puppy on a baby food regimen. This creates extra work and can also create
a finicky eater. Many such foods will
not meet the nutritional needs of a growing puppy.
Deworming
We
routinely treat puppies for worms at 3 and 6 weeks of age. Depending on the parasite load of the puppy
and potential re-exposure to parasites, additional dewormings may be
recommended. We need to see the puppy
at the appropriate ages so that it can be accurately weighed.
First Vaccination
The
first vaccination is normally given to puppies at 6-8 weeks of age. However, if your puppy did not nurse from
its mother during the first 2-3 days after birth, there will be no protective
immunity passed to it. If that is the
case, the first vaccination should be given at about 2-3 weeks of age.