Taking care of newborn puppies is a full-time job. They must be cleaned, fed and monitored for normal development. Some aspects of puppy care warrant a trip to the vet, such as the shots needed at 6 weeks. Other aspects are simply time consuming, such as preparing food for the litter as they wean.
During Birth
While she is in labor, the female dog will usually take care of birthing the dogs herself. However, in some cases, it’s necessary to help her. Clipping the umbilical cord for her eliminates the possibility of her biting it too close to the abdomen, which can cause the puppy to die from loss of blood. You may also have to wipe the puppy’s mouth and clean the airway using a bulb syringe. If a puppy isn’t breathing, rub the stomach and back vigorously with a dry towel. You should still let her clean up the afterbirth on her own, even if you clip the cord and clean the airway of the puppy for her.
Urination and Defecation
Until the puppies are about 3 weeks old, the mother will lick the stomach and perineum of each puppy to encourage the puppy to use the bathroom at each feeding. If the mother is unable to do this, you must do this with a damp towel or paper towel. Additionally, the mother usually licks up the stool or urine.
Worming
Puppies should be wormed at 2, 4 and 6 weeks. While there are wormers available at many pet food stores, a better option is to give the puppies a wormer from a veterinarian. The wormer from the vet is safer for puppies and is usually more effective. Once you worm the puppy, the mother may not clean up after it for 2 to 3 days.
Developmental Milestones
By 2 to 3 weeks of age, the puppies will be very mobile. The eyes and ears open around that time as well. It’s important to let them open on their own. Forcing them to open can cause irreversible damage. Teeth will start to come in between 2 and 4 weeks. Around 4 weeks, the puppy should be able to carry small toys in its mouth.
Feeding
Until they’re 4 weeks old, the puppies should solely suckle off the mother or be bottle fed puppy replacement milk. Around 3 1/2 weeks old, the puppies will begin to imitate mom drinking water. This is OK as long as the water dish is shallow. At 4 weeks old, the puppies can be fed soft food. Mix equal amounts of dry dog food with canned dog food. Then, add water or replacement milk with the dog food mixture. The water or milk should just cover the food. Let it soak for an hour, use a fork to mash it up and then feed it to the puppies.
