Newborn puppy care
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Help! Your dog has just brought new puppies into the world and if this is your first time looking after the dear little darlings, you may feel a bit overwhelmed. Naturally it's always best to be prepared - read all you can before they puppies arrive but if you're not quite that organized, here's a quick run down of what you can do to help the mother dog along.
Make sure the environment the puppies are in is warm (draught free) and clean. Chilling is the biggest killer of new born puppies who haven't got much fur and find it hard 
to regulate their body temperature. Their mother usually does a great job of providing warmth by allowing them to snuggle up to her. Still, if you provide external heating and warmth to ensure that the ambient temperature stays at a balmy 85 degrees Fahrenheit and stop the cold winds from chilling them, then they are much more likely to survive the early days.
Clean the whelping box daily. The mother will usually clean the pups for you but the box can get a tad dirty so make sure her bedding is kept clean by inspecting it daily and changing the bedding when necessary.
Newborn puppies are born with their eyes closed usually and these will open at about 2 weeks. This coincides with when their ears 'unseal' and they start to hear. Sometimes it will take a bit longer for their ears to 'unseal' but generally by week 4 they are well and ready to take in new sights and sounds. Week 4 is a milestone and you'll notice them taking their first cute little steps. Before then, moving around tends to take the form of crawling rather than full on walking on all 4s. Puppies that are thriving should be 
putting on weight weekly. A lot of owners will start to wean puppies onto solid food at this stage. Note that initial puppy feeding is a messy affair. One way of limiting the mess is to put the gruel-like puppy food in a bowl in your bath tub, make sure you've got a rubber mat in there for them to get their footing and then introduce them to the food. If they don't fit in the tub then perhaps the shower recess. It makes for easier cleaning I can tell you! By about 6-8 weeks, puppies are ready for their vaccinations and worming and ready for new homes.
Problems that may arise
1. sometimes the mother will reject her puppies - you will notice that these puppies are continually crying and the mother may leave them for long periods. Hand raising newborn puppies isn't a task for the faint hearted - it's tiring and you will need special milk formulations for the pups.
2. runts are common in litters. Some just fade away despite all your efforts. Don't feel guilty if they don't survive - some have congenital problems that make it hard for them to survive past puppyhood. If you notice a pup that isn't thriving and losing weight, take it to your veterinarian - he/she will be in a better position to give you a diagnosis and let you know if the puppy has a good chance of survival or not.
3. sometimes the mother can get mastitis (infection of her mammary glands) which will result in a swelling around the teat which is hot and painful to touch. Take her into your veterinarian straight away.
Past dog health questionsBuying dog from interstate
I am currently looking for a Chihuahua puppy to purchase online because there are none available in my immediate area of Minnesota. Many Breeders say the will ship the puppy via air through pet shipping services such as "delta pet first" etc...I have read briefly about the conditions the animal will be subjected to, which seem ok, the "pet cabin" is air pressure and Temperature regulated and they seem to be treated with care, and the airline and handlers have to comply with the animal welfare act. The breeders will not ship the puppy until it is 12 weeks of age,to make sure it is healthy and weaned from it's mother.I am stil a bit worried though. There are many breeders in Missouri which would be a short flight away. SO...my question for YOU is: What is your oppinion of putting animals such as dogs (which are so humanlike as opposed to other animals) through an air flight, especially such a SMALL and FRAGILE breed of dog and at such a young age? The breeder recommends visting the vet within 3 days after the flight to get the puppy checked, to make sure the flight did'nt affect it. Have you ever cared for dogs in a similar situation, ever seen any health problems because of flying? ANY information you have on this would be helpful to me as It is what is hindering me from buying a pup at this moment.
Pay just $3.95 for the answer - click herePuppy coughing
I bought a puppy from the humane society. It is a lab mix male that was neuterd last friday. The vet noticed the puppy had a cough so he gave him some antibiotics to take for a couple of days. The puppy has finished the antibiotics but still has a cough and now a runny nose. He coughs so hard I think he is trying to throw up but doesn't. Is this normal or should I take him back to the doctors? He seems to sleep alot more that he did when I first got him home. He is 2 and 1/2 months old.
Pay just $3.95 for the answer - click here Puppy born with eyes open
My female had to have a c-section and one puppy came out with her eyes already open? what can I do to help the puppies eyes can they be glued shut to save them? other then that the puppy is very healthy and seems normal.
Pay just $3.95 for the answer - click here Puppy that died
Please tell me if we killed our puppy. She became very sick after having her for 4 days. she began vomitting. The vet said to treat her with different things and I took her to him 2 days later. I finally heard she might have parvovirus the day before she died. The place I bought her from says all the puppies are fine, none of them are sick. My question since we have 2 older dogs can they have given her the virus? Can the older dogs be carriers and have passed it on to the puppy? I don't think they have ever had shots for parvovirus. Or could she have come in contact with it where we walked her and became ill that fast? I have never heard of this virus and shouldn't my vet have checked her for it right away when she became ill? One site said to start treatment within 2 hours and we waited 2 days. PLease help I do not understand all this and does this mean I can not get another puppy? The vet did not test so we don't know for sure that is what she died from, he said we could do a tissue sample after she died but I was too upset. thank you.
Pay just $3.95 for the answer - click here Puppy with diarrhea
My 5month old male Rottweiler puppy has had diarrhea for 2 days, but he is eating and still very playful, is it okay if I gave him some pepto bismal for the diarrhea?
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