Raising Orphan Puppies - Caring For Orphan Puppies
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So you've got orphan puppies. You might have discovered a litter of puppies or for some reason or other, the mother of the puppies is unable to care for the puppies (some bitches are unable to produce milk on their own, others aren't good mothers and have decided to abandon the pups). What do you do now?
For a start, it's not easy raising orphan puppies - it's demanding time wise and not for the faint hearted. You need to be clear about their nutrition, toileting, socialisation of puppies, possible diseases and the general housing requirements. Healthy happy puppies are cute little bundles of plump fluff, are generally quiet and warm to touch. In contrast, puppies who are less than healthy will be crying a lot (generally from hunger), and have poor muscle tone.
General den environment required for orphan puppies
Most owners will keep puppies in a box or container large enough and line it with old towels or sheets. Puppies don't maintain their body temperature well, so you will need to ensure that the surrounding temperature is maintained to keep them warm. This can be achieved as simply as providing a 25-watt light bulb over the box in which you are housing the puppies. I would keep a thermometer in the box just to make sure that you're not overheating them. Puppies under 2 weeks are kept at 90ºF, 2-3 week olds can be kept at 85ºF, 3-4 week olds 80ºF and then 4-5 week olds at 75ºF. After 5 weeks, you can have them at normal room temperature - this again depends if you have the house centrally heated or not. If you find at any time that the puppies are crying and trying to pile on top of each other, then obviously they aren't warm enough and you need to do something about it.
Puppy Nutrition
If you are in the position to do so, encourage newborn pups (less than a day old) to nurse from the bitch because in the first 12 hours post labor, the bitch will be producing colostrum (which contains antibodies that are essential in protecting the puppies from bugs). Once past this critical stage (ie first 24 hours), this benefit to the puppies is 'lost' and no more colostrum is produced and the puppies will have to fend off infections on their own.
There are basically 2 methods of feeding puppies - tube feeding and bottle feeding. Unless you have the experience to do so, tube feeding isn't something that you will be doing. If however you find that the orphan puppies you have inherited aren't feeding well off the bottle, then you may have to visit your local vet to have a tube inserted for that particular puppy. Puppies are NOT babies, they don't nurse upside down, so when you are feeding an orphan puppy, feed it whilst it's lying on its tummy, not on its back.
What to use as puppy milk substitutes for orphan puppies
There are commercially available puppy milk formulations which have been developed to provide optimum nutrition for the puppies so I would recommend you use these formulations to feed your orphan puppies eg Puppylac. However, if you are stuck and unable to purchase these, then you can make your own homemade puppy milk - but really only for emergencies and only on a temporary basis because these formulations aren't nutritionally complete and feeding puppies on these long term isn't ideal. To make your own puppy milk at home, take 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, 3 egg yolks (take out the whites), 1 cup of full cream cow's milk and whisk it all together. Add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of liquid vitamins (if you have this available).
How to feed orphan puppies
Wash all bottles, teats thoroughly in between feeds and ensure that they are dry before use. Whilst it is tempting to make a big batch of it and keeping it in the fridge, it's best to just make enough for the day keep that in the fridge. When it is feeding time, warm the milk up so that it's lukewarm (usually best to do this in a pan of water) before feeding. After feeding, hold puppies upright over your shoulders to encourage burping.
How to often to feed orphan puppies
I guess this is the time consuming part. Puppies that are under 3 days old should be fed every 2 hours, thereafter until they are 1 week old, they are fed every 3 hours in the day and twice at night with a 4 hour gap in between. 1-2 week old pups are fed every 4 hours in the day and once at night (6 hours between last feed). When they are 3 weeks old, you can start solids with puppy starter food (gruel consistency - you can do this by mixing dry puppy food with the milk replacer and hot water in a blender) 3 times daily and continue with the bottle feeding. Gradually increase the frequency of mush foods to 4-5 times a day and reduce the amount of bottle feeding so that they can be weaned completely onto solid food by 6 weeks. It doesn't matter if you depart from this schedule by a day or 2 or even a week, it's just a guide. As long as the puppies are putting on weight and growing, that tells you that you're doing it 'right'. Regular weighings of puppies (every couple of days) to ensure they are putting on weight is the best guide.
Puppy Poops and Pees
This isn't the most enjoyable part of raising orphan puppies but it is essential. Whilst it sounds bizarre that something as 'natural' as peeing and pooping doesn't happen on its own, a newborn puppy is unable to properly coordinate its muscles to actually perform the deed, so a puppy needs to be 'stimulated' to poop and pee. You can do this by either using cotton wool or a soft old towel or cloth. Make sure it's moist and then gently rub the puppy's genital area. Do this after every feed until puppies are about 3 weeks old. It's also a good gauge as to the puppy's general health and wellbeing. Healthy puppy urine should be pale yellow or clear, if it's dark and orange, then the puppy is dehydrated and should be fed more often. Poop that is green or overly firm is another indication that all is not well. Overly firm stools is another indication that the puppy isn't getting enough fluids so feed more often. DON'T however start to feed the puppy more at the next feed, just feed it the same amount but increase the frequency of feeds.
Puppy Diseases
If puppies didn't get the mother's colostrum, they are at a higher risk of developing diseases. Having said that, it's not a given that ALL orphaned puppies will get diseases that their naturally raised cousins won't get. You just need to take extra care. Ensure bottles are washed properly, wash your hands before you handle puppies, keep puppies away from other dogs till they are vaccinated. You might want to consider taking the puppies in to have them vaccinated early - have a chat with your local vet.
Socialization of orphaned puppies
Just like human babies, puppies need mental and physical stimulation to thrive. If you've inherited a litter of pups, they get that socialization with their siblings. You will be providing that socialization with humans as you handle them whilst feeding. By 5-6 weeks, you can start familiarize puppies to things like external noises (vacuum cleaners, toilet flushing), grooming procedures, and other pets eg cats etc. Providing puppies with early positive 'vibes' with these routine things in their environment will ensure that they form a healthy approach to them later on in life.
Whilst it may start off as a daunting and tiring task, caring for orphan puppies is a fulfilling, rewarding experience that you will cherish in years to come.
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