Orphan Puppies: How to Raise Them
This does not replace Veterinary advice, Always seek Professional Veterinary advice if your puppy is sick or injured
Puppies are usually orphaned when the mother (dam) is not
able to adequately care for her puppies. This may be because she cannot produce
milk (a condition called 'agalactia') or because she
has behavioral or psychological abnormalities, which prevent her from
adequately caring for her puppies. In rare instances, the mother may actually
not be present due to death, injury, or complications arising from a difficult
birthing. Some puppies may be several weeks old before their mother becomes
unable to care for them.
Successful rearing of motherless puppies requires a regular schedule of
appropriate feedings, elimination, playing, and sleeping all in a safe and
healthy environment. The principles of raising one orphaned puppy are not
significantly different than those of raising an entire orphaned litter. In
most cases, an entire litter is orphaned rather than a single puppy. Raising an
orphaned litter in the complete absence of a mother is time consuming, but
rewarding. It is very possible to hand raise an entire litter from birth with
the same success rate as could be accomplished by the natural caring mother. To
successfully raise an orphaned litter one must consider:
Healthy puppies are plump and firm, warm, quiet, and sleep most of the time.
Unhealthy puppies have poor muscle tone, initial high activity levels, and cry
a lot. If not assisted, they become weak, quiet, and comatose.
Nutrition and Weaning
If at all possible, get the puppies to nurse from
the bitch in the first 12 hours to allow for ingestion of colostrum.
Puppies are only able to absorb the antibodies from the colostrum
for the first 24 hours of life. If the dam will continue to allow the puppies
to nurse while she is made to lay still, it will
decrease some of the work load on the breeder. She may decide in a few days
that she is willing to care for them and remove the burden from the breeder.
Supplying adequate nutrition is always a concern
in hand raising puppies. If the bitch is not able to nurse and care for the
puppies, they will need to be bottle or tube fed. Bottles for puppies are readily
available and are the preferred method of feeding. Tube feeding is best left to
trained individuals, as the tube may be inadvertently passed to the lungs and
cause choking when the formula is administered. Tube feeding, although risky,
is warranted in puppies failing to nurse properly. Some kennel operators have
become experts at tube feeding and prefer this method, as they then know
precisely how much formula each puppy has received. For most instances,
however, bottle feeding is recommended. Feed a puppy while on its belly, not on
its back, as is the case with human babies.
Commercially prepared puppy milk
formulas are readily available and are nutritionally balanced to meet the needs
of orphan puppies. Homemade milk formula recipes are also available. These are
not perfectly balanced nutritionally, but will suffice for several days until
commercial formulas can be obtained. Esbilac and Puppylac are well known puppy milk replacers.
Emergency Puppy Milk Replacer
1 cup whole milk (cow or goat)
1 pinch table grade salt
3 egg yolks - no whites
1 tablespoon corn oil
1/4 teaspoon liquid vitamins
Do not substitute cow's milk or goat's milk for a
high quality puppy milk replacer. They are not
equivalent. Do not feed raw egg whites as a biotin deficiency may occur due to
an enzyme in the white part of
the egg. The enzyme is destroyed with cooking. Honey may contain bacteria,
which may be fatal to the puppies.
Whether using a commercial or homemade formula, only
make enough formula for 1 day of feeding at a time and keep it in the
refrigerator. Wash and dry the bottles and nipples or feeding tube thoroughly
between feedings. Warm the puppy milk replacer in a
pan of water until 98-100ºF before feeding.
The puppies will need to be burped during and
after each feeding. Hold them upright or over your shoulder and pat their back.
Bottle or tube feeding needs to be done very carefully to prevent aspiration of the supplement
with subsequent aspiration pneumonia or drowning.
Substitute 2-3 tube feedings a day with bottle feeding to help satisfy the
suckling reflex. This should help decrease the puppies
tendency to suck on each other and possibly cause sores.
The first 48-72 hours, they should be fed every 2
hours. For the remainder of the first week, they should be fed every 3 hours
during the day with two 4-hour stretches at night. The second week, the feedings
should be every 4 hours during the day with one 6-hour stretch during the
night. By the third week, they should be started on puppy mush 3 times a day
and the bottle feeding should be continued. Prepare the puppy mush by placing
2 cups of high quality dry puppy food in a blender with 12.5 oz liquid puppy
milk replacer and fill the rest of the blender with
hot water. This should be blended until the consistency
of human infant cereal. (This feeds 6-8 puppies of a medium-sized breed.)
By the fourth week, the mush should be fed 4-5
times a day and the amount of bottle feeding can be slowly reduced. The middle
of the night feeding can be reduced and eliminated also. They can be completely
on solid food by 6 weeks of age.
Divide the daily caloric requirements into the
6-12 feedings required for their age. Expect an eight ounce (1/2 pound) puppy
to consume about 30 ml (one ounce) of formula over a 24-hour period. Most milk
formulas contain about 60 calories per ounce of
formula, thus the eight-ounce puppy will consume about 30 calories in a 24-hour
period. This is a guideline only and it is better to feed lesser amounts more
often than large amounts at one time. If the puppies are not gaining weight,
they need more food. If the puppies develop diarrhea, they may be over fed.
Weigh each puppy at the same time a minimum of once a day for the first 10
days. Then 3-4 times a week for another 10 days.
Failure of weight gain is often the first sign of illness in young animals.
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Sanitation
A newborn puppy is unable to urinate or have a
bowel movement on its own. It lacks the necessary muscle control over these
functions. A puppy must be stimulated to urinate and defecate. This duty is
normally performed by the mother. Her grooming or licking of the puppy's anal
area will stimulate it to urinate and defecate. Orphaned puppies must be
manually stimulated by the owner to enable urination and defecation. The puppy
must be stimulated after each and every feeding. Fortunately, this is easy. A
cotton ball or piece of very soft toweling works well. Moisten it with warm
water and gently rub the anal and genital area. Within one to two minutes, the
puppy will urinate and/or defecate. Some puppies will respond better before
eating, while others respond better after eating. Try both times to keep the
puppies healthiest. Keep a record of each puppy's urination and defecation.
Puppies will need to be stimulated in this fashion until their bladder and
bowel muscles strengthen, usually by 21 days of age. Most puppies will eliminate
on their own by three weeks of age.
Clean the puppy and you are done until the next
feeding. Observe the urine and feces for signs of ill health. The urine should
be a pale yellow or clear. If it is dark yellow or orange, the puppy is not
being fed enough. Do not feed more at one time, but feed more often. The stool
should be a pale to dark brown and partially formed. Green stool indicates an
infection, and too firm of a stool indicates not enough formula. Again, if the stool is hard, feed more often rather than increasing
the amount of formula given per feeding. It is possible to feed a puppy
too much, but not too often. Too much food causes bloating, gas, regurgitation,
and sometimes aspiration into the lungs. Seek Veterinary attention
Temperature and Humidity
To remain healthy, puppies must be
kept at the proper ambient temperature. Young puppies cannot conserve body heat
or shiver to create heat. Supplying artificial heat sources such as an
incubator, heat lamp, warm water pad or electrical heating pad will help
puppies remain at the correct body temperature. Regardless of the heat source,
it is very important not to overheat or burn the puppies. Keep a thermometer in
the puppy area to monitor the temperature.
A simple 25-watt
light bulb suspended over one end of a small box usually will supply sufficient
heat.
Keep a room thermometer under the light source to monitor the temperature.
Heating pads need to be monitored closely if used, as the puppies may be too
weakened to move away from them and become burned. If a heating pad must be
used, wrap it in a thick towel or sheepskin to protect the puppies from burns.
For the first week, air temperature should be maintained at 90-95ºF and a
relative humidity of 55-65%. During the beginning of the second week, gradually
reduce the temperature to 85ºF. During the third week; 80ºF.
During the fourth week; 75ºF. Beyond five weeks,
decrease temperature to 70ºF or the normal room temperature. Use common sense.
If the puppies are piled on top of each other all the time, they are cold. If
the puppies are spread far apart, they are too warm. If they lay next to each
other, the temperature is fine.
Puppies that are hypothermic (low
body temperature) should be warmed slowly over 2-3 hours to a normal neonate
temperature of 97ºF. A normal body temperature should be obtained before
feeding these puppies.
Keep the moisture in a range
comfortable for humans. In a homemade box area, a towel moistened with water
and placed over the box will help add moisture. Never raise infants in a damp
or moldy basement area. This type of stagnant dampness is usually cold and
invites mildew and respiratory infections.
Temperature control is more critical than humidity.
Puppies should be kept on a
surface with good traction such as a blanket stretched taught and held firm
under the sides of the whelping box.
Disease Prevention
Many orphaned puppies are at a higher risk of
developing infectious diseases such as distemper and parvovirus. This is
especially true of puppies that were orphaned without having received any of
their natural mother's colostrum. The colostrum, which is produced during the first 24 hours
after giving birth is especially rich in
disease-protecting antibodies. Colostrum contains the
antibodies which when consumed by the puppies provides immunity against many
diseases. Puppies that have never nursed have not received colostrum
and do not have good immunity. Because of the possible lack of immunity,
properly vaccinating the puppies is extremely important. Some veterinarians may
recommend starting orphaned puppies with their first vaccinations at an earlier
age.
The American Association of Parasitologists
and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have made the following
recommendations for deworming puppies:
Initiate treatments at 2 weeks,
repeat at 4, 6, and 8 weeks of age. Thereafter, use a heartworm prevention
medication that is also effective against hookworms and roundworms.
Nurture and socialization
Puppies need mental and physical stimulation. If
they have littermates, they will stimulate each other when moving. Snuggle with
each puppy as you wake it to eat and for a time after eating. They need the
nurturing to thrive.
It is important for the orphan puppy to have
interaction with members of the household at 5-6 weeks of age. Remember, it is
still a baby and must be handled with care, but you should start to introduce
the pup to noises, grooming procedures, new people, and pets. Early socialization and enabling the puppy
to feel secure in its own environment will help prevent many problems from
arising in the future.
Conclusion
Does raising the orphan pup or litter seem like an
enormous task? Do not worry, there are excellent books
available for more specific information on orphan care and veterinary care in
general. With a commitment of time and care, a little common sense, and some
basic information, it can be a very positive experience. The happy, healthy
young dog you helped raise will be a wonderful reward.
References and Further
Holst, P. Canine Reproduction: A
Breeder's Guide. Alpine Publications.
Evans, JM;
White, K. Book of the Bitch. Howell Book House.
Lee, M. Whelping and Rearing of Puppies. T.F.H. Publications,
Fogle, B. The
Dog's Mind - Understanding Your Dog's Behavior. Howell
Book House.
Rutherford, C; Neil, D. How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With, 3rd ed. Alpine Publication.
1999.
The Monks of New Skete.
The Art of Raising a Puppy. Little,
Brown, and Company.
Feldman, E; Nelson, R. Canine and Feline
Endocrinology and Reproduction. W.B. Saunders Co.
Ettinger, SF. Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 3rd ed. W.B. Saunders Co.
Information above was used and modified by Race Foster, DVM,
Jennifer Prince, DVM,
Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc.