Caring for Newborn Puppies

In an ideal world, the mama dog would be able to provide everything all of her puppies need, but in the real world, you may need to step in to assist if she can’t or won’t care for them properly. If a litter is especially large or if there are problems during whelping, she may be physically unable to take care of all of the puppies’ needs. In some cases, a mother might reject one or more of her pups, particularly if they are sickly or under-sized.

Newborns have four major needs for the first few weeks of their lives: warmth, food, hygiene, and physical safety.

Keeping Newborn Puppies Warm

Newborns, particularly if they are very small, may have a hard time maintaining their body heat. Typically, puppies cuddle with each other or with their mother to conserve and share body heat. When one of the puppies becomes too warm, he or she will simply move away from the group to cool off.

To simulate this if you have to take over care of the pups, you will want to provide a temperature gradient so that one end of the puppies’ area is warm, the other cool. This can be done by providing a heating lamp over one end of the box. Alternatively, hot water bottles can be wrapped in blankets or towels and placed at one end of the pen.

Under no circumstances should a heating pad be used for puppies. If the pup falls asleep on a heating pad, he or she can be seriously burned, and the dog’s sharp teeth can easily puncture the protective coating over the electrical wires in both the pad and the cord, causing electrocution.

Feeding Newborn Puppies

Newborn puppies typically need to be fed every 2-3 hours. Although mother’s milk is best because of the immunity it passes from mother to pups, there are acceptable substitutes if mom is not up to the task. Puppies receive most of their immunity within twelve hours after birth, so make sure all of the puppies get to suckle at least once from the mama soon after they are born.

Human baby formula does not meet the nutritional needs of puppies and should not be used. The breeders at Leerburg Kennel recommend whisking together the following ingredients:

10 oz. of goat's milk (may substitute 10 oz. of canned evaporated milk thinned with three ounces of boiled water)

1 raw egg yolk

1 Tablespoon mayonnaise

1 cup whole yogurt (not skim or fat free)

½ teaspoon of karo syrup

If you are using canned evaporated milk, boil the water then let it cool. Boiling water has a temperature of 212 °F, which is way too hot for the puppies. Once the water has cooled, you will make the formula, and then heat it on the stove to about 100 degrees.

Care should be taken not to over-blend the ingredients to the point where bubbles form, as they can cause very painful gas bubbles. This formula can be kept in the refrigerator for up to seven days.

Puppies should be fed only a liquid diet for the first 4 - 5 weeks, and then gradually weaned to solid food. To begin the weaning process, feed the formula in a dish for a few days to get the puppy weaned from the bottle. Once they have the lapping thing mastered, mix a small amount of puppy kibble or raw ground beef with the formula. As the pups are able to tolerate it, increase the amount of solids and decrease the amount of formula. By 8 weeks, the pups should be totally on solid food.

Hygiene for Newborn Puppies

If you have ever observed a mama dog with her puppies, you have no doubt noticed that she spends a lot of time licking them. This is not solely to remove that funky puppy smell. Licking a puppy’s belly and anus actually stimulates the dog’s intestines, preventing constipation.

If you are taking over for the mama, use a washcloth soaked in warm water to gently rub each puppy’s belly and anus a couple of times each day. If it’s warm outside, feel free to do this outdoors so the dog begins to associate being outdoors with going potty.

You can give each puppy a warm sponge bath as needed to remove urine and any leftovers stuck in his or her fur and wrinkles. At this young age, however, soap and shampoo should not be used.

Cheetah and Puppy Pal at Busch Gardens

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a 335-acre animal theme park located in the city of Tampa, Florida. The park's animal care team took in a cheetah cub whose mother wasn't caring for it, and they  have identified this perfect four-legged friend for the 8-week-old cat. There was a a 16-week old female yellow Labrador puppy. Eventually, the pair will live together and even travel together, helping the park's education team teaching the public about the plight of cheetahs in the wild and the importance of Busch Gardens' conservation efforts. Beginning Saturday, and later these cub and puppy moved to Jambo Junction in the Nairobi area of the park, where guests are able to see them at select times throughout the day.

Cheetah Cub and Puppy Pal

They marked the one-year anniversary of the first time park guests got to see an 8-week-old male cheetah cub and a 16-week-old female yellow labrador puppy start to strike up a friendship that the park's animal experts expect to last a lifetime. 

The pair -later named Kasi and Mtani - spent only supervised play times together at first.

Early exposure to pets does not increase children's risk of allergies

A newly released study reported in the journal Clinical & Experimental Allergy reveals that keeping a dog or cat in the home does not increase children's risk of becoming allergic to the pets.

Parents of young children frequently want to know whether keeping a dog or cat in their home will increase the risk of their children becoming allergic to their pets.

Led by Ganesa Wegienka, MS, PhD, of the Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Hospital, and scientists followed a group of children from birth until they reached adulthood. Periodic contact was made with the parents and the children to collect information about exposure to cats and dogs.

At age 18 years, 565 study participants supplied blood samples to the researchers, who measured antibodies to dog and cat allergens in the samples.

Results observed that being exposed to the specific animal in the first year of life was the most important exposure period, and the exposure appeared protective in some groups.

Young men whose families had kept an indoor dog during their first year of life had about half the risk of becoming sensitized to dogs in comparison to those whose families did not keep a dog in the first year of life.

Both men and women were about half as likely to be sensitized to cats if they had lived with a cat in the first year of life, in comparison to those who did not live with cats.

"This research provides further evidence that experiences in the first year of life are linked to health status during the later part of life, and that early life pet exposure does not put most children at risk of being sensitized to these animals during the later part of life," Wegienka concludes.

False Pregnancy or Pseudo-Pregnancy in Dogs

What is meant by false pregnancy?

False pregnancy, phantom pregnancy, pseudo-pregnancy or pseudocyesis are all terms that refer to a display of maternal (mothering) behavior combined with the physical signs of pregnancy following estrus ("heat") in a female dog that is not actually pregnant. A false pregnancy may occur in a dog, regardless of whether or not she was mated. The majority of intact female dogs will show some signs of false pregnancy after an estrus cycle.

What are the signs of false pregnancy and when do they occur?

Symptoms of false pregnancy usually begin four to nine weeks after the previous heat period, and mimic the symptoms of true pregnancy. The more common signs of pseudo-pregnancy include mammary gland enlargement with or without the production of milk, lethargy, periodic vomiting, and fluid retention. The female often has a decreased appetite but seldom appears to lose weight, probably due to the amount of excess fluid she retains.

These symptoms can occur at any age and do not necessarily follow every estrus. The severity of the clinical signs varies between individuals and may vary from one cycle to the next in the same dog.

Behavioral changes of pseudo-pregnancy include nesting, mothering activity, restlessness, decreased interest in physical activity and occasionally even aggression. Some affected dogs will show signs of a false labor and then protectively guard toys or other small objects.

Why do these symptoms occur?

After the female dog has an estrus cycle, her ovaries begin to produce hormones, regardless of whether she is pregnant or not. These hormones prepare the uterus to receive the fetuses and maintain pregnancy. If the dog is pregnant, the hormones will continue to be produced until shortly before the puppies are born. If she is not pregnant, the levels of the hormones begin to decline after 4-6 weeks. In the early stages, the increased levels of circulating hormones cause changes that mimic pregnancy. As the hormone levels decline in the non-pregnant dog, they send signals to the body that stimulate false labor and mammary gland development. The reason that these hormonal changes occur in the non-pregnant dog remains a mystery.

How is false pregnancy treated?

Mild cases of false pregnancy do not require treatment since the symptoms will subside in approximately 14-21 days.

If the dog appears physically ill or the behavioral changes are severe enough to cause concern, treatment is indicated. Treatment is symptomatic, and may include tranquilization to relieve anxiety, treatment with diuretics in order to reduce the milk production or relieve fluid retention; in rare cases, hormonal treatment may be required.

If the female will not be used for breeding, ovariohysterectomy is recommended to prevent future episodes. Ideally, this surgical sterilization should be performed after all symptoms have resolved. If she is surgically sterilized while she is experiencing signs of pseudo-pregnancy, symptoms may continue for several weeks despite the fact she has been spayed.

Veterinary Surgery: Neutering and Spaying of Dogs & Cats

Spaying is a general term used to describe the ovario-hysterectomy of a female animal whereas Neutering is used to describe the castration of a male animal. However, neutering is often used in reference to both genders. The surgical procedure, performed by a veterinarian, renders the animal incapable of reproducing. Here are answers to some questions you may have about this beneficial procedure.

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When can you have this procedure done?

Both procedures can safely be performed at as early as 3 months of age.

 

Why should you have your pet neutered?

Animal shelters, both public and private, are faced with an incredible burden in overpopulation of dogs and cats that they cannot find homes. Having your pet spayed or neutered ensures that you will not be adding to this tremendous burden.

What are some of the health and behavioral benefits?

Through neutering, you can help your dog or cat live a happier, healthier, longer life. Spaying eliminates the constant crying and nervous pacing of a female cat in heat. Spaying a female dog also eliminates the messiness associated with the heat cycle.

Neutering of male dogs and cats can prevent certain undesirable sexual behaviors, such as urine marking, humping, male aggression and the urge to roam. If you have more than one pet in your household, all the pets will generally get along better if they are neutered.

A long-term benefit of spaying and neutering is improved health for both cats and dogs. Spaying females prior to their first heat cycle nearly eliminates the risk of breast cancer and totally prevents uterine infections and uterine cancer. Neutering males prevents testicular cancer and enlargement of the prostate gland, and greatly reduces their risk for perianal tumors.

Neutering just costs too much!

The cost of caring for a pet, including providing veterinary care, should be considered before acquiring an animal. Many animal shelters offer low-cost spay/neuter services, and there are also many low-cost spay/neuter clinics across the country. The reality is that the cost associated with providing adequate care for just one litter of puppies or kittens is often more than the cost of spaying or neutering. You must also consider that there could be complications with the birth that require hospitalization or surgery. You will also be faced with finding good homes for the offspring yourself or placing more animals into your local shelter. The cost of the well-being of not just your companion animal, but of future generations, should be considered.

What is this problem?

All of us are affected by animal overpopulation. Human health is threatened by the danger of transmittable diseases (including rabies), animal bites and attacks. Property may be damaged and livestock killed when pets roam in search of food. Animal waste is proving to be a serious environment hazard, fouling yards and parks. It is only when all of us assume the responsibility for pet overpopulation that we will see any decrease in the problem.

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බළපිටිය මාදු ගඟේ මිරිදිය පොකුණක් පවත්වාගෙන යන තරුණයෙක්  දේශිය හා විදේශීය සංචාරකයනට නොමිලේ මත්ස්‍ය චිකිත්සාව හඳුන්වා දෙයි. ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ එවැනි චිකිත්සක ක්‍රමයක් ආරම්භ කළ මුල්ම පුද්ගලයා ඔහුය. සමන් වසන්ත නම් මෙම තරුණයාගේ මත්ස්‍ය පොකුණ පිහිටියේ මාදු ගඟ මැදය. උදව්ව ධීවර හා ජලජ සම්පත් අමාත්‍යංශයෙනි. මත්ස්‍ය චිකිත්සාවෙන් ලේ ගමනා ගමනය වර්ධනය වී සමේ ඇති වන ඇතැම් චර්ම රෝග සුව කර ගැනීමට ද ආතතිය හා පීඩනය අඩු කර ගැනීමට ද හැකි බව සොයාගෙන ඇත.මැරී ගිය සම ස්වභාවික ලෙස ඉවත් කර ගැනීමට මළුවා උපකාරි වේ.