Feeding Newborn Puppies

Dogs have always been the delight of many people. This is no wonder why dogs are considered as man’s best friend. What is even more fascinating about these creatures is that their young are one of the cuddliest and most adorable animals on earth. These puppies are so cute that they can actually make our moods a lot better. However, puppies are also very fragile and delicate just like any other newborn creature. These puppies are even sightless when they are first delivered out of their mother’s womb. Because of this, puppies are definitely prone to different kinds of undernourishment, accidents and health problems. So in order for us to prevent these, we must learn the different ways on how to take care of puppies especially when it comes to feeding them. Below are some of the steps and techniques on feeding newborn puppies.

Importance of Feeding

When a dog delivers her young, she usually has 4 or more puppies in one just one delivery. Because of this number, it is hard for our part, as owners, to check and make sure that each puppy is able to feed well. This is in fact one of the challenges that we have as owners of puppies. In feeding a puppy, we can actually try out several different ways in doing it. We all know that the mother’s milk is considered the best food for these newborn dogs; however, this is not always an option for all the puppies. That is why we can also try relying on formulas that are made specifically for newborn dogs that can be purchased on pet shops or pet stores.

First Step
The first thing that we need to do in using the formula milk for puppies is to boil water and wait it to cool down before we can add the ingredients. After this, we can now add 10 ounce of evaporated milk, I raw egg yolk, a cup of whole yogurt, half a teaspoon of Karo syrup or corn syrup to 3 ounce of the boiled water. We can then blend mixture together using a blender or a simple whisk or mixing wire. It is better not to mix the solution thoroughly since this can cause the formation of bubbles, which is not ideal. Bubbles can cause negative side effects on the puppy’s stomach. This particular formula could be stored in the refrigerator for only a maximum of 5 days.

Second Step
After making the formula for the puppies, we can now fill in the baby bottles with the solution. A standard measurement in feeding puppies is to use a cc or an ml of the formula for every ounce the puppy weighs.

Third Step
After getting the right measurement, we can now start warming the bottles just like what we usually do in feeding our own infant. We must also check the feeding bottles in order to make sure that they are working properly. We can do this by holding the bottle upside down in order to see the drip rate. If the solution comes out of the bottle more than a drip, then it suggests a replacement of the nipple.

Fourth Step
Once we are done, we can now gently place the nipple by the puppy’s mouth when the puppy is lying down. Most puppies eat their best when they are lying down on their stomachs. The puppy should then latch on. However, if the puppy finds it difficult to do so, then we can assist it by placing a drip of mil on her tongue or we can use a dropper to drop a few drops in her mouth until the puppy can successfully attach to it. This can be a little challenging to do, but for the sake of the puppy, we must be patient and determined in doing the procedure.

Fifth Step
Once all the puppies are fed, we should always make sure that the puppies burp after feeding. This will provide the puppies comfort and relief and eliminate the excess gas in their stomach. This can be done by patting the puppy carefully after feeding.

Last Step
All puppies must be fed at least every 4 hours. This roughly equates to 6 times a day. This however, is only applicable on the first three weeks of the puppy post delivery. Once the puppies are already 4 weeks old or a month old, the formula feeding could already be weaned. In addition to this, it is very important for us to monitor the puppies’ weights during the first few weeks of feeding. This can be a good basis for us to know whether the puppies are getting enough nutrients and vitamins from their food. In case the puppies aren’t gaining any weight, this can indicate that the puppies are not eating very well. Because of this, it is important for us to already search for the advice of a veterinarian. This kind of condition should never be taken lightly since this can also mean something dangerous in the puppy’s health.

These are just some of the important facts about the right techniques in feeding our newborn puppies using the formula type of feeding.