How To Take Care Of An Orphaned Puppy

If you happen to have to take care of an orphaned puppy, don’t worry. 

With patience, affection and dedication you can raise a happy and peaceful puppy, and be sure to offer him all the care he needs.

First recommendations for raising a puppy

Remember that a healthy dog:

• He is sturdy and chubby 
• He doesn’t whine excessively
• He sleeps most of the day

So, to make sure you are raising an orphaned dog properly, you need to keep these four key points in mind:

• Adequate nutrition
• Hygiene
• Temperature and humidity under control
• Disease prevention

Raising an orphaned puppy is a wonderful challenge that you will win by arming yourself with patience, commitment and love.

How to feed the puppy

To be sure of meeting the puppy’s nutritional needs, you must first obtain a specific milk for motherless puppies. You can choose one of the brands on the market or praise yourself for the elaboration of a home recipe.

Whatever your choice, do not forget to ask your trusted veterinarian for an opinion, who will be able to give you valuable advice on how to feed your puppy  according to its size, breed and general physical conditions.

For breastfeeding you can use:

• Baby bottles (those designed specifically for puppies, or in the absence of these, those used to breastfeed premature babies).
• Syringes

• Dropper

Tips for feeding the puppy

In the first three days of life, the puppy must be fed every 2 hours.

Thereafter it will be done every three hours, until the end of a week. From then on, the puppy will need to eat every 4 hours throughout the day. You should also know that you will have to provide them with food even during the night.

From the third week, the dog can begin to ingest food previously soaked in milk. However, you must continue with the “feedings”. From the sixth week, he will start eating solid foods.

In addition, the following precautions should be taken:

• You will have to keep the milk in the refrigerator, but remember to give it to the puppy once it has cooled down. Food that is not consumed within 48 hours is unusable.
• Wash and dry the bottle thoroughly after each use.

• Have the baby burp while you feed him and once finished, as if he were a newborn.

How to help your puppy with his needs

You must know that a newborn dog must also be helped to do the needs, both to urinate and to defecate, as the muscle that presides over these functions is not yet developed. This is why mothers usually lick them near the anus and genitals.

In the absence of the biological mother, you will have to gently rub the puppy with a damp swab, before or after feeding him.

From 21 days of age, the puppy will begin to take care of its own needs.

A puppy must grow up in a heated environment

The body of puppies does not retain heat well. For this, you will need to create an environment with the appropriate temperature and humidity. You can use heat sources such as a lamp, hot water bottle or electric blanket. Always make sure that the temperatures are not excessive, to prevent the puppy from getting burned.

Furthermore, it  will be essential to keep the puppy isolated from the cold of the floor and at the same time sheltered from drafts. And, above all, you will have to prepare a comfortable and clean bed for him, where the dog can sleep comfortably.

To prevent the puppy from feeling lonely and starting to whine, you can put an old analog alarm clock in his bed. The ticking of the clock will reassure him, because it will remind him of his mother’s heartbeat.

Additional points to consider when raising an orphaned puppy

All puppies are at increased risk of contracting infectious diseases, such as distemper and parvo. The situation is even more delicate when it comes to subjects who have not received colostrum. Remember that the mother transmits her immune defenses to the puppy through colostrum. For this reason it is very important that you continuously check the general state of health of the puppy, scrupulously respecting the vaccination cycle indicated by the veterinarian.

Also keep in mind these other fundamental aspects of raising an orphaned puppy:

• Stimulate him physically and mentally. Wake him up to eat and play.
• Once he is able to stand on all fours, caress him from head to tail simulating the mother’s licks. This will make it easier for him to learn to walk.

• It is advisable to socialize the puppy right away. Starting from the fifth week, the little dog must get used to the normal movements and noises of the house, and to the possible presence of other animals.