Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Raising an orphaned litter of puppies can be a time consuming exercise but one that is associated with many rewards. Puppies may be orphaned for many reasons such as rejection by their mother, failure of milk production and, rarely, the death of their mother.

Newborn puppies are very fragile and problems can develop quickly due to their high reliance on their mother for warmth and nutrition. There are several critical problems that must be urgently addressed:

           •  Hypothermia (low body temperature) 


           •  Dehydration (lack of fluid) and 


           •  Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). 
These problems often exist at the same time as they are closely linked to one another. Frequent observation and prompt intervention if any of the puppies seem inactive or disinterested in feeding will help reduce the likelihood of mortality. 
Hypothermia 


If a newborn puppy becomes very cold this can quite rapidly lead to an emergency situation. Puppies will lose far more body heat per kilogram of body weight than an adult dog. Puppies rely on their mother for radiant heat to help maintain their body temperature. 
Keeping them dry is first and foremost. Use a soft thick blanket or towel for warmth. This is important during the first week of life. By about a month of age, as they grow, they require less effort to keep warm. In a large litter, puppies huddle together and their combined body heat provides additional warmth. 


DEHYDRATION

The lack of regular fluid intake or the exposure of the puppy to a low humidity environment can easily result in dehydration. The inefficiency of the digestion and metabolism of a hypothermic puppy may also lead to dehydration and other changes. An environmental relative humidity of 55 to 65% is adequate to prevent drying of the skin in a normal newborn puppy. (However, a relative humidity of 85 to 90% is more effective in maintaining puppies if they are small and weak.) One method of maintaining the humidity is to put a damp towel near to the puppy in its basket. The bitch is continuously licking the puppy and herself and normally creates a fairly humid immediate environment. Her breast area is also naturally moist while she is suckling her puppies.

Two key signs of dehydration are the loss of elasticity in the skin and dry and sticky mucous membranes (gums) in the mouth.

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)

Signs of hypoglycaemia can include:

            •  Severe depression (“floppy” puppy) 


            •  Muscle twitching and 


            •  Convulsions (seizures) 
If a puppy shows signs of hypoglycaemia, a few drops of sugar solution/ honey on the tongue can be life saving. 


HOW DO I FEED MY PUPPY?

Commercially available puppy formula is the ideal option to feed as it is specifically formulated to meet all of a puppy's nutritional requirements until they are about 3 to 4 weeks of age. After this, puppies are ready to start eating moistened solid food.

Cow's milk is suitable as well. It is not necessary to feed infant human formula. ANY milk other than the mother’s own milk can cause diarrhea – this is a problem as it can lead to dehydration. If the puppy has diarrhea the very first thing to do at the next feeding is to dilute the milk – half volume of milk with half volume of safe drinking water. Then once feces is becoming more firm start reducing the water and increasing the milk until full milk. Please note use liquid milk as with powder there is too much inconsistency with the milk mixture.

Bottle feeding is generally the easiest and most successful form of feeding, but if you are having difficulty with this please speak to Dr. Jo about alternative techniques.

Bottle feeding is generally the easiest and most successful form of feeding, but if you are having difficulty with this please speak to Dr. Jo about alternative techniques. [courtesy photo]

BOTTLE HANDLING

The bottles need to be clearly marked with gradations to ensure the puppies are getting the correct amount of milk at each feed. They also need to be sterilized between feeds by placing them in boiling water for 5-10 minutes and allowing them to air dry. This ensures bacteria are removed which is especially important for any puppies that missed out on colostrum (first milk feed from the mother - rich in antibodies).

Make sure the hole in the nipple is the right size. When you hold the bottle upside down the liquid should drip out slowly. If it runs out, the hole is too big and this could lead to the puppy inhaling the milk. If the hole isn't big enough the puppy will lose interest in feeding, in this case a sterilized pin can be used to enlarge the hole in the nipple.

If a bottle and nipple is unavailable a syringe can be used carefully, slowly and gently placing milk in the puppy’s mouth

IS THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MILK IMPORTANT?

A newborn puppy has trouble generating enough heat to maintain its body temperature, therefore it is important the milk formula is warmed to around 95-100 degrees Fahrenheit to aid in digestion. This equates to about the same temperature as the skin on your forearm or slightly warmer. As the puppies grow older, the milk can be fed at room temperature.

WHEN AND HOW MUCH DO I FEED?

The general rule is to feed the puppies every 2 to 3 hours, about 20mL per 100G body weight but let them drink until they slow or stop.

Hand feeding can start to be phased out from the 3rd and 4th week as moistened solid food is introduced. The soft center of white bread soaked in milk is often a good transition, once they eat this then add well chopped boiled egg. After that soak puppy food into small soft and easy to eat pieces.

By 3 weeks the puppy can start to eat food from the dish along with the milk. As the consumption of food increases, the amount of milk can be gradually decreased.

By 4 to 5 weeks, the orphaned puppy should be able to consume enough moistened solid food to meet its needs.

HOW DO I GET THE PUPPY TO URINATE AND DEFAECATE?

For the first 2 to 3 weeks of their lives, puppies will need help to urinate and defecate. Normally the mother does this by licking their genital region. To simulate this action, after every feed rub a cotton wool ball or tissue moistened with warm water over the genitals and anus of the puppies. If this procedure is not followed, the puppy may become constipated.

SHOULD MY PUPPY BE TREATED FOR WORMS?

Puppies are routinely treated for worms from 2-3 weeks of age – commonly we start at 6 weeks of age. The time between follow-up deworming varies but often is every 2-3 weeks until 3 months of age. Deworming should be carried out before the first vaccinations at 8 weeks. See previous section.

HOW DO I TREAT A NEWBORN OR VERY YOUNG PUPPY WHO HAS FLEAS?

The safest way to get rid of fleas on a newborn puppy until they are 3 months old is to use a flea shampoo.

Put 1⁄4 teaspoon of flea shampoo in 1 cup of warm water and use this solution to lather the puppy all over – done forget inside ears, under tail and between toes...the only place to avoid is the eyes but if soap gets in them rinse gently with plain water. Rinse the shampoo off well with lots of water and dry the puppy quickly so it does not get cold.

Change the bedding each day so now new fleas can be picked up by the puppy. More importantly is keep the fleas off any other dog or cat who lives in the same household as they will continue to share fleas. The older pets can get topical skin treatments which last longer.

WHEN IS THE FIRST VACCINATION GIVEN?

We routinely recommend the first puppy vaccination at 8 weeks of age.

If the puppy did not nurse in the first 2-3 days they will have missed out on any protective immunity from mum via the colostrum and in this situation your veterinarian may recommend a more frequent vaccination program than normal.

Most importantly with orphaned puppies is to keep them strictly confined to a safe area, and minimize any exposure to potential disease which can be carried on shoes, cloths or contact with other dogs OR where other dogs have been. Once the puppies are 4 months of age, have completed their vaccination series, are on a good deworming program, and have flea/tick prevention they should be able to explore their world a little more freely (though still with supervision!).