Your Puppy - Tender care Facts!

If you are a breeder or if your dog has just had puppies for the first time, you may be nervous about how to look after the newborn puppies. Newborn puppy care can be extremely tiring, especially. There are a number of problems that can arise with newborns. Many knowledgeable breeders, who have been breeding dogs for years, are still learning the right and wrong way of doing things.

Things to Be Considered When the Newborns Arrive

There are certain factors to consider when you find that you dog is expecting. These things include:

• Kennel or Room Temperature
• Bedding
• The Place Where The Newborns Will Be Born
• Injections
• Any Potential Problems With The Birth

Getting the Right Temperature

Getting the right temperature is essential in providing new puppy care. The normal temperature for a dog is around 101.5 degrees. However a puppy is born with a body temperature of around 94 degrees and it gradually builds up its temperature.

Until their temperature rises, they are completely dependent upon their environment to. Unfortunately many newborns die from chilling and so it is absolutely necessary to keep the room at around 70-80 degrees. You can do this using a heat lamp. Many breeders find heat lamps for livestock such as pigs. Heating pads can also be used but puppies should always be monitored on these as they can become over hot occasionally.

Bedding

Towels provide sufficient bedding for newborns and they should be changed frequently to avoid too much soiling. The bedding should always be soft.

Where Will The Puppies Be Born?

Most breeders keep their dogs in kennels and so the puppies are usually born there. If your newborns are going to be delivered in a kennel it is easy to make that space comfortable. Kennels can be kept warm. If your dog lives in the house, she will usually find the warmest and quietest place to have her pups.

Injections

Puppies are not naturally born with the capacity to fight against diseases. However, they are protected a little when antibodies are passed through the mother's blood into the placenta. Similarly these antibodies are also passed and in the mothers first milk for the first 36-48 hours of their life. These antibodies are only passed down if the mother's vaccinations are kept up to date.

The antibodies usually stop protecting the pups at around 6-8 weeks. At this juncture and the puppies' first injection needs to be given in order to further protect them. Two more injections are generally given between 8 and 16 weeks of age. These injections are vital to protect against distemper, canine adenovirus-2 (hepatitis and respiratory disease) and canine parvo virus-2. You should also consider giving your puppies vaccinations against Leptospirosis and Coronavirus. Other vaccinations that can help prevent kennel cough include parainfluenza and Bordatella bronchiseptica.

Any Potential Problems During and After the Birth

There are a wide number of problems that can arise when your dog is ready to give birth. Some of these problems include:

• Puppies getting stuck
• The mother could reject one or more of the puppies
• There could be weaning problems
• Dehydration
• The Mother could attack the pups

Puppies getting stuck are a common problem and it can be extremely dangerous both for the mother and newborn. The newborn could suffocate and mother could also potentially die from stress. It is always worth to have a vet nearby in case anything does go wrong.

The mother could also reject her puppies, though this only usually occurs when there is something wrong with the pup. However the mother can reject a pup for no particular reason. If the mother has rejected the pup, the only other option to keep it alive would be to take care of with utmost care.

Dehydration can be a major problem with newborn puppies. You can tell whether a pup is dehydrated by pinching the skin just behind the neck. If the skin falls back into place quickly, the puppy is hydrated. However, if the skin stays creased for a while and it slowly goes down, the pup is dehydrated and it could need fluid replacement.

Another problem could be that the mother attacks her puppies and in some rare cases, even eat her pups. This happens when the mother thinks the pups are in danger and she does it strangely to protect them. In order to prevent this, the mother and pups need to be kept in a quiet area, away from any other animals and you should make sure the mother is as stress free.

There are so many problems that can arise with new born puppies and it is impossible to know everything. Always seek advice from your vet and read as know more about newborn puppy care.

Related Resources

Ask all your puppy questions at the puppy forums at DogForums.com

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