46-48 Pollen Street, Grey Lynn, Auckland
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Orphan Puppy CareIf you find yourself in a position where you need to hand rear an orphaned puppy, we hope you will find this information useful.
You do need a few things to get started:
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A cardboard pet carrier makes an excellent nest box - portable, tall sided, can be made dark and are cheap.
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In order to keep the babies dry and clean place a towel on the bottom of the box and place a disposable nappy on top. You will need to trim the elastic to allow the nappy to lie flat.
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You need to provide some warmth, this is easiest achieved by a heat pad under the box, but you can use hot water bottles although these will need to be refilled frequently. The heat source should only warm-up half the box so that the babies can crawl to the other side if they are too hot.
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Powdered milk for hand raising puppies is available from vet and pet shops - it is important to use this rather than other forms of milk, as these are more likely to cause diarrhoea. In some countries different milk formulas are available for dogs (and in Australia a variety are available for marsupials) but I am afraid this is not the case at the moment in New Zealand.
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If diarrhoea (loose faeces are normal but watery are not) occurs then you should dilute the milk powder further to prevent dehydration.
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If you are unable to get to a vet or pet shop a temporary solution is as follows:
Puppies:
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp salad oil
1 drop multi-vitamins
2 egg yolks
Mix in a blender.
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Pet nursing bottles and teats are available at most vets and pet shops. The teats may need to be pierced using fine scissors or a hot needle. The hole is the correct size if when the bottle is squeezed milk drips out slowly.
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The bottle of milk should be warmed in a cup of hot water. Make sure you test the temperature of the milk; the inside of your wrist is a good place. Do not use a microwave to heat the milk.
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Expect to feed them every 2-3 hours through the day, but do not wake them to give them a feed. They may sleep through the night, but if they wake up hungry they will let you know!
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Ensure when feeding that they cannot gulp air from the bottle by tipping it sufficiently. After feeding play with them to "burp" them. Small amounts of milk may come from the nose if they are drinking too fast, although if this seems excessive you should have your veterinarian check them out.
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Infant puppies are unable to defecate or urinate on their own. Normally the mother performs this by licking their genitals. Without mum's presence you need to do this. You can use a cotton bud or piece of tissue and gently rub the genital area. Have a tissue handy to collect the urine/faeces.
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The puppy should be bathed a couple of times a day with warm water and baby shampoo. Pay particular attention to around the genitals as urine can scold the skin. A flannel works well. If using a larger amount of water make sure that the baby doesn't get submerged. Towel drying followed by using a hairdryer will ensure that the baby doesn't get cold. When using a hair dryer make sure you do not keep it still or concentrate on one area for any length of time as it can cause burns or overheating.
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Solid foods can be introduced once they start chewing at the teat instead of sucking. This usually occurs at 3-4 weeks of age. A tinned puppy food should be used to start with or a dry which can be made into a gruel (e.g. Advance growth).
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From 4 to 6 weeks they should be eating readily. If you are re-homing this can be done from 6 weeks of age.
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If you are giving an orphaned puppy a chance it is a very rewarding (although time consuming) experience. If you need any help give our nurses a ring and they will be happy to help you in any way they can. (Please note if your puppy has been orphaned at less than 2 days of age you should phone us to discuss how to boost their immunity - which will be very weak or non-existent.)
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