Ask questions via twitter! Message any question to @answers on twitter. We'll publish the question and send you a reply each time there's a new answer.
Next Question

Answered Question

 
 M¢25  Funded By Mahalo ? |  October 22, 2009 05:19 PM

What is the best way to care for a newborn pup that lost its mother?

I have a newborn mixed-breed puppy that is less than 24 hours old. My dog, a beagle, died while giving birth. I don't know how or why she died, other than to assume it may have been shock. I came home to find that she had delivered only one pup while I was gone. The rest of the puppies didn't make it either. This pup was found far from the whelping nest, out in the middle of my yard, cold, wet, shaking, and crying incessantly. The umbilical cord was still attached. I pinched the cord and cut it off, and have been keeping him warm on a heating pad, feeding him formula from a bottle every two hours, but I am concerned about the best way to care for him from here on out. Any suggestions?
Interesting Question?  Yes (0)   No (0)   
RSS
 
 

Best Answer  Chosen by Asker

 
October 23, 2009 01:24 AM
First, I am sorry for the loss of your dog and her litter (so sad!).

Second, so far, you are doing what you should for the surviving puppy. I have bred and raised puppies before, and while I have not had to deal with abandoned pups (almost though), I have a good understanding of what they need.

Are you feeding it formula specialized for puppies? If not, you can pick it up at a local pet store. Or, you can make it yourself. This website has a recipe for puppy formula and also excellent tips on caring for an orphaned puppy:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2108&aid=863#

The one thing I will suggest is to call a local vet for advice. When my dog had her puppies, she went through a short phase where she did not want to care for them. We called the vet and they willingly walked us through what to do, including what, when and how much we should feed the puppies (formula and then puppy mush at around 3 weeks), burping them, stimulating them to have a bowel movement or urinate (which the mother usually does), keeping track of their weight to make sure they are gaining, watching for dehydration, etc. These things are also explained in the website above. Considering the circumstances, a vet may also want to examine the pup.

Make a little "nest" for the pup. With our pups, we set up a cardboard box (cut off the top of it) and laid down blankets inside with the heating pad set on low underneath the blankets and placed it on one side of the box. You want to give your puppy the opportunity to move away from the heat if need be. Keep the nest clean. I also set up training pads inside the box for easy clean up of any feces/urine. They are expensive though, so newspaper or kraft paper would also work fine.

A few more things that are good to know -- the pup should open its eyes around two weeks of age. If the eyes have any discharge, call a vet. If the puppy twitches at all while sleeping, it is normal!

The puppy will need vaccinations starting at six weeks. You may want to look into setting up an appointment with a local vet.

Good luck! Raising a puppy is rewarding!
Source(s):
Personal experience.

Asker's Rating:
• Thank you! My new puppy is five days old now and doing great!


Helpful Answer?  (0)   (0)    Tip caitw for this answer
Permalink | Report
   Reply  
 
 

Other Answers (2)

Sort By
 
October 22, 2009 07:54 PM
just keep doing what your doing i had a cat that this happen to and i did the same thing you are doing i did it for 7 weeks and he is still with me today 5 years later! as long as you feed it regularly and keep it warm it should be fine.

Helpful Answer?  (1)   (0)   

Helpful: kelraye78

Tip ribbions240 for this answer
Permalink | Report
   Reply  
 
 
 
October 22, 2009 07:59 PM
Give him/her lots of love and feed regularly and it's sure to grow into a fine dog!

Helpful Answer?  (1)   (0)   

Helpful: kelraye78

Tip kaaaaaskop for this answer
Permalink | Report
   Reply  
 
 

Answer this Question

How tips and payments work

This question has already been resolved. You may add an answer to it but you will not be eligible to win best answer or any associated tips.

Ask a Question


140 characters left
Top of Page
Buy Mahalo Dollars with Credit Card or PayPal

Top Members

This Week All Time
  • cfinke
    cfinke
    2nd Degree Black Belt
    28763 Points
    M$29.75 Earned
  • bunnyphuph...
    bunnyphuph...
    2nd Degree Black Belt
    21860 Points
    M$774.74 Earned
  • opher
    opher
    Purple Belt with a Brown Tip
    6470 Points
    M$246.24 Earned
   See All
 

Most Popular Tags

mahalo(1824)
music(517)
iphone(491)
google(397)
online(378)
food(349)
money(298)
beer(294)
movies(288)
apple(262)
aotd(235)
free(233)
video(231)
health(231)
dog(219)
travel(210)
   See All
 

Categories

Welcome New Members


 
 
Mahalo Dollars are the currency of Mahalo Answers.

Each Mahalo Dollar costs $1.

Once you earn more than 40 Mahalo Dollars, you can request to be paid via PayPal. Each Mahalo Dollar is currently worth $0.75 when paid out via PayPal. Learn More

 
 

Please log in to use this function.