How Warm Should a Newborn Puppy Be?

A puppy spends its first few weeks feeding, socializing and keeping warm. A newborn puppy is usually kept warm by its mother, who will allow it to snuggle up to her. However, in cases where the mother has died, is ill, or rejects the puppy, the caregiver will need to keep the newborn puppy warm to prevent death. Even when the mother is healthy and able to care for the puppy, knowing what the normal body temperature for a newborn puppy is and how to keep it warm will increase its chances of survival.

  1. Body Temperature

    • The normal body temperature for a newborn puppy changes as it ages. In its first week of life, its rectal temperature should be 95 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit. To take the puppy's rectal temperature, insert a lubricated rectal thermometer into the puppy's rectum about one inch in. Keep a mercury thermometer in place for about two minutes before removing it to read the temperature. A digital thermometer will beep when it is ready to be removed. In the puppy's second week of life, its body temperature should be 97 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. By the fourth week, the puppy's body temperature should reach 100 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the normal body temperature of an adult dog.

    Environmental Temperature

    • A newborn puppy cannot regulate its body temperature. It must be kept in a warm environment to maintain the normal body temperature that it needs to survive. For about the first seven days of the puppy's life, the puppy needs to be kept in a place with a temperature of 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Between the seventh and 10th day of the puppy's life, the temperature can be reduced to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. After the fourth week, the puppy can live in an environment with a temperature of around 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Maintaining Temperature

    • There are several things that you can do to do to help the puppy maintain a proper body temperature. Keep the puppy in a warm location and make sure it is not exposed to any wind or cold drafts from a door or window. Line the bedding with clean newspaper for the first week of the puppy's life because until it is able to lift its head and move around a bit, it can suffocate against soft blankets. Place and use a heat lamp or fan over a part of the nesting area to increase and decrease the temperature as needed. Items such as an electric heating pad and towel-wrapped warm water bottles can also be placed near the puppy to keep it warm.

    Overheating

    • While it is important to keep the puppy warm, it is equally important to avoid overheating. A newborn puppy cannot move away from heat on its own, so you will need to keep a close watch over the temperature. The nesting area should be placed in a warm area away from full sunlight, not only to avoid overheating but also because a newborn puppy's eyes are very sensitive to light until after about its fourth week of life. There should be also a cooler place, away from the heat lamp and blankets, for the puppy to crawl to if it gets too warm.