How to Care for an Orphaned Newborn Puppy

Caring for and raising an orphaned newborn puppy is a full-time job and a huge responsibility. It can be costly and trying at times. Purchasing milk substitute can be expensive, and your puppy might cry a lot, especially if it is particularly small. However, the rewards of knowing you helped raise a puppy that might have died if you hadn't intervened can make up for the downfalls. After your veterinarian has checked your puppy for infectious diseases, you can begin acting as its surrogate mom.

Things You'll Need

  • Scales
  • Rectal thermometer
  • Box
  • Newspaper
  • Sheets or blankets
  • Bottle
  • Milk substitute
  • Moist washcloth
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Instructions

    • 1

      Weigh the puppy daily and take its temperature. The normal rectal temperature for the first week of a newborn puppy's life is between 95 and 99 degrees Fahrenheit. This rises to between 97 and 100 degrees at two weeks and reaches the normal adult dog temperature of 100 to 102 degrees by four weeks of age. The puppy's weight should stay the same or go up. If your puppy is losing weight or has a high or low temperature, it may require medical attention from a veterinarian.

    • 2

      Line a box with clean newspaper and place your puppy inside the box. Replace the newspapers frequently when they look soiled. Start using old sheets or blankets in one area of the box after the first week when you are sure your puppy will not get caught up in the material and be unable to breathe. Wash the sheets whenever they look or smell soiled.

    • 3

      Feed your puppy at least 4 times a day using a bottle. Use milk from another nursing female dog, if possible, or a milk substitute recommended by your veterinarian. Give your puppy 13 to 15 milliliters per 100 grams of body weight during the first week. Increase this to 15 to 18 milliliters per 100 grams of body weight during the second week, 20 milliliters per 100 grams of body weight during the third week, and mix solid food in with 20 milliliters of milk substitute per 100 grams of body weight during the fourth week, with a view to weaning the puppy off the milk substitute and onto solid food.

    • 4

      Burp the puppy after each meal and stimulate it to urinate and defecate. Hold the puppy in your palm and massage its abdomen until an air bubble comes up. Gently rub the puppy's genital area with a moist washcloth to stimulate elimination. This replaces the mother's natural behavior of licking the puppy's genital area as stimulation.

    • 5

      Take your puppy to the veterinarian for deworming, vaccinations and general health checkups. Alert your veterinarian to the fact that you are caring for a newborn puppy so he can be prepared in case of an emergency.