How to Take Care of Infant Puppies

Infant puppies sometimes require human care when the mother rejects the puppy or is not producing enough milk. According to the ASPCA, newborn puppies' activities consist mainly of eating, staying warm and learning how to be social with humans and other animals. That is not to say that taking care of an infant puppy is easy. Newborn pups require time and attention because they cannot feed themselves, see or move very well. Keep your newborn puppies healthy by giving them the proper care.

Things You'll Need

  • Cardboard box
  • Towels or blanket
  • Plastic water bottle
  • Canine milk replacer or evaporated milk
  • Syringe
  • Cotton balls

Instructions

  1. Keep the Puppy Warm

    • 1

      Line the inside of a cardboard box or shoe box with soft towels and blankets. Place the box in a room with a moderate temperature.

    • 2

      Fill a plastic water bottle with very warm water and screw the cap back on tightly.

    • 3

      Wrap a towel around the hot water bottle and place it inside the box. Refill the bottle as needed when the water inside becomes cool. The box is where the puppy will spend most of its time.

    Feeding

    • 4

      Purchase a powdered canine milk replacer and mix it with warm water according to the manufacturer's directions. Or, mix 1 part evaporated milk to 1 part warm water.

    • 5

      Insert the end of the plastic syringe (without a needle) into the milk and fill it to between 2 and 3 ml.

    • 6

      Hold the puppy gently by the scruff of its neck and in an upright position. Wrap a blanket or towel around the puppy to keep it warm while feeding.

    • 7

      Insert the syringe into the side of the puppy's mouth. Gently squeeze the syringe to release a small amount of milk into the puppy's mouth, ensuring that the puppy is drinking the milk before giving it more. Do this until all of the milk is gone or the puppy turns its head to refuse the milk.

    • 8

      Dampen a cotton ball in warm water and rub it over the puppy's belly, near the genitals. This stimulates urination and defecation. Clean up any milk around the mouth and any toilet messes with a warm, wet cloth, then place the puppy into its box to sleep.

    Health Care

    • 9

      Take the puppy to a veterinarian to get de-wormed at about five weeks old.

    • 10

      Have the puppy receive its vaccination shots between six and eight weeks of age.

    • 11

      Take the puppy to a veterinarian immediately if it has unusual symptoms such as no appetite, vomiting or diarrhea, coughing, pale gums, discharge from the eyes or repeated failure to urinate or defecate. These symptoms could be related to a much more serious ailment.