Healthcare - Puppy Care

Once puppies are born, dried off and happily nursing from their mother there is not a lot that owners have to do for the first few days except provide a clean, dry, warm area of the puppies to continue with their development. Puppies are not able to regulate their body temperatures so it is absolutely essential that they be kept in an area that is at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit, or 22 degrees Celsius. Warmer temperatures are better, but do not exceed 80 F or 27 C as this can be uncomfortable for the mother.

Remember that if the whelping box is on the floor the temperature will be lower than the air temperature. Setting the whelping box on blankets or even on thin planks will keep it directly off the floor and will allow the warmer air to circulate around the box.

After the puppies are born remove the soiled bedding from the whelping box immediately. Put in clean towels or absorbent shredded material to soak up urine and faecal material, remember that puppies have little or no bladder and bowel control at this time. The mother will likely try to keep the area clean by eating the puppy's waste and this is a perfectly normal behaviour. You can, of course, clean it up by removing it whenever possible.

The first few days of a puppy's life are spent in darkness and without the ability to hear much. Puppies rely completely on their mother for food, warmth and protection, and use barking and whining to let her know that something is not right for them. These newborn puppies will drag themselves on their bellies in very small areas, crying or yelping if they get cold, hungry, or hurt themselves in any way. The mother will lick the puppies to stimulate the bowels and bladder, as well as nose them to keep them together or when they are lost in the corner of the whelping box.

Generally puppies at this stage should be handled as little as possible. They are learning to communicate with the mother as well as building up their strength for later on in their developmental process. If you do have to pick up the puppies slide one hand around their rib cage, just behind their front legs. With the other hand cup their bottom, and almost pick up in a scooping fashion. Never pick up puppies by the scruff of the neck or under the front legs, leaving the rest of the body to dangle. This is very dangerous to the spine and also is very stressful for the puppy.

Children should not be handling puppies this young, unless they are older children that are very experienced with puppies and are well supervised. Kids sometimes get excited or react inappropriately when they are startled, often resulting in injuries to the puppy. Not only is this harmful to the puppy but it can really affect a child, especially if the puppy is seriously hurt.

Puppies should get their food exclusively from the mother at this time. They should not be given water or food of any kind, as they are not capable of drinking from a bowl or saucer or eating food. If the mother is not nursing the puppies from some reason a vet can help with specialise puppy formula milk, which is different than the pet milk powder available in pet stores.

Owners should watch for puppies that are not eating, feel colder to the touch than other puppies or that are continuously crying. These can all be signs of health conditions that may be very serious. Contact your vet before bringing the puppy in so that you can discuss options, especially if you have to travel long distances with the puppy.

On or about day 13 the puppy's eyes will open. The first few hours this will be kind of painful for the puppy, probably similar to walking out into bright sunshine from a shady room in a house. The puppies will squint and cry if exposed to even very subdued lighting. It is often beneficial to keep the room slightly darkened for the first day, even if it just means using lamps in the corners instead of having the overhead light on.

It is about at this time, at between weeks three and four that puppies start to attend to sounds and equate sounds will something happening in their environment. They also clearly understand that they have littermates and they have a mom, and mom is the source of food. Puppies will cry for the female when she leaves the box, then will be overjoyed to see her when she returns.

Puppies should also start to attend to each other, interacting playfully although in a limited way as they are still in the awkward and clumsy stage. They will also continue to cry and whine, but it will be much less frequent.

It is important for owners to watch for puppies that are not developing at the same rate as their littermates. Puppies that appear to have seizures, do not start to try to walk, or don't seem to look towards light or sound by this stage likely have some neurological problems and should be examined by a vet.

Puppies at this stage can handle minimal petting and holding, but only for short periods of time. Interacting and talking with the puppies while you clean the whelping box, which should be cleaned three to four times a day at this stage, is good socialisation for the puppies.

Most breeders, veterinarians, and behaviouralists all agree that this is the most critical age for puppies with regards to their emotional and social development. Puppies in this stage are learning the pack behaviours, dominance and submission, as well as how to inhibit their own behaviours, especially the bite inhibition. If you watch a litter of pups at this age playing, when one gets too rough, the other puppy yelps a high bitched bark, and the biting puppy immediately stops. The result is that the puppies continue to play without hurting each other.

If the two puppies continue to play and the one puppy bites too hard, resulting in the painful yelp, and the biting puppy doesn't stop, one of two things happen. The first option is the hurt puppy runs away and doesn't play or the mother dog comes over and nips at the biting puppy. The result is the same; the puppy learns to inhibit his bite and to socialise properly with littermates.

The mother will start to naturally wean the puppies at about six to eight weeks of age. This again is teaching the puppies to be more adult and less dependent. She may even growl or snap at the puppies or run away from them if they try to nurse at this time.

Providing solid food mixed with pet milk in a paste or slurry as described in the article on "Puppies" will help this process.

Puppies at this stage should be handled frequently for short periods every day. They can be taken out of the whelping box and played with, although they will generally start to become agitated and restless if away from mom and the litter for more than 5 to 10 minutes at a time.

A puppy at this stage is naturally curious and will explore new environments. Puppies that are still having difficulty walking at the end of this stage should be taken to a vet as there are several neurological conditions that may be causing this behaviour. Puppies that do not seem to want to eat solid or semi-solid food, puppies that vomit or have constant diarrhoea or constipation can also be showing signs of parasites or other conditions and should be examined by a vet.

Usually the puppies are removed from the whelping box at about six weeks of age, depending on the breed and size of the puppies. They may be housed in a puppy pen, a large kennel or run, or even in the fenced area of the garden or a particular room in the house. They will still not be capable of being housetrained at this time and should never be punished for accidents in the house.

Puppies will also need to go for their first vet check-up at this time if they haven't already done so. More information on this can be found in the "Inoculations and Check-ups" article. Taking your puppy to the vet should be a pleasant experience. If you are transporting them by car use a crate if they are crate trained or at least have someone hold them to keep them safe in the vehicle. Never leave the puppy loose in the vehicle for safety reasons. Bring lots of treats and whenever the puppy does well in the vets be sure to give a reward. Most vets will already have some puppy treats on hand too so that they can encourage the puppy to have a pleasant first experience.

Sometime during this time period the puppies will usually move away to their new homes and start to really experience their life as a companion to humans rather than their littermates and other dogs. This is a time that puppies are adventurous yet can also be very afraid as everything it is so new.

At this point puppies should be encouraged to be independent and should not be frightened in new places or with new people. Often simple things can seem threatening, even riding in a car or hearing the doorbell ring for the first time may send your puppy yelping and crying back to their safe area.

As the owner it is important to socialise your puppy to new people and new events. Take them with you as much as possible and encourage others to interact with your puppy. The importance of socialisation is discussed in several other articles because it will establish how your dog will react all through their life.

Your puppy should be growing quite rapidly at this time. They need to carefully treated and not over stressed with exercise. The large and giant breeds will be growing so fast that bones and joints are particularly fragile at this time so jumping and rough play should be eliminated from their behaviours.

Puppies that are not growing at the same rate as other puppies or appear to have coordination problems at this stage should be checked for neurological problems or genetic conditions. Puppies that behave differently from other puppies should not be considered to be just individuals developing differently, they should be considered as potentially at risk. Many of the genetic nervous conditions including seizures and neurological problems start to be noted at this time in a puppy's life. Shaking, sudden stops and starts or erratic movements are often precursor behaviours to the many neurological problems that dogs can have. Thankfully with early detection many of these conditions can be treated or managed so the puppy can go on to have a normal healthy life. Early intervention is the key so be sure to report any strange development or behaviours to your vet.

This is roughly equivalent to the pre-teen years in human development, and the puppy will start to develop his or her own unique personality. They may also become much more independent and also start to test the limit of just how in control that you really are. Rather than wilful disobedience this is often a sign that the puppy is maturing and is starting to respond to instincts with regards to pack order and dominance.

Usually before the eight-month mark most males and females are ready to be spayed or neutered. This procedure will stop most of these behaviours as discussed in the article on spaying and neutering.

Puppies are still growing internally although some breeds will be at their full height by the end of the eight-month mark. They are good at exploring the world around them and may even by getting into garbage, starting to dig in the garden, as wells becoming more destructive with their chewing behaviours. Natural aggression and protectiveness is usually demonstrated somewhere in this period for those breeds that are watch or guard dogs.

Even if dogs at this age have been properly vaccinated and completed all vet checks there are still some issues that owners should watch out for. Worms, fleas, ticks and heartworm programmes should all have been started before this time. Many puppies have a very noticeable pot bellied appearance and this is usually a good indication of at least a roundworm problem.

Puppies at this stage are like young adults. They will have periods of dignified and mature behaviour followed by bouts of complete puppy silliness. Most dogs at this stage should be very energetic, ready to run and romp no matter what the weather or time of day. Dogs that appear lethargic or seem to have a lack of energy should be taken to the vet as soon as possible as this is not typical behaviour for this age.

Dogs at this age also need lots of attention and are very willing to learn. If you did take your puppy to obedience training this is often a good time to take an advanced class or start your dog working in herding or sporting events if you are interested. Socialisation needs to continue at this time and dogs should have confidence in themselves in a variety of settings and situations.

A puppy is not able to tell owners if it is not feeling well, so knowing what to look for in a puppy of any age is important. The following are all signs that can indicate a puppies overall health:

• Wet, shiny nose - this is the sign of a healthy puppy. A puppy that is dehydrated or sick will often have a dry, flaky or reddish looking nose
• Healthy toenails - good toenails mean good nutrition. Dry, brittle or splintered toenails may mean the puppy is not getting the nutrients that he or she needs.
• Soft, downy coat - most breeds of puppies have a puppy coat, which is soft and downy to the touch. Coats that feel harsh or brittle are a sign of nutritional or health problems.
• Clear, tear free eyes - a puppy should have bright, clear eyes after they have fully opened. Cloudy eyes or a discharge from the eyes can be a sign of several medical issues many that can be easily treated.
• Sweet smelling breath - puppy breath is wonderful smelling. Foul smelling breath may be a sign of a digestive disorder.
• No discharge from the nose - mucous discharge from the nose, usually accompanied by constant licking of the nose is often a sign of a respiratory infection or problem. These can become chronic and lead to health issues throughout the dog's life.

If you notice any of these signs, no matter how old your puppy is you should contact your vet and schedule an appointment. As with human health issues the earlier a medical problem is noted and treated the less likely it is to become a chronic condition or the affect the puppy on a long-term basis.

Puppies, as a general rule, are very accident prone. They are likely to knock things over on themselves, fall down, or even try to get into places that are simply not at all suited to dogs. To prevent as many injuries as possible it is a good idea to puppy proof or safety check your home before the puppy has free run of the room of the house.

The best way to safety check your house for a puppy is to get down to their level. This means get down on the floor, even lying down on your stomach if necessary. Look around at their level, and see what looks like something that might be interesting to play with.

Generally puppies will want to pull on anything that dangles or moves when they walk by or brush up against it. This means that electrical cords, tablecloths, tassels and pull cords or blinds or curtains, phone cords or even vine-type plants are all fun to play with. Unfortunately they can also be deadly to puppies. Chewing through electric cords can result in electrocution, and tassels and curtain cords pose a serious choking hazard. Tablecloths and furniture covers are not dangerous in themselves, but the puppy can pull heavy objects off and onto themselves, or may cause glass objects to break leaving glass on the floor.

Stairs, either up or down, can also be problematic. Puppies can fall down or up stairs as they often lack the coordination to navigate the steps. Falling will jumping up or down stairs poses a risk to most puppies, especially those that have longer bodies such as the hound breed and some of the small and toy breeds.

Puppies also have a bad habit of chewing on leather, plastic or anything else that is normally held in the hand. Remote controls, cordless phones, cellular phones, lighters, books or almost anything else is fair game to a puppy. These items all pose choking risks as well as may shatter in the puppy's mouth possible causing lacerations in the mouth and digestive tract.

Finally there are many poisonous houseplants that need to be removed from anywhere the puppy can reach. Most houseplants are poisonous if eaten in large enough quantities, and puppies do not know not to eat them. Chocolate, candies or even cigarettes or tobacco should never be left anywhere a puppy might find it. Eating any of these items can result in death if eaten in large enough amounts. Grapes and raisins are also toxic to dogs and should be kept well out of their reach.

Finally, if you have a cat you may have to find a new place for the litter box once your puppy moves in. Not only will most puppies eat the cat waste, but if you use clumping cat litter they will also consume that. This clumps in their intestines causing severe blockages that usually need to be surgically removed. Even if the puppy does manage to pass the clump it can scratch and damage the lining of the digestive tract.

Spending a bit of time to puppy proof your home can save both stress and possible health problems for your new puppy. Thankfully once they are through the puppy stage many of the changes can be put back to the way they were, especially if you have worked with the puppy and have a well-behaved young adult dog.