Feeding A Weaned Puppy Early
The number of litters of puppies that are abandoned per year only increases, especially in those times when the females are typically in heat. In the event that you come across a motherless young animal, you will need to know how to feed a weaned puppy correctly.
Problems that abandoned puppies often suffer
The fragility of newborn puppies makes them the main target of many diseases. In addition, in the event that you have found the animal in the street, it will have been exposed to the following problems:
- Hypothermia , especially if you find the puppy in the fall or winter, although, since newborns do not regulate their body temperature correctly, hypothermia can occur at any other time of the year.
- Dehydration. In many cases, the sequelae of hypothermia that lead to poor metabolism of nutrients, can also lead to dehydration of the animal.
- Hypoglycemia, that is, low blood sugar levels. Among the most common symptoms that will allow you to notice the presence of hypoglycemia, we find seizures, muscle spasms and apathy.
Each of these problems is often interrelated, so don’t rule out any or try to see a vet as soon as you find the puppy.
Feeding a weaned puppy
Many of the dogs that are abandoned on the street or in the field are usually only a few weeks old and therefore still need milk from their mother to survive. The only way for these puppies to get ahead is to feed them a specially prepared milk-based diet for dogs.
If you are in possession of an animal this young, be prepared to bottle it every two to three hours and for three to four weeks, depending on the age of the puppy. These are some of the guidelines you should follow to properly feed your new pet:
- The hygiene of the bottles is especially important, since, having not previously ingested breast milk, they do not have intestinal flora or many common antibodies.
- The size of the nipple is important so that the puppy does not choke or hurt his jaw.
- The angle with which you give the bottle to your puppy will determine the presence or not of nocturnal colic.
- The nipple hole also has to be the correct size. If it is too small, the puppy will try too hard to suck and will eventually lose interest in the bottle.
- During the entire lactation stage of the puppy, try to weigh it every week to make sure that the amount of nutrients is adequate and that everything is going as it should.
- Regarding the temperature of the milk, try not to exceed 37 degrees to adapt as much as possible to the body temperature of the animal.
The weaning process should begin about two weeks after the puppy has opened its eyes. Start by putting milk on a flat plate with some ground oatmeal and try putting some food in his mouth for him to taste. In three weeks your pet will be ready to eat solid food.
