My dog just had puppies, how do I best care for mom and babies?

Congrats on Winnie's new puppy! You need to make sure that the puppy is nursing and is kept warm at all times, and Winnie has plenty of food and water. Winnie should get a puppy formulated food now because she requires higher amounts of protein, calorie, and calcium to support nursing a puppy. The puppy will need a deworming treatment at two weeks of age. I will put a link to a website below that details other things you need to do for her and her puppy. Any questions or concerns, feel free to post her again, or taking Winnie and puppy in the vet right away :-) https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/breeding-for-dog-owners-caring-for-newborn-puppies

Your bitch may not act like the typical mother because she is way too young to have a litter, and her mothering instincts may not have kicked in yet. Have a box, lined with warm, soft twels ready. As each pup is born, the mom should cut the cord by "scissoring" it with her teeth. If she does not, tie dental floss about four inches from the pup, and at five inches from the pup. Scrape the section in between the ties with a butter knife (you can go back and forth) until the piece of cord is shredded (shredding instead of cutting "seals" the cord better)As soon aa the cord is cut (or before, if you have to do it yourself), clear the pup's airway with a baby bulb syringe--mouth first, then nose. Finally, rub the pup vigorously with a thick towel to get it mostly dry. Put it in the towel-lined box, Have a low-watt light clipped to one side of the box so the puppy can move into and out of the warm spot on the floor of the box. Watch to be sure a placenta is delivered for each puppy. Finally, between births you can give the pup or puppies to the mom to nurse, but remove them if another pup starts to come so she doesn't hurt them accidently. call the vet for breech (feet first) birth, retained placentas, excessive bleeding, or other concerns.

How lovely of you to take in this dog and her puppies! If they cry all the time, then they may not be getting the milk they need to survive and I would start caring for them yourself. You will need to get a puppy milk replacer such as KMR from a pet store or supermarket right away. I will put a link below on how to raise orphan puppies. I would also have the mother spayed so she cannot produce any more puppies. Good luck, I hope this helps! http://www.2ndchance.info/orphanpuppy.htm

Hello. Just keep a close eye on everyone. Even the weaker puppies will fight for a nipple. As long as the puppies seem warm & content, & you see the mother dog cleaning up after the puppies, all will be well. Usually the only time you will need to supplement a puppy is if the mother dog is sick, or she has an extremely large litter. If you do find the need to help with supplemental feedings, make sure you use a puppy nursing formula like Esbilac. Take care.

Take care of them constantly and feed them. Mothers usually are quite tired after parturition and you will not be her number one priority anymore. She will spend most of her time with them and she will be reluctant to go out for walks leaving them alone. As they begin to play and explore, her responsibility become more about ensuring their safety and teaching them proper behavior. Up until they are about 6 weeks old, she will give them nearly constant attention.

You can supplement them with puppy formula. I recommend KMR, which you can get from a pet store or your vet's clinic. Your dog can feed these puppies on her own, and I would only supplement them if they aren't thriving. Make sure your dog is feed a puppy formulated food, as she needs higher amounts of calories, protein, and calcium to support these puppies.

Congratulations on the litter! It sounds like Minnie is still trying to figure this whole thing out! Not all dogs have good maternal instincts. Some dogs must learn these skills and some dogs never learn great skills. Make sure you are assisting her and making sure to keep the pups safe and warm. Puppies require a lot of care and some mothers are not good about staying with the puppies enough to allow them to nurse well so you must also monitor the situation to make sure she is providing for the puppies. Many breeders will spay females or no longer breed females who do not seem to have an interest in motherhood so you may take this into consideration if Minnie does not seem to be the mothering type. Best of luck!