How to care for an inactive newborn puppy? What should I feed it?

I am attaching an article here which will give you detailed information on caring for orphaned puppies: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=576 This includes a recipe for formula, though feeding them a commercial formula made specifically for dogs, such as esbilac, is best. They need feeding every few hours. If you feel like he is very weak, then I would recommend an exam by a veterinarian to be sure there isn't a medical cause for his weakness. They can look him over and be sure he is healthy, and help show you how to feed him and stimulate him to go to the bathroom if that is a problem for him.

These pups will need to be given supplemental heat through a heating pad. They will also need to be bottle fed with a milk replacement supplement. Everything you need should be able available to you through most pet stores or big-box stores. Newborn puppies will require bottle feeding up to every 2-3 hours for the first week or so of their life if they make it. Sometimes, the mother will reject the puppies if she senses they are sick in some way as well. Also, important to note that some puppies just fail to thrive and it isn't the fault of the mother or the person who is trying to care for them. Give it your best shot and best of luck!

Puppies typically nurse every 2-4 hours until 3-4 weeks old then it can be every 4-6 hours. If he has a good suckle reflex that is a good sign and he is probably hungry. You will use puppy milk replacement until he is weaned which generally starts around 4-5 weeks of age the. Transition to soft puppy food and decrease milk feedings. They do have to stay warm. Their normal body temperature is 100 so that can be a sign if shaking. You have to gently wipe their behind and probates to stimulate them to go to the bathroom. This should be done after every meal. They generally sleep a lot and as they get older and more coordinated then they stay awake longer

I'm so sorry to hear about your pup. First step is to warm him up. A Heating pad set on low with the cloth cover on will work. Other types of warm packs are ok too as long as there is a towel/cloth between the heat source and the pup. Keep heating until a rectal temp of 99 is achieved. Meanwhile, rub a small amount of white karo syrup or honey on his gums to help with low blood sugar. Between these two things he will hopefully perk up within 10-20 minutes enough to take the bottle/teat. Then feed as often as he cries. DO NOT try to syringe or force food until you are sure he is swallowing well as this can cause pneumonia if he accidentally inhales a little. Side note: I know it's silly, but be sure that you have poked a hole in the nipple of the bottle (many come with no opening which is weird). Sometimes, despite these efforts, a puppy will not respond and you will need to see the emergency vet for IV bloodsugar and fluids, etc. Even then, we sometimes cannot save them and they do pass. Many times these are the runts of the liver or we suspect there is something else going on (born with a congenital organ problem). Hope this helps and best of luck to you and the baby!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that your puppy is not eating well and seems ill. Puppies need to feed approximately ever 2 hours when they are first born; if they don't, they can become dehydrated and also get dangerously low blood sugar levels. If the puppy is not feeding well and seems to not be thriving, I recommend bringing the puppy to your local veterinarian as soon as you can. Puppies can rapidly decompensate and even pass on their own when they aren't thriving. Bottle feeding is not the safest option for feeding puppies, as they can accidentally aspirate the milk into their lungs and develop fatal pneumonia. The safest way to feed newborn puppies is tube feeding, where you pass a feeding tube down into their stomach and directly deliver the food. This should be demonstrated by a veterinarian so you can do it safely. I hope this is helpful!

Thanks for using PetCoach. Your little guy needs very frequent feeding (every 2 hours) and is also likely looking for a warm body to snuggle up against. Also don't forget to stimulate him to defecate and urinate before and after every feeding. I've posted some great links to neonatal care below but if you have further questions or concerns, call or head to your vet. Best of luck to you and Travis! https://www.petcoach.co/article/orphaned-puppies-how-to-raise-them/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/newborn-puppy-care/

This one likely has a medical condition that is keeping him from being as strong as the others. The best thing to do is have him evaluated by a vet. There may be something that can be corrected. It's very important for them to have the mother's milk, so the best thing you can do is remove the bigger ones every three hours (day and night) to allow the little one to suckle. You should also get some milk replacer for dogs at the pet store. There is feeding guidelines on the box. Sometimes mom may be dry, so if the pup is suckling for a long time (over 5 minutes), then he's likely not getting enough milk from mom and you should offer the milk replacer. Feeding can be reduced to every four hours when he is four weeks, and transitioning to puppy food can happen at six weeks. I hope that helps and the pup turns-out OK.