Newborn puppy crying, no mom, eating fast. What care does he need?

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

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!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Puppies usually start feeding in the first 2-3 hrs of their lives. You should try and 'latch' the puppy on the nipple. Once the puppy has open mouth you just need to put the nipple in the mouth and wait 20-30 seconds for the puppy to start feeding. If he is not taking any milk or keeps crying for another 2-3hrs, you should get in touch with your local vets. Milk replacer should be used only as the last resort.

Bones is adorable and so lucky that you rescued him. I am attaching a link to a handout below on raising an orphan. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=576 First, get Bones some puppy formula. You should be able to find this at a pet food store. The handout has instructions on feeding. This will give Bones the nutrition he needs and prevent dehydration. Next, puppies younger than 3 weeks of age need stimulation to urinate and defecate. Again, this is discussed in the handout. I would recommend contacting your veterinarian and have them evaluate Bones as soon as possible to make sure there aren't any medical problems or anything else that you need to be doing for him at this point. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

She is very young, the only things you can do for her at this point is feeding her with a puppy milk replacer every 2-4 hours, keep her in a warm place and give her a lot of love. make sure she is pooping regularly as well.

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!

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.