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What should I do for my rescued, starving newborn orphan puppy?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 13 days old | 2 lbs

Hello, the newborn puppy I have got resuced. The mother was not there, because the owner took the mother way. He is also a runt and staved, the owners fed him hotdogs.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

Published on January 14th, 2018

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.
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