Puppy's
World!
Puppies arrive into this world in a care dependent state.
The fact that their eyes and ears are sealed reflects their
incompletely developed nervous system. They are born capable
of little spontaneous movement and must be stimulated by
the mother's licking to begin breathing, irregularly at
first.
Because of an inability to maintain body heat, puppies must
stay close to their mother and littermates. A puppy will
orient itself toward the source of licking directed at its
head and dorsum. This natural rooting reflex encourages
the puppy to turn and push toward any warm object near its
head. Since any warm object(s) would most likely be its
mother or littermates, the reflex is important in establishing
the puppy's initial bond with the mother. The reflex begins
to disappear at 4 days.
Physical
Examination
Most healthy puppies
are first examined by veterinarians at 6 to 8 weeks of age
when they receive their initial vaccines. Puppies younger
than 4 weeks of age should be examined with the mother present
to keep them calm. Puppies younger than 5 weeks should be
examined on a warm surface and by an individual with warm
hands. Warm the surface with a warm water heater blanket
or use a small cardboard box lined with blankets containing
hot water bottles.
Before handling the puppy, first observe its reaction to
the surrounding environment. Make note of the puppy's general
physical condition, mentation, posture, locomotion, and
breathing pattern. Next, record the puppy's weight in grams
or kilograms and obtain vital signs. The normal rectal temperature
for newborn puppies is 96°F to 97°F. After 1 to
2 weeks the rectal temperature gradually increases until
it reaches 100°F by 4 weeks of age. The heart rate should
be rapid and strong; breathing should be regular and unlabored
Body weight is an important parameter in determining the
health of very young puppies. Weight loss or failure to
gain weight is one of the first signs of illness. Having
the owner keep an accurate daily record of each puppy's
weight for the first 3 weeks of life and every 2 weeks thereafter
is helpful in detecting a health related problem. Puppies
should gain 1 to 1.25 gm/lb.
(2 to 4 gm/day/kg) of expected adult weight daily or double
their birth weight within 2 weeks. For example, to achieve
a normal adult weight of 50 pounds, a puppy should gain
50 to 75 grams of weight daily.
To assess the physical condition of a puppy that is still
developing requires knowledge of normal developmental stages.
The physical examination should be conducted in a systematic
manner. Although the examination may be easier to complete
by proceeding from the puppy's head to its tail, it is advisable
to examine and record observations according to various
body systems-digestive, urinary, circulatory, nervous, respiratory,
and musculoskeletal.
Congenital
Defects
In general, the incidence of
heart murmurs caused by congenital heart defects in puppies
is extremely low; however, heart defects, along with hearing
problems, are the most likely abnormalities to be noticed
at home by the owners or during the puppy's first routine
examination by the veterinarian. Various dog breeds are
known to be afflicted with congenital heart defects while
46 different breeds currently are recognized to have congenital
unilateral or bilateral deafness.
During the first, examination, the head is checked for evidence
of malformations of the skull as well as cleft lip, stenotic
nares, cleft palate, and open fontanelle; brachycephalic
dog breeds are predisposed to these malformations. All puppies
should have functional hearing by 6 weeks of age and older.
As the examination proceeds:
• Open the
mouth and look at the mucous membranes. They should be light
pink and moist.
• Evaluate
the condition of the skin, checking for wounds, state of
hydration, and completeness of hair cover. The coat should
be shiny and free of debris. If necessary, the skin examination
may include diagnostic procedures such as exfoliative cytology,
bacterial culture and sensitivity testing, skin scraping,
dermatophyte culture, and identification of external parasites.
• Inspect the
umbilical area carefully for signs of infection or abdominal
wall abnormalities. The cord usually falls off 2 to 3 days
after birth.
• Examine the
perineal region and the genitals for congenital defects
or intersex characteristics. The testicles should descend
by 4 to 6 weeks of age. If both testes have not descended
by 7 to 14 weeks, cryptorchidism should be suspected. Examine
the rectum and anus for signs of inflammation or congenital
defects. Look for any signs of diarrhea, constipation, or
abnormal micturition.
• Check the
limbs and tail to ensure that all appear normal.
Nutrition
Puppies should gain
5% to 10% of their birth weights per day if they are being
fed properly. Underfeeding is always preferable to overfeeding,
which may cause obesity and musculoskeletal diseases. It
is important to remember that puppies require twice the
fat and protein and more calcium and phosphorus than that
which ordinary cows milk provides. Homemade or commercial
milk replacement formulas are also imperfect substitutes
for the canine mother's milk, although there are some fairly
well balanced commercial milk replacer formulas available.
The following methods can be used as a feeding formula for
growing puppies:
• commercial
powdered or liquid bitch's milk substitutes for first 4
to 6 weeks of life, and;
• one part
dry puppy food to three parts milk replacer or water (two
parts canned puppy food to one part milk replacer or water)
that is processed in a blender for 3 weeks of age and older.
The transition from
mother's milk to solid food should be a gradual process
beginning at about 3 weeks of age (4 weeks of age for toy
breeds); however, if necessary, supplemental feeding may
be started as soon as the puppy fails to show weight gain.
The
Newborn Nursery
Puppies are one of
my very favorite subjects, and my experience in the areas
of whelping and raising them, is fairly extensive. My first
litter was whelped in 1970. Over the years, I sometimes
think I have seen or experienced it all. I have done everything
wrong at least once and have learned many things the hard
way. For those breeders strictly adhering to no intervention
during whelping or postnatal care, this is not the article
for you!
I hate puppy losses. It is such a terrible waste and in
many cases, they can be prevented. Since I don’t have
that many litters, each one is a very special occurrence.
If something happens to any of the puppies, I don’t
have multiple litters or bitches to fall back on. Consequently,
I take a very interactive approach. It’s not that
I don’t believe in survival of the fittest, I do .
. . to a point. But I also believe sometimes, in the case
of an emergency, a breeder needs to step in and give Mother
Nature a helping hand.
The problem is “survival of the fittest” doesn’t
always mean that those puppies that survive will be the
most fit, the strongest or the best ones!
Keep in mind that there are as many different ways of raising
puppies, as there are breeders. Much of puppy rearing is
intuitive and automatic and with each and every litter comes
the added experience of knowing when things are right and
when they are not. Over the years, I have picked up helpful
tips based on successes and failures of my own; that of
close friends; and sage advice from wise breeders before
me.
Things needed
during whelping:
Lots of towels (big
ones and smaller hand towels), a heating pad, heat lamp,
a baby scale, pad of paper and pencil (for keeping track
of birth times and weights), clean scissors (dull and sharp),
alcohol, iodine, Vaseline, dental floss, newspapers, bedding,
a big garbage bag, lots of reading material and/or a TV,
and a huge amount of patience!
When whelping
starts: keep a small cardboard box handy, with
a heating pad set on low, with several layers of towels.
When puppies are being whelped, nothing is more confusing
than to have several pups roaming around the whelping box
while the dam is having contractions and trying to expel
a puppy. When new contractions start, I put the pups already
born in this separate box. When the new pup is born, I put
the pups back with the dam to nurse, since nursing stimulates
contractions.
Heat Lamp:
There are several different types of heat lamps on the market,
but I have found the best ones are those used for Livestock.
For 30 years I have used a pig lamp with a back-up bulb
system and a wire-mesh safety net, in case the bulb breaks
or explodes. It also has a heavy-duty double strength chain
to hang from the ceiling and a heavy-duty cord. Caution….
use heat lamps carefully as they have been known to start
fires; and for the sake of the dam and pups, do not put
the lamp too close to the box.
Scale: Exact
weight can be critical when supplementing puppies and especially
when handraising pups. I recently purchased a new scale
that tops anything I have ever used in the past. This scale
was first seen at my Vet's office. It is made by Shor-Line
(see picture below) and is actually for felines but it works
wonderful with puppies. It shows accurate weight, in either
pounds or kg's, and does the job quickly with little distress
to the pup. No more struggling with a jiggly scale basket
or trying to add weights!!
Items to always
keep on hand in case of an emergency:
A box
of Amoxi-Drops (a broad spectrum antibiotic that needs to
be reconstituted with water), antibiotic ointment, anti-diarrhea
medication (such as Biosol, Kaolin-Pectin, or Neo-Pectilin),
thermometer, Vaseline, lactated ringers solution, Karo syrup
or a Dextrose solution, tube feeding kit (#10 feeding tube,
with 60cc catheter-style feeding syringe), needles and syringes
for giving fluids, and several cans of puppy formula, such
as Esbilac (even though I prefer a homemade formula for
normal supplementation, many times during an emergency there
isn't enough time to mix formula). Most of the time, I have
no need for any of the above items, but as soon as I don't
have them on hand…..the need arises. I would rather
be prepared especially since most emergencies seem to happen
in the middle of the night!
Following
birth, if a pup is slow to get going, appears lifeless
and if swinging and rubbing briskly with a coarse towel
does not work, try a drop of Brandy on the tongue. Or try
alternating the puppy in bowls of hot water and cold water.
Fill 2 bowls with water--one from the hot tap and one from
the cold tap. Immerse the puppy first in one pan and then
in the other (to the neck). I have used this method successfully
over the years on several occasions, with seemingly dead
puppies and it has worked! The idea is to shock the system
into taking that first breath. Do it about 10 times. If
it works, towel dry the puppy vigorously until he is breathing
normally and then put him with the dam. Sometimes there
isn't time to fill water dishes and with a lifeless puppy,
time is of the essence. In a case such as this, hold the
puppy under the water faucet with alternating cold and hot
water -- as hot and as cold as is safe. Also try artificial
respiration by laying the puppy on his back and blowing
gently into his mouth (pull the tongue forward), while alternating
with applied pressure on the puppy's chest. Continue rubbing
briskly. Don't give up on a lifeless pup if the color is
good. It is possible to revive a seemingly dead puppy up
to 20 minutes after delivery. Do not waste time on obviously
defective pups.
Right after
birth, if a pup bleeds excessively from the umbilical
cord, swab the cord in iodine and tie it off at the base
of the cord with dental floss.
When the
bitch is finished whelping, an old piece of advice
(courtesy of Oren Kem of Lodestone Collies) is to give her
a bowl of heated milk. This should consist of canned (condensed)
milk, with equal parts water and two egg yolks. Many bitches
won't eat right after whelping, but few will turn down a
warm bowl of milk. This gives a warming assurance and is
helpful for encouraging milk production.
Encourage
puppies to nurse right away. Not only does nursing
help stimulate contractions, but the puppies need "colostrum":
that first milk produced during the first 24 hours. This
early milk, which is different looking than later milk,
is loaded with antibodies and special nourishment that will
protect the puppies from infection and viruses. It's really
imperative that all puppies get colostrum. Pay close attention
to the smaller puppies. Through no fault of their own, they
may get pushed off the nipples by the bigger puppies.
Congenital
defects: Congenital defects can affect just about
any area, but the heart, lungs and digestive tract seem
to be the most prevalent. Sometimes puppies can be born
so premature that organs won’t be fully developed
and/or they will be missing hair. Following birth, check
each puppy, looking for the obvious signs like cleft palate,
tail and leg deformities and in the rare instance, no anal
opening. Some congenital defects are apparent right away,
but others may not become apparent until the puppy is much
older. Defective puppies should be put down, as trying to
save them, will only bring heartache later on.
The most critical period of a dog's life is during the first
week. The early care and environment of the newborn puppy
are of the utmost importance. Early causes of death can
usually be attributed to: difficult whelping, congenital
or genetic defects, environmental factors (i.e. too cool
or drafty), carelessness of the dam, infection, viruses,
toxic milk or insufficient nourishment.
Check weights
at birth: Over the years, I have seen tremendous
fluctuation in puppy birth weights. While 16 to 18 ounce
puppies at birth are the easiest to raise, there is nothing
wrong with 6-8 ounce puppies, if they are strong. I have
even had healthy and strong 5 ounce puppies. Small does
not necessarily mean weak! It doesn’t hurt to monitor
weight for the first couple of days. Normally, most pups
lose weight the first 24 hours but resume weight gain on
the second day. All healthy pups should gain weight on a
regular basis. Ideally, with Collies, the birth weight should
be doubled within 7-10 days. If hand-raising a litter, puppies
should be weighed daily, not only to assure proper weight
gain, but to calculate the correct amount of formula.
Because puppies cannot
maintain or regulate body temperature on their own, they
are completely dependent upon their environment for the
first couple weeks of life. A puppy’s normal temperature
at birth is approximately 94 degrees. During the first week,
a normal temperature should be between 94 and 98 degrees
(it increases gradually every day). By three weeks old,
the temperature should be 99 to 100 degrees. After three
weeks, it should be approaching the normal body temperature
for an adult dog (101.5). Amazingly, I have actually come
across emergency-room veterinarians that had no idea that
a puppy’s temperature differed from that of the adult
dog!
Because of this
inability to maintain body temperature, the greatest
danger during the first week of life, is chilling. Some
books on newborn puppies suggest keeping the environment
90 to 95 degrees, but most breeders will tell you this is
way too warm. Keeping the room around 70 to 80 degrees (with
no drafts) for the first few days is usually adequate. The
puppies, of course, get their best radiant heat from the
dam and box temperature of 70 degrees should be more than
sufficient! Without the mother, 75-80 degrees should be
satisfactory. Make sure the temperature is gauged on the
floor of the box. Other sources of warmth can be heating
pads or heat lamps. If using a heating pad, monitor the
intensity of heat, as pups have been known to cook on pads
set on high settings. If worried about chilling, a heat
lamp can provide good radiant heat. One can be hung from
the ceiling, high enough over one side of the box, so the
puppies and dam can move around, in or out of the heat areas.
Hydration
is one of the most important things to monitor in new pups,
as it can be one of the first signs of trouble. This can
be checked by pinching the skin on the back of the neck
or on the top of the back. If hydration is OK, the pinched
skin will bounce right back into place. If the pinched skin
stays creased, the puppy is dehydrated and needs fluid replacement.
Also a dehydrated pup's coat will sometimes have a ruffled
or scruffy appearance. Dehydration can either be a result
of inadequate nourishment, too much heat or sickness. Accompanied
with diarrhea and/or vomiting, it can be dangerous and fatal.
Another classic warning sign of a puppy in trouble is incessant
crying. If this is combined with cramping, you better figure
out quickly what is causing the problem. If the puppy is
bloated and has loose stools, it could be the dam’s
milk. If you are lucky, it could just involve a simple correction
in the dam’s diet or it could be something more serious,
such as mastitis (bacteria-infected milk). Check the mother’s
milk and keep an eye out for discolored milk (green or brown)
or streaks of blood. If the puppies are sick and you suspect
the milk, have a veterinarian do milk cultures.
Be very careful what
you feed the nursing mother. It’s important to remember
that whatever you feed her will go right through the milk
and into the puppies! As an example, a friend of mine experienced
disastrous results upon supplementing a nursing mother with
honey (upon the advice of a holistic veterinarian). The
pups developed a clear hard covering over the anus, resulting
in an inability to eliminate. Fortunately, she discovered
the problem before losing any puppies. In the case of an
extreme emergency when a puppy is really bloated and not
nursing, it is possible to remove contents from the stomach.
If this is attempted, it should be done very carefully,
using a feeding tube and syringe.
Puppies almost always pile together in relative proximity
to one another. Sometimes the dam may reject a puppy - sometimes
for a reason (there may be something wrong with the pup)
and sometimes she can do it for no reason at all. If a puppy
continually gets separated from the others, ending up in
a corner by himself, he bears watching. There may be something
wrong……
Vaccinating
Puppies
The basis for an effective
program (other than the effectivity of the vaccine) is whether
the puppy would respond to the vaccine and form its own
immunity.
The biggest hindrance is the presence of maternal antibody
which the puppies received in the first 2 days of life in
the colostrum (milk of dam during this period). These antibodies
can be present for several weeks, protecting the puppy,
but neutralizing any vaccine that may be given.
If the puppies did not have a chance to get any colostrum,
they could be vaccinated as early as the third week of life,
when they can now maintain normal body temperatures.
If puppies received this colostrum, 90% would no longer
have protective levels at 12 weeks of age, and 100% would
no longer have protective levels at 16 weeks of age. Therefore,
vaccinating at 12 weeks of age, or even at 16 weeks of age
should be enough. This would be for distemper, hepatitis,
and parvovirus. Leptospirosis would require two more boosters
for a longer lasting immunity.
The obvious problem with this program is that there could
be some that could lose protective levels as early as 6
weeks of age. Therefore, you might have veterinarians that
start vaccination programs at this age. However, nothing
is reliable until the animal receives a shot at 12 weeks
of age. (There are vaccine companies that claim to have
formulas that could overcome maternal immunity even at early
ages.)
Maternal immunity halves every two weeks. Therefore, vaccination
regimens before 12 weeks of age may be every two weeks or
less frequently (3 weeks, or even 4 weeks or a month). But
anyway, as mentioned, anything before 12 weeks is all presumptive.
A possible danger of giving vaccines quite early is that
the vaccines would use up maternal immunity without stimulating
immune response. This would leave your puppy vulnerable
to the disease until the next vaccination. That's why there
may be some cases wherein a pup is vaccinated at 6 to 8
weeks and then comes down with the disease just before its
next shot is due.
Vaccine companies try to develop formulas (more virus particles)
that would neutralize all maternal immunity, and still have
some virus particles to stimulate the pup's own immune response.
However, personally, I think no one can really know how
much would be required, or if this would really happen.
What if it did not and it only used up the pup's maternal
immunity? The pup would be more vulnerable and might have
been better left alone till it was 12 weeks.
Note that in all this, the number of times a puppy is vaccinated
is NOT a factor at all. The important thing is whether or
not it responded. A pup vaccinated at 6, 8 and 10 weeks
old may not have an advantage over a pup vaccinated at 6
and 10 weeks old only. And these pups may even be worse
than a pup simply vaccinated at 12 weeks of age. The factor
is whether the pup responds or not, and this is not affected
by the number of shots.
Now for leptospirosis. Being bacterial in nature, the immunity
developed does not last. One would be lucky if immunity
lasts 4 months! Unfortunately, our canine vaccines incorporate
lepto, and thus, the program for lepto is attached to the
program for the viral diseases. Ideally, lepto vaccines,
for continued protection, should be given every 3 to 4 months.
Of course, there is always the possibility that dogs are
exposed to natural lepto, and thus, they receive a "booster."
