Feeding puppies

How to feed dog puppies

How to feed and raise dog puppies

You just found a new born puppy and have no idea what to do? Here is our magic recipe (tested by our own volunteers) for bringing the puppy to the right adoption age.

1. You need a feeder from any human drugstore (there are two kinds of nipples: silicone and latex. Better get one of each, just in case.) Also get a big enough cardboard box, absorbent diapers and lots of patience.
2. From the nearest petshop get the pup specially designed powder milk, which replaces the mother milk. In case you don’t afford that, here’s the magical milk formula with which you can feed the puppy up to four weeks of age: in 500 ml low fat milk add an egg yolk, a teaspoon of honey, a pinch of salt and a drop of oil. Milk has to be lukewarm.
3. Feed the puppy as often as possible, at least in his first week of life! You will notice that just as often he will drop the nipple, but that’s not because he had enough but because he hasn’t figured it out yet!
4. Up to two weeks of age, puppy won’t be able to do his needs on his own. So you will have to help him by gently massaging his belly towards the genital area, using lukewarm watered cotton-wool, to stimulate him.
5. If puppy cries with no apparent reason, it is possible he has cramps, in which case you can add to his milk a bit of mint tea or a bag of cramps baby drink (from the nearest drugstore). If puppy still cries, place two warm water bottles next to him, together with a hand watch (he will think those are a mother’s heartbeats!). You can also use an electric pillow or a lamplight that can warm the poor soul.
6. Like any living being, puppy needs affection, with capital A! Hold him in your arms and gently pat him!
7. You should place a soft plush toy next to him – it will be his best friend!
8. Starting with his second week of life, his eyes will open and he will start exploring the surroundings. Even if he still doesn’t see and hear a lot, he will know when you are near!
9. First teeth? Time for solid food! Buy 500gr good quality solid food (like Royal Canin Starter, for example). Leave the pellets to moisten in a bit of water or milk, and turn them into a paste. Help the young puppy eat with your finger or gently push his muzzle into the paste so he can get the taste of it. At the beginning you can add more of the milk you fed him with until now. 

And before you know it, one day you will hear him bark when you open the door or even growl if you pinch his back! Just a bit more and it will be time for his first deworming, his first vaccine, then the second, then the third…Well done, you did it! It wasn’t so hard, was it? 🙂

First internal deworming may occur when puppy is four weeks old, using Drontal Puppy  – it is a pink solution and it can be found at any vet store. It is administered orally, 1ml per kilo. Next dose is in 7-10 days.

In order to get his first vaccine, puppy needs two dewormings at 7-10 days So the right schedule for all these looks like this:
–                    first deworming
–                    after 7 days – second deworming
–                    after another 2 days – first vaccine
–                    after another 14 days – second vaccine
–                    after another 14 days – third and last vaccine.

Female puppies can be spayed after 4-5 months, and male puppies neutered after 8-9 months.

And don’t worry, there are many other lovely tricks about how to raise your puppy, which you will discover by yourself in due time!