Young puppies are susceptible to diseases and infections, so you'll need to keep a close eye on them. Care for newborn puppies should include regular inspections for signs of infection or ill health. Tell your veterinarian anything unusual, such as vomiting, diarrhea, or if a puppy won't stand up or eat. Puppies should not be left alone with their mother for the first few days of their lives, just to make sure there are no immediate problems.
After a couple of days, it should be safe to make small trips, such as going to the grocery store once a day. It is important to understand that the mother and puppies should not be disturbed or stressed during this period of time. If puppies are being bottle-fed, it's important to make sure they get enough food and hydration. If you are thinking of leaving newborn puppies unattended, you should only do so for very short periods of time.
Newborn puppies can be incredibly cold during this period and you should always make sure they are close enough to the mother and littermates to keep warm. Few things are more charming than a litter of newborn puppies, but the prospect of caring for all these new lives can be daunting. Once you notice puppies starting to taste mom's food, it's time to provide them with their own bowl of puppy food. If you notice that any of the puppies are being underfed, you may need to keep an eye on them when it's time to breastfeed and make sure that smaller puppies hook onto fuller nipples to feed them, says The Nest.
This phase will require you to monitor the mother's health and mood and make sure that all puppies are getting enough milk. If breastfeeding problems persist, talk to a veterinarian about giving the mother a dose of antibiotics to make sure she doesn't have an infection that could spread to her puppies. The calving phase is the term that refers to the process in which the mother dog gives birth to her litter of puppies. If all goes well and the puppies are being fed and healthy, you should be able to leave them alone a little longer compared to other stages of life.
In general, you can leave puppies alone for a certain amount of time depending on their age and their relationship with their mother and litter mates. Make sure that the dog mother has enough space to move and that her puppies are out of danger. Then, you can gradually reduce the amount of canned dog food in this mix until the puppies are eating solid food. You should make sure that a litter has no more than four puppies to prevent this from happening.
If the litter is too large, you may start to ignore some of your puppies or even attack them if they don't get enough attention and care from the other members of your pack. You'll be busy supervising and caring for newborn dogs after the mother gives birth, so you'll have plenty of time to watch the litter and make sure everyone is safe. During this time, it's best not to leave puppies alone for an extended period, as their mother is still recovering from childbirth and may need help caring for her litter.
