I Just got a 4 week old puppy..her mom died.?

Question

I just got a 4 week old puppy who's mom died during labor. I was wondering what to feed her. How to train her?

Answer 1

It's WAY too early to train her for anything. Speak to a vet about when to start weaning her and about getting her all the shots she needs. And please, tell your story on each question from people who want to breed their dogs.

Answer 2

A 4-week old puppy is too young to be trained. It is old enough to be able to lap though, and you can mix a nice tasting puppy mush with vanilla yogurt, canned puppy food (or dry puppy food soaked in hot water til its soft), and evaporated milk in it. Vanilla yogurt tastes good and helps give calcium and also gives the puppy good digestive bacteria.

Have the puppy checked by a vet and dewormed. Puppies even at that young age, can have worm infestations severe enough to kill them.

You may want to put a heating pad on low, underneath one side of the box or under an area of the crate the puppy's bed is in, so the puppy can have that extra heat.

If the mother died during labor, who raised the puppy? Death in labor is rare in a normal healthy dog if the owner seeks vet care to assist with whelping problems before such problems are too far advanced.

Make sure too, to follow your vet's recommendations on giving the puppy its shots. The puppy is at greater risk than a pup who had colostrum milk from a vaccinated mother would be, because the pup has no maternal antibodies in its system to help protect it against disease. Thus, its even more critical for the pup to get tis first shots as soon as the vet recommends them.

Puppies at that early age, are barely aware even of when they are eliminating, until they actually start to do it. When a pup is between 6 to 8 weeks of age, that is when you can start showing them where you want them to eliminate.

The book The Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete is a great book for all aspects of puppy care, training and develoopment. The Dog Owners Home Veterinary Handbook, by Carlson & Giffin, is a great medical and healthcare resource for dogs of all ages.

Answer 3

I would get the puppy some milk replacer and try some fomula that ekunuba makes its a powder looking puppy food that you put milk replacer in it or warm water and makes a past looking food,,, i had to do this with a litter of pups when the mother ended up with milk fever and couldnt nurse any more and also always keep fresh clean water down for him all the time but i fed my litter of pups this fomula every 4 hours untill they were 8 weeks old then you can start giving it regular puppy food adding water to it at first then slowly taper the water off completly untill the pup is eating it dry i hope this helps and make sure you take the pup to the vet and get him his shots and wormed and you may want to ask the vet what he suggest that you feed the pup.... good luck with your new puppy

Answer 4

Weaning usually starts at three to four weeks of age. Go buy a high quality puppy food (like Iams) and moisten it with water, mush up the wet kibble and offer it to the puppy. You may still need to offer puppy replacement milk but usually the puppies will take to the new food.

Go to the local library and check out several books on how to raise a puppy and read them thoroughly. A puppy who wasn't raised by its mother will not have many of the doggie lessons they normally get, so proper socialization with humans and well socialized dogs is vital.

Also take the puppy to a vet for an exam, even if the puppy was properly fed with puppy replacement milk, she never had the chance to get the cholestrom (the first milk) from her mother, which imparts alot of antibodies and immunities to her puppies. When their ask the vet on his/her advice, and what possible future problems you may have considered she was orphaned.

Answer 5

My new puppy was seperated from its mother when he was 2 weeks old. The people taking care of him used a special formula they got from the vet. Your cousins should go and talk to their vet to find out the specifics, but keep the puppies plenty warm and don't use dry food until they are about 7-8 weeks old. I would use bottles to feed them. Some people use a piece furry fabric, cut small holes in it, and stick the top of the bottle through the holes, it will seem like their mother.

Answer 6

Veterinarians sell milk specially for small puppies, just like formula for babies, you might even have to feed her with a bottle since they don't know how to eat very well yet.
To train, teach her simple commands, they only understand one or 2 syllabus words, so instead of come sit here, just say SIT, or DOWN, instead of lay down
and you can buy the puppy mats (disposable) to let her do her "thing" and keep moving it close to the door until finally reaches the door and outside.

Answer 7

The vet can give you the special type of milk needed for a puppy and the vitamins the puppy will need to grow strong

Answer 8

the vet can give you a special milk which you should bottle feed her. i think it's too early to try tob train her. that's just me. i would wait till the puppy's 8 weeks old.

Answer 9

that is young but i would bottle feed her with nutritional milk and see if she is healthy and get her something to chew on because shoes, newspaper, and furniture don't go well with puppies

Answer 10

Take her to the vet, have her checked and he will give you what you need, and ask him about housebreaking, crating is the best way. Good Luck and Enjoy her.