online vet help?

Question

Today, I found a puppy abandoned in a cardboard box and I need advice on what would be the best way to care for her. She is 2 weeks old and very sweet. She is healthy and she is eating some of the formula that I offer her.

I need any advice from people who have delt with this problem before and that any one can give me to help. Before anyone says anything, I will not give her to any shelter around here as she will be put to sleep and I want to give her a good quality of life and I plan on keeping her.

Any advice would be greatly apreciated and thank you ahead of time.

Answer 1

have her eyes opened yet? most puppies eyes will open from 2-3 weeks. when you say she is taking formula, is she lapping it or taking it from a bottle? are you sure she is 2 weeks? if you can afford it you need to feed her a puppy formula. these formulas now come with colostrum, it's found in a dog's breast milk, well any mammals really, but it helps protect them from disease while nursing and build their immune system. while goats milk is fine for pups that have been on mom and you know what they have been exposed to, puppy formula is going to be the best for this pup that was abandoned. you can find the puppy formula in most pet stores, they come in powder and already mixed. i've found you should dilute the premixed with tap water because it tends to cause constipation. about a 3/4 formula to 1/4 water usually works. there will be a feeding guidline on the package that says how much the pup should be eating according to weight. this is only a guidline, i would let this pup eat as much as it can consume in one feeding every 3-4 hours or so. you should take her to your vet just so they can check her over. she may be old enough for a deworming, but not vaccines. but you will want to ask your vet, sometimes it's better to give abandoned pups a vaccine slightly earlier because they have not been with mom and recieved immunity from her. while you're at the pet store, ask about a controlled heated pad. this will keep the pup warm but not too hot or cold. make sure puppy can get away from the heat source if she needs to. also don't take or don't let anyone touch the puppy. many people want to touch a pup like this. you have no idea what they have just touched and can transmit things to this pup that will make her sick. if she's 2 weeks old you'll need to stimulate her to pee and poop. i've found it best just to run a small stream of warm water in my sink and rub her anus and urethral area with your fingertip very gently. this will automatically wash away the poo and pee and keep her from getting sore, like they tend to do if you use a washcloth or paper towel. it's best if you can do this before and right after she eats, and you can keep this schedule going as she matures, often makes housetraining easier if you know their schedule. also get a small stuffed animal and ticking alarm clock. many abandoned pups do better if they can hear and feel something else with them. also just as a tip, i've found that using the avent or target brand wideneck bottles with a tricut or size 3 nipple works the best for getting puppies to latch on. the one provided for puppies at the pet store often makes bottle feeding much more difficult than it should be. and if you ever have any worries about her call your vet immediatly. do your best with her and don't "baby" her past 4-5 weeks. that's when mom starts to disipline and wean them. you can start doing the same then also. at that age start mixing her formula with some canned puppy food until it's almost a water gruel mix and let her crawl through it and lap at it. she will make more of a mess than anything, but she's learning. as with any pup be consistant with whatever you do. best of luck to you.

Answer 2

How do you know she is 2 weeks old? That is really young. I would take her to the vet. They will not give her shots yet, because she is to young, but they can recommend what you can feed her. You can also feed her goats milk. My dogs have thrived on it and you can buy it most anywhere. You'll find it where you would find other canned milks. Buy a regular baby bottle and try feeding her that way, or just put some on a shallow plate and see if she'll lap it up. Feed her every 2-3 hours. Once she's about 3-4 weeks old, you can start trying to give her some dry puppy food mixed with water or formula, but make sure they are small pieces.
Puppies that age have a hard time regulating their heat, so make sure she stays nice and warm. It's going to be a challenge. Kind of like a newborn baby, but you can do it. Good luck!

Answer 3

For starters take her to the vet and get her age checked. Until you can get her there feed her Lipil baby formula (its quite pricey, but after raising 35 kittens and 3 puppies all days old i found that it is the best) Get a normal baby bottle and cut the hole in the nipple a little larger than what it is. You can also mix in baby food (the meat kind stage 1- ex. veal, chicken, beef) with the formula to try to get her used to somewhat solid food. I have also found that mixing plain rice baby cereal in the bottle works great also. If she is not using the bathroom on her own you are going to have to help with that too. Take a warm rag and gently rub the rectum and genital areas until she does go to the restroom. If she is using the bathroom on her own make sure the box stays clean and put a heating pad under the box to keep her warm since she does not have a warm mommy besides you. When she gets around 4 weeks old gradually introduce her to can dog food twice a day in small amounts. increase it as time goes by and wean her off the bottle. I wish you luck with the mothering!

Answer 4

Are you sure the pup is only two weeks old? Are you feeding her with a bottle? One of the most important things when they are so small is to make sure to keep them warm. You could put her in a box with a heating pad set on low to keep her nice and cozy. What kind of formula are you feeding her? You can actually order formula specially made for puppies from companies over the internet (not sure of the names of any of them though, try KMR). You can order tiny bottles from the same place. I think Wal-Mart sells those little bottles in the pet section, but I'm not sure if they keep them stocked over the winter. Also over the net you can find recipies for formula for kittens and puppies. Make sure she is going to the bathroom, also. Puppies and kittens cannot urinate or defacate on thier own untill they are at least a couple weeks old. if she hasn't gone to the bathroom on her own yet, you will want to wipe her genital area with a warm, moist cloth such as a paper towel or gause pad till she goes to the bathroom. (Usually the mother would stimulate a bowel movement by licking the pup's butt.) She should be fed and stimulated to go to the bathroom every two hours, then every three hours when she's 3 weeks old, and you can go on from there. Good luck with her!

Answer 5

Hi Kathleen m!!
Owning a puppy is very exciting - he's sure to be a bundle of energy and lots of fun. But he also brings some responsibilities, and it's very important that he gets off on the right paw.

I strongly urge you to take this puppy to a vet. A puppy that is only two weeks old needs to be under a vet's care unless you have extensive experience in feeding and caring for an unweaned puppy. Milk is not a good thing to be giving this baby. He/She needs to be on a formulated milk replacement. In addition, it is my understanding that little ones like this do not poop as they should without the stimulation that the mother gives by licking and prodding the pup.
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Try to assemble the following equipment:

------THE NEST BOX

The nest box in which the babies live should have tall sides so that they cannot climb out by mistake and become chilled. A cardboard pet carrier is perfect as it is portable, dark inside, and closable. These are inexpensive and should be available from a pet store or your veterinarian.

Place towels in the bottom of the box and cover them with a diaper so the babies rest directly on the diaper. Most diapers have elastic leg holes and may have to be trimmed so they will lie flat. Expect to change the diaper several times daily. Keeping the babies clean and dry is very important.

Place a heating pad under the nest box so that only half of the nest box is warmed.
This way the babies may crawl off the warm
side of the box if they feel too hot

----THE BOTTLE

Obtain a pet nurser bottle from a pet store or your veterinarian.

Use very fine scissors or a hot needle to make a hole in the nipple. The hole should be big enough that formula will slowly drip out if the bottle is held upside-down and gently squeezed. The nipple should not collapse when the baby is sucking.

Warm the bottle in a cup of hot water. Always test the formula before giving it to the babies. Taste it to be sure it is not sour. Do not use a microwave oven to heat the bottle as it may not heat evenly with some areas of the bottle being scalding hot.

-----HOW/WHEN TO FEED

Expect to feed them every 2-3 hours during the day. If this is done, the babies should be able to sleep through the night.

Do not wake the babies at feeding time. Let them sleep. When they wake up hungry, they will let you know.

During feeding be sure to tip the bottle so that no air is swallowed.

Play with/rub them after feeding to "burp" them.

Occasionally small amounts of formula will come out of the nose. The baby is drinking too fast. If excessive amounts of formula appear to be coming out the nose or if you are concerned, call your veterinarian.

------URINATION/DEFECATION

Infant animals are unable to take care of these matters alone and must be given help. Normally their mother's tongue does the job as she washes them. Use a Q-tip, tissue, or your finger to gently rub the baby's genital area. Have a tissue ready to catch the urine.

Rubbing the anal area as well may also be necessary if the babies do not seem to be defecating as much as expected. Watch for diarrhea. Normal infant stool is normally very loose but should not be watery.

----THE DIET

Pet Ag makes ESBILAC. It comes in a powder and a liquid. The powdered form seems less associated with diarrhea than the liquid plus with the powdered form, the water content can be adjusted in the event of dehydration.

Mix up the powder according to the directions on the can. If you are using the liquid form, you may want to dilute it with one part water for every two parts of formula. As the babies get older, less water may be used whether you are mixing up the powder or the liquid. If diarrhea occurs at any time, you should add more water to the formula to make up for fluid lost as diarrhea.

Store the can of powder in the freezer after opening. Do not mix up more than a day's worth of formula. Use a blender to mix the formula several hours ahead to allow time for the bubbles to settle.
MAKESHIFT FORMULA UNTIL ESBILAC CAN BE OBTAINED

1 cup whole milk
1 tsp. salad oil
1 drop multi-vitamins (if you have any)
2 egg yolks
Mix in a blender whichever formula you use

-----BATHING

Using baby shampoo and warm water, bathe the babies a couple of times daily. Urine will burn their tender skin and caked feces can lead to infection so keeping the babies clean is very important.

Take care not to submerge the infant in water. Be careful that it cannot drown or choke on the water and be sure the water temperature is acceptable.

Gently blow dry the babies when the bath is over. Do not allow chilling.

------STARTING SOLID FOOD

When the babies start biting and chewing at their bottle instead of sucking (3-4 weeks of age), they may be started on some finely textured canned food. At first it may be necessary to mix solid food with a little formula and /or smear a little around their mouths gently with a finger.

Chicken or turkey baby food - for puppies

Between ages 4 and 6 weeks, they should begin readily accepting solid food. New homes may be found for them at age 6 weeks as long as they are eating solid food.
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Please take him to the vet.
Jason Homan

Answer 6

if you plan to keep her, first thing you should do is to bring her to the vet to get vaccines and worm checked.