PUPPIES ARE NOW 2 WEEKS OLD!!!
They are no longer Neonates!
Days 14 - 21 is considered the Transitional Stage
They will move from being completely helpless, driven solely by instinct, cocooned in darkness and silence, and incapable of learning to becoming increasingly aware of themselves, their littermates, and their surroundings via their improving sight, their new ability to hear (when their ears unseal sometime this week), and their growing ability to move around on their own.
Over the next seven days, if they haven't already, the pups will:
*hone their motor skills (walking, sitting, standing, moving forward, moving backward, etc.)
*begin to develop usable vision
*begin to urinate and defecate on their own
*have their first teeny teeth will begin to emerge
*start lapping liquids
*have their ears unseal and they'll start to hear (we'll see startle responses to noise)
*learn to use their voices more specifically and deliberately
*start showing interest in their littermates
*have their Mom naturally spend less and less time with them
*have their paw pads & noses turn from pink to black
*sniff deliberately using their noses while they walk
*be up on their feet and taking tentative steps or more
*begin climbing
*still nurse and snuggle with mom
*straighten tails and wag them appropriately
*chew on their litter mates
*be big enough to be left alone with mom overnight. They are big enough to squirm out from under her or scream at the top of their lungs
We will:
*increase giving one on one attention to the pups (human socialization)
*add safe toys and visually-stimulating objects to the whelping box
*introduce new surfaces to their feet (one minute only, once per day). They've already been on fleece, plastic and cotton in the whelping box; next we'll add paper, linoleum, carpet, rubber mat, hardwood, tile covered concrete,, and doggy beds (soft, fabric covered pillows).
*work at the table in the puppy room and answering the phone there so the puppies have activity around them.
*be careful about super loud, sudden sounds this week (like the vacuum cleaner), but will continue normal noise-making activity like usual (doing dishes, running the dishwasher, running water, putting dishes away, listening to the TV quietly, etc.)
*continue holding the pups and clipping their toenails and petting and cradling them.
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During the third week, your puppy's senses open up. He can detect light, dark and movement and begins to respond to sudden or loud sounds. As he paws and mouths his littermates, he builds early social skills. He can relieve himself on his own now. Although he is not ready to wean, you might want to introduce him to a taste of veterinarian-prescribed puppy gruel. By the end of the week, your puppy can crawl; his tail begins to wag.
Senses
-Pups are born blind with their eyelids sealed shut. By the time they are 2 weeks old, the eyelids are open and the puppy begins developing their vision.
-Pups are also born deaf with sealed ear canals. By the age of 17 days, the ear canals are open and the pups begins to hear. By 25 days of age, puppies respond to sights and sounds.
Elimination
-Puppies are unable to voluntarily eliminate urine and feces, and their mother must lick the genital area, stimulating elimination. By 23 days of age, the pups are able to eliminate without help.
Walking
-Puppies start out life squirming and 'swimming' across the floor.
-By 16 days of age, pups begin the rudimentary first steps of walking.
Eating
-By the time a puppy is 4 to 6 weeks of age, he can start eating solid food and can be safely weaned around 8 weeks of age.
Teething
-As the pups begin eating solid food at 4 to 6 weeks of age, the first teeth begin to erupt. The canine teeth usually erupt at 3 to 4 weeks of age and the incisors erupt at 4 to 6 weeks. The baby premolars also erupt at 4 to 6 weeks of age.
-These first teeth are temporary and are soon replaced by permanent teeth. The front teeth, incisors, are replaced with permanent teeth around 3 to 5 months of age.
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THINGS TO EXPECT THIS WEEK:
*Teeth will begin to erupt
*Puppies will stand up and start walking
*Puppies will begin to lap liquids
*Puppies will defecate / urinate without stimulation
*Start becoming aware of their environment
*Start playing with littermates
*Puppies will start to discriminate as to where to relieve themselves
Puppy Toddlers
(3 - 6 Weeks)
During the Toddler period, puppies emerge on their own from the litter. They venture into the surrounding environment. This emergence from the litter is a gradual and continual learning experience. During this stage of development puppies learn basic behavioral patterns specific to dogs. While playing, they practice different body postures, learning what the postures mean and how they affect their mother and litter mates.
They learn what it is like to bite and be bitten, what barking and other vocalizations mean and how to make and use them to establish social relationships with other dogs. Such learning and activity tempers their own biting and vocalizing.
From the age of five weeks, the mother teaches her puppies basic manners. They learn to be submissive to her leadership and what behaviors are acceptable. If necessary, she growls, snarls, or snaps at them as a form of discipline. When weaning the litter, for instance, the mother will discipline her puppies so that they will leave her alone. Because the mother disciplines them in a way that they clearly understand, after a few repetitions, the puppies will respond to a mere glare from her.
If a pup has not learned to accept leadership (and discipline) in its early interactions with dogs, its training will be more difficult. Puppies that are removed from the nest too early tend to be nervous, more prone to barking and biting, and less responsive to discipline. Often they are aggressive with other dogs.
Generally speaking, a puppy taken away from it's mother and litter mates before seven weeks of age, may not realize its full potential as a dog and companion. To maximize the mental and psychological development of puppies, they must remain in the nest with their mother and litter mates until seven weeks of age.
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March 3, 2009 (Day 15)
-Clipped nails (with cuticle cutters - can use nail clippers)
-Put rick rack ribbon 'collars' on them, although the vets recommend not doing this until they are older
-Consider: Dewormer #1 for Puppies (and Mom) (Schedule: 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 weeks of age) against Roundworms (**I chose to wait to start in week 3)
-Puppies are trying to get out of the whelping box but shouldn't be allowed out until the puppies are 28 days old, as they can't produce their own antibodies until after they are 28 days old.
*Puppies are very awake today! They are trying to walk. They are 'talking' more and they are urinating and trying to defecate without stimulation. Today is the first day to get rid of the sheets in the whelping box and move to wee pads and the washable bed protector pad.
*Mom is cutting back on cleaning up after her puppies. She is ignoring their pee puddles completely. Instead of twice a day, I am cleaning the whelping box four times daily.
March 4, 2009 (Day 16)
*Puppies are interacting with their littermates. Yellow girl is 'cleaning' the other pups.
*Mom is still having discharge. Still eating 9 cups dry, 3 cans wet, 2 tblspn plain yogurt.
Doesn't care to stay in the puppy room. Likes to stay in the rest of the house, then it occurs to her to head back to the puppy room and whelping box.
*All eyes are open. Still trying to walk. Ears are still sealed.
*Nursing about once an hour, for 15 minutes at a time
*I tried to give them Milk Replacement. I started with a syringe, then I just poured it into the palm of my hand and most began lappin. They would have nothing to do with lapping out of a shallow plate.
March 5, 2009 (Day 17)
RECAP:
*Eyes are all open, paw pads and noses have all turned black
*Walking, sitting, standing, and trying to climb out of the pool (but they aren’t allowed out of the pool until they are 28 days to keep them healthy)
*Making eye contact – so cute
*’Talking’ a lot
*Urinating without Mom having to stimulate them and Mom isn’t cleaning up the urine as much, so potty training has begun!
*Starting to learn to “lap” liquids. I’ve put replacement milk in the palm of my hand and they lapped from it yesterday. I am trying to move them to a puppy dish from which to lap. I’m getting ready for next week – the start of weaning
*Ears are unsealing – I haven’t seen them respond to loud noises yet; I have seen them scratching at their ears (very good at balancing themselves!)
*Showing lots of interest in their littermates / ‘chewing’ on each other
*I was able to clip their nails this week without much problem. As I held them, they gave me puppy kisses
*They love being handled now. The first few times I touched them, they would scream. Then they would scream when I picked them up. Now they hush up when I pick them up.
*They are nursing about once an hour for 15 minutes. When they aren’t nursing, Mom sleeps on the outside of the pool.
*Mom is still eating 9 cups of dry food + 3 cans of wet + 2 tablespoons of yogurt + some chicken / rice AND she’s still underweight!
*I find the puppies small as compared to other Lab litters about the same age, but they are gaining weight consistently, and seem happy and healthy (mentally and physically)
*I put rick-rack ribbons on them as collars
TODAY
*Woke up with a 5am feeding. More like 5:30am. The puppies were screaming. Mom wouldn't go into the whelping box because the linens were pretty soaked with urine - probably from the overnight feedings. I usually clean out the box every 4 hours except for overnight. I put in fresh linens and Mom nursed them all.
*Pink Ribbon Yellow Girl - started scratching her ears with her back paw. So cute. I'm guessing this means the ears are making real progress with becoming unsealed.
Weights:
2# 13.1 oz - White Ribbon, Black Female
2# 12.5 oz - Green Ribbon, Black Male
1# 13.7 oz - Pink Ribbon, Yellow Female
2# 13.7 oz - Red Ribbon, Black Male
2# 1.9 oz - Blue Ribbon, Yellow Male
2# 7.7 oz - Yellow Ribbon, Black Male
2# 10.5 oz - Tan and Black Tan Male
2# 3.9oz - Pink Ribbon, Black Female
2# 6.3oz - Blue Ribbon, Black Male
*I need to watch the Pink Ribbon, Yellow Female. She's gained the least this past week, and she's still the tiniest.
*Talked to our Puppy Behaviorist about how to begin POTTY TRAINING (since Mom is no longer cleaning up urine). Here is her suggestion:
- Figure out the farthest "corner" of the whelping box (kiddy swimming pool), away from where they're sleeping, to put the piddle pads.
- Pick them up, immediately after feeding and place them on it.
- After one or two have pottyed there, the smell will draw them over to it, above any attractant the pads have on their own.
- If they're eating on any kind of a schedule, you should be able to predict about how long after the eat they'll need to eliminate. A minute or two, 30 seconds?
- Since they're not on solid food yet, the fluid milk goes through them pretty fast.
- Once they get out of the box you can begin some crate training.
March 7 2009 (Day 19)
I'm still working on trying to figure out the best way for potty training. This litter likes to urinate as soon as they wake up. After they nurse, Mom is taking care of that part. So, as soon as I hear one cry, I try to get those that haven't figured it out yet, over to the half of the whelping box that has the Wee pads. Some actually do deliberately walk to the 'potty area' of the whelping box.I have the pool (60" kid's swimming pool) mentally split in half. One half has the 'Sleeping / Nursing' area and the other half has the 'Potty' area.
The 'Sleeping / Nursing' area: I put the washable mattress protector sheet (one side cloth, other side plastic to catch the urine before it hits the bottom of the pool) down first. On top of that I put fleece sheets so the puppies aren't sleeping directly on wee accidents. I change the fleece out as needed. I change out the protector sheet every 12 hours. Everything is still being washed with regular detergent and Bleach (3/4 cup per load) in hot water, and an additional hot rinse given.
The 'Potty' area: I put down 2 Wee pads. After the pups wee on these a bit, I put the small white terry cloth towels (used at whelping) on top of the pee spots. I am trying to cover the spots so Mom doesn't try to 'lick up' the smell, yet I want to leave some pee smell so the pups know where to go. I am using the terry cloths here because I am trying to give the pups a different tactile feel for their potty area - and the closest thing I can think of to grass. So, the pups are never allowed to sleep on terry cloth or the wee pads. These surfaces should be distinctive to them for weeing. I change out the Wee pads every 24 hours, and pick up the terry cloths whenever I see they have been soiled.
March 8 2009 (Day 20)
5am feeding - Yellow girl / pink ribbon / first born still not eating enough. I've tried to start BOTTLE FEEDING. Mostly ended up putting the replacement milk into the palm of my hand and let her lap it up. I think I got almost 1 tablespoon into her.
A suggestion from someone:
*Any puppy that weighs 20 or more percent less than its litter mates is best raised by hand.
Bottle Feeding:I mix my milk formula just before I use it. A good puppy-nursing bottle holds 2-4 ounces of formula. They are generally sold without holes punched in the nipple. I use a flame-heated needle to melt two small holes in the latex cap. The holes should only be big enough for a few drops of milk drip out when the bottle is vigorously shaken. If too many holes are punched in the cap the puppies tend to inhale the formula rather than ingest it.
If too few or too small a hole is made the puppy will ingest too much air. Mix the formula well so there are no clumps. Let it cool until it is slightly above room temperature. Always feed pups while they are resting on their stomachs. Never feed them upright or upside down as you would a human infant. Gently insert the nipple into the pup’s mouth using a prying motion while you apply pressure to the sides of the bottle to release a drop or two of milk. From then on the pup should suck on its own.
We all have a tendency to over feed puppies. It is much safer to give them a little less than they desire. Over-feeding can lead to pneumonia when milk is inhaled into the lungs rather then swallowed into the stomach. It can also cause diarrhea. It is much safer to feed smaller amounts more frequently than larger amounts less frequently. If milk bubbles out of the pup’s nose it is flowing too rapidly from the bottle. This is usually due to too large a hole(s) in the nipple or over feeding.
I microwave a bowl of water and set the bottle in it to heat the formula to 99-100 degrees Fahrenheit before use.
Some owners find it easier to feed very small newborn pups from a one or three milliliter syringe and switch to a bottle when the pup is two weeks old.
Boil nursing bottles and syringes between every use.
How Often To Feed:
Feed very young puppies every three or four hours or six to eight feeding a day. Some people get up to give their puppy a midnight feeding but this is not necessary. By the time the puppy is three weeks old, four feedings per day are quite sufficient. At five weeks of age the puppy should be eating some solid foods. At this age feed it two to three times a day if at all. Puppies that are hungry and need feeding will cry continuously, move their heads from side to side and suckle on each other and on objects in the nest box.
What To Feed:
I prefer to feed puppies a powdered infant formula that I prepares just before use. Two excellent ones that are available are Esbilac marketed by Pet Ag, which is available at veterinary offices and pet stores and Hartz Advanced Care Puppy Milk Replacement powder available at WalMart Stores. Mix both according to the directions on the label (two parts boiled water to one part powder). Store the opened canister in the freezer. Allow some time after mixing a batch for bubbles to leave the formula. Keep reconstituted formula in the refrigerator between uses and discard any remaining formula at the end of the day.
Burping The Puppy:
After each feeding hold the puppy upright with its tummy against your shoulder and pat it gently until it burps releasing trapped air. Nursing bottles that do not release enough milk lead to more air being trapped. If the puppy should bloat or become colicky add a few drops of infant anticolic medicine (simethicone, Equate Infants’ Gas Relief, WalMart Stores Inc.) to the formula.
Helping Your Puppy Eliminate:
Normal puppy stools are yellowish brown with a jam-like consistency. After every feeding, gently massage the anus and urinary orifice with a cotton ball or Kleenex moistened with warm water until they urinate and defecate. Be very gentle when you do this and don’t worry if no urine or stool is produced after every feeding. By the time the pup is three weeks old it should be able to go without your help.
Problems That Can Arise:
If diarrhea occurs add more water to the formula to make up for the fluid that is lost. If this does not rapidly cure the problem the pup may need to be placed on antibiotics and receive subcutaneous fluids. Watery yellowish or greenish stools are sometimes associated with feeding too much. If they occur, try diluting the formula 50-50 with Pedialyte until the stools return to normal consistency. You can also give the pup 2-3 drops of kaopectate just prior to each feeding.
Newborn puppies quickly become dehydrated if they are not nursing. They can also become dehydrated if their environment is too hot and dry. Two indicators of dehydration are loss of elasticity of the skin (the skin stays tented when gently pinched up) and decreased saliva production (the gums and tongue feel tacky or dry).
Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar can develop rapidly in a puppy that is not nursing. These puppies are limp, depressed and weak. Their gums are often bluish and their muscles may twitch. Dextrose solution or corn syrup placed on their tongue is sometimes helpful but it is better if these pups are left in an intensive care setting at a veterinary center where dextrose can be administered intravenously or intralingually (in the tongue).
Because newborn puppies can not regulate their temperature well they are quite susceptible to chilling. If this should occur the best way to warm them is to place them on a hot water bottle and gently blow them with a hair drier.
Stools that are clumped and cheese-like can be due to feeding the formula too concentrated. When puppies strain to defecate and pass overly hard stools, increase the frequency of feeding and dilute the formula. Impacted pups also have bloated abdomens. You can give them a few drops of mineral oil or cat hairball ointment to help them evacuate the stool. If they still remain bound up they may need a warm water enema. This is best done at a veterinary hospital.
Bathing Puppies:
During their first week of life it is best to just clean puppies with a damp pledget of cotton. When the puppy is one week old its body can be submersed in warm water. When the bath is finished carefully blow dry the puppy. Be careful to keep the dryer far away from the puppy so as not to overheat it.
Weaning – You Are Almost There!
Between 3 and 4 weeks, puppies should begin accepting fine textured solid foods. By 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 weeks the puppy should be weaned. Purchase some cans of gourmet cat or dog food in chicken and beef flavors and smear a bit on the roof of the puppy’s mouth. It will soon get the idea.
Do not feed it fish flavored foods or it will become a fussy eater. This is the same time you should begin to offer formula in a bowl. The earlier puppies eat on their own the better. I do not suggest baby foods because they are too low in calcium and vitamins. Although many puppies will eat as early as four weeks, some take an additional two or three weeks before they express interest in solid food. As soon as puppy chow is offered, keep a dish of water available. By the time the pup is 10 weeks old it should be receiving puppy chow dry.
