Continued from last week
Hand-rearing of newborn puppies
The advice given below is to pet owners who are faced with the challenge of hand-rearing part or all of a litter of newborn puppies. The portions that are underlined are of special importance. It is a compilation of data retrieved from several technical sources.
A high degree of success can be attained, if careful attention is focused on the basic principles involved in the artificial rearing of motherless puppies. These are:-
1. Providing a suitable hygienic environment
2. Offering a nutritionally adequate formula
3. Instituting a satisfactory feeding programme
4. Managing a daily routine.
(1) A suitable environment
It is of importance that we provide a proper temperature as well as isolation and freedom from disturbance.
Adequate warmth, uniformly maintained, is basic to life ‒ particularly during the first week of the puppy’s life. (Studies at Cornell University in the USA indicate that a temperature maintained between 85 F and 90 F or (29 C – 32 C) is most desirable during the period from birth to the fifth day. In our climate it is not too difficult to maintain these temperatures. In case the temperature gets colder a 40-watt electric bulb could be hung (18-24 inches) over the box with the puppies).
Orphan puppies placed together tend to suckle or otherwise disturb each other. For this reason, many scientists advocate that each puppy should be placed in a box of his own. In this way the owner can also evaluate the quantity and quality of each puppy’s stool. My own opinion is that the warmth and social security that the puppies give each other is paramount to all other considerations, especially since they have no mother; it is also the natural way wild pups and cubs sleep in the wild; it should be the same with domesticated canines.
In order that the puppies not be disturbed by the natural inquisitiveness of the children in the home, or by other pets who will from time to time want to pay their respects to the new arrivals, I would suggest that the puppies be placed in a special room away from the comings and goings and general hubbub that is found in any normal home. If no room is available then they can be placed under the bed or in some other secluded place.
(2) The formula
In mammalian milk within a species, one expects a prototype of a nutritive substance formulated to meet the optimal requirements of the young of that species. Bitch’s milk is considerably more concentrated than cow’s milk. It has twice the level of protein, almost double the caloric content, and more than twice the content of calcium and phosphorus of cow’s milk.
Evaporated milk reconstituted at 20 per cent solids more closely approximates the composition of bitch’s milk. Research experience shows evaporated milk was just as good as any other formula tested.
For those of us who do not have evaporated milk we will have to use cow’s milk. It is possible for the owner to modify the cow’s milk to an acceptable homemade formula by adding fat and protein sources such as egg yolk (not the egg white) to the cow’s milk. Indiscriminate additions of sugars, particularly sucrose of lactose, to increase the caloric content of cow’s milk is not recommended.
Of course if the owner can procure any of the successful commercial formulations (eg Esbilac or SPF-Iac) that would be best.
We will continue next week with discussions of the feeding programme and the management of the daily routine associated with hand-rearing of newborn puppies.
