Recently my friend’s dog Sophie delivered 5 litters. She did not experience any problems with delivery but one of the puppies was crying constantly. I had to rush to the spot and figured out, the poor little one was away from his siblings. He was fine once I kept him with his siblings, he just needed the warmth.
The newborn puppies communicate many of their needs by crying. So Carefully watching the newborn puppies is the key. Sometimes crying can be pretty normal, but if it prolongs for more than 5 to 10 minutes, then its a sign of uneasiness or health issue. Even after your help is provided, if the newborn puppy is crying then immediately consult a veterinarian.
- Maybe sickness
- puppies are hungry
- puppies need warmth
- Mother’s milk issues
- Problem with bowel movement
- Exhausted need sleep
1 . Maybe sickness
Most of the times newborn puppies crying or yelping is pretty normal, but you should consider it when the crying is for long intervals and in piercing voice. Sickness is not common among newborn puppies. Few of the medical issues that need your attention are hypoglycemia, hypothermia and tummy troubles. Hypoglycemia is a condition where low blood sugars are seen. Usually, if you find your puppy too weak or seizures, get him to Vet immediately. Hypothermia a condition where it involves low body temperatures. You can see your puppy shivering or far away from his siblings. If your puppy not feeding on mother’s milk, do not ever feed him cows milk. It will lead to tummy upset or diarrhea. If you find any of your puppies are lethargic or act abnormally than other puppies. then it’s a sure sign to visit Vet.
2 . puppies are hungry
Normally if any of your puppies crying a lot then it’s probable that he isn’t receiving enough milk. There may be an issue with the mother’s milk production, not enough milk, his siblings are too competitive that he seldom gets the teat or puppy is too weak to suckle. For any of the above reasons use puppy formula (consult Vet) to satisfy puppy food needs. Once it gets enough food, it will drift off to sleep. Nursing newborn puppies is a difficult task, a lot of attention is needed all the time. The puppy formula should be given from the bottle, the puppy will stop suckling once he is full. Puppies are always hungry, but once they are full they should stop crying or yelping.
3 . puppies need warmth
Newborn born puppies are too sensitive to cold. If a newborn puppy is crying then its one of the sign that he is too cold. Check if the puppy is far away from his siblings or from mother. He needs to get back to warmth, needs to snuggle between their siblings. If one of the puppies constantly moving away from the mother or siblings, try keeping some old towels in the kennel or around the place where the mother is resting. Maintaining the right temperature for the newborn is crucial for its survival. Clear sign if puppies are fine is, if they are sleeping happily then they are good if they are constantly yelping then your attention is needed. Consult a vet if he is still crying.
4 . Mother’s milk issues
After giving birth the mother dog goes through a lot of changes. Milk production begins to nurture her pups. When the puppies scratch mother’s teats or if the cracked teats are more prone for bacterial infection. The infection spreads to the milk ducts. Nursing puppies should not drink the milk from affected teats. This condition is called as Mastitis. How do I figure out if the nursing mother has Mastitis? Is by looking at teats – if they are lumpy, painful to touch, or any abnormal color
5 . Problem with bowel movement
Nursing mothers do take care of all the needs of newborn puppies. One of them is licking the bottom to simulate them to eliminate. Few times the mother will not take care of puppies or one of them is left out, so it’s under the caregiver responsibility. We all know if the puppy doesn’t excrete then puppy gets bloated and its lot of pain. The caregiver has to take responsibility to simulate the way mother dog does. He can use a towel or cotton ball or something very soft, dip this is warm water and rub it around anus and genitals. This stimulates the bowel movement and puppy will excrete. The process needs to be done after every feeding. Newborn puppies can’t excrete for first 3 weeks, so stimulation is necessary.
6 . Exhausted need sleep
The newborn puppies normal behavior of crying is cries briefly and gets back to sleep. They cry if they are hungry, couldn’t find teat or small discomfort or feeling a bit cold but this is for very few minutes and should subside. Finally, they get exhausted from all their energy and sleep peacefully. These are the signs of a healthy puppy.
How to know if a newborn puppy is healthy?
The nursing mother provides all the necessary care to her newborn puppies. But if the newborn puppy is crying constantly and in distress, sometimes mother dog can not able to help the puppy. This is where caregivers need to be attentive to examine if the newborn is healthy.
- If the puppy is away from nursing mother or if it’s trapped under a blanket then the caregiver need to help him. Re-position the crying puppy so that its near to nursing mother’s teats. Keep him next to his mother to keep him warm.
The newborn puppies should get around 75 to 80 degrees for the first weeks. So nest should be monitored, keeping a thermometer is a right bet. During summers, placing some towels in the nest would be fine. But during winters, a heat lamp can provide the extra warmth needed. Caregivers should keep an eye on the thermometer. - Next thing to monitor is about feed. Puppies generally feed for every two to three hours and then sleep. If the puppies are sleeping happily for most period of time, then it’s a good sign. But they are crying constantly even after general feeding, then either it’s not full or there is some problem where it’s not getting the teat to suckle. Consulting the Vet upon the puppy formula is the right choice in addition to nursing mother’s milk.
- Examine for the signs of illness. Newborn puppies are more susceptible for illness, so extra care should be taken to keep surroundings clean. Check for puppies eyes, ears, nose for any discharge or swelling. Check if their gum is pale, if not then the puppies are healthy. Also, check around the puppies any sign of vomit or diarrhea. The area around puppies should not be too clean, as its sign, the puppy is finding difficulty in excretion.
- Now check for physical injuries. Check their tail, limbs, and head for any bruising.
- Check to breathe related issue. Carefully go near to the puppy nose and check if its finding difficulty in breathing. This needs urgent medical attention, its a sure sign of illness.
