10 Fascinating Facts About Newborn puppies

Newborn puppies lack two senses – vision and hearing. But fully developed senses of touch, smell, and taste. Puppies will depend on his nose and the warmth of his mother to guide him.

Puppies don’t require any help from their human friends for the first three weeks. So the question is when can newborn puppies see ? The newborn puppies open their eyes only after one to two weeks. If this is not happening or see any unusual behavior, please consult your VET.

However, even when the eyes are not fully developed and functioning perfectly. It will take several more weeks before their eyes mature and their eyesight begins to approach normal.

1 . Are newborn puppies blind and deaf ?

Yes, the newborn puppies are born blind and deaf. This is an evolutionary trait, belonging to predators. Mothers should get back to hunting, so short pregnancies happen. During this short pregnancy period, not all organs are matured for the puppies.

 After the eyes are opened during 10 to 14 days after birth, puppies can see only light and movement. They lack the ability to see details since cornea needs development. Only after 4 weeks, puppies can start to see clearly. So when can newborn puppies hear ? Newborn puppies can start hearing around 2 to 3 weeks of age, responding to loud noises. Only at the age of 6 weeks, he can hear clearly.

Are newborn puppies born with teeth? No newborn puppies don’t have teeth. It will start growing from 2 to 4 weeks. At 5 to 8 weeks, 28 baby teeth are expected. So always soft food or soft form of food is expected until the age of  12 weeks. When do newborn puppies start walking? They won’t begin to walk until around 3 weeks of age. Around 5 weeks old, your puppy will start to explore the area of your home outside of his kennel but still under your supervision.

2 .Where should newborn puppies sleep ?

Newborn puppies need warmth. Mother and their siblings will provide enough warmth if they are all in one kennel. If its still cold use few blankets and pillow to provide warmth. Do not ever separate from mother. Puppies should feed and sleep for at least 90% of the time.

If any of the puppies appear restless or noisy,  this may indicate a concern you should take care of. If the puppy losing weight, then it’s not feeding properly. If the puppy is too cold, it is a major concern. If the puppy is neglected by the mother, then the puppy will be away from the siblings. It will be weak and cold. Consult your vet if this is happening regularly, give the puppy extra care.

3 . Do newborn puppies poop ?

A newborn puppy requires manual stimulation to pass urine and feces. The mother does this by licking the perineal region (around the anus). The first fecal material passed is called the ‘meconium’. This is dark and greasy in appearance.

After this, the feces should be of toothpaste consistency or firmer and of a dark yellow to brown color. By 2-3 weeks of age, the puppy should be able to pass urine and feces spontaneously. When he reaches 6 to 7 weeks of age, he’ll be able to walk, run and play with confidence.

4 . Are newborn puppies supposed to cry a lot ?

No, the newborn puppies are not supposed to cry a lot. When newborn puppies cry? Usually, the cry is an alarm sign for you to take extra care – it can be due to hunger, getting the cold or medical condition. Monitor the puppy which keeps crying lot, quick tips: feed him ( keep him close to mother), comfort him and keep him warm. If he is losing weight or getting cold consistently then consult VET immediately.

5 .when do newborn puppies start nursing ?

Within minutes of being born, the pups will latch themselves onto their mothers. Puppies are born hungry, mothers milk not only fills its stomach even improves the immune system.  This protects puppies to survive outside the womb. If the puppy is not feeding then it’s not a good sign, puppies chances of survival will be low, consult VET immediately. 

Can newborn puppies drink cow milk, goats milk or human milk? Fostering the newborn puppy is the most responsible job. This can only happen when the mother has rejected the puppy or newborn lost its mother or mother is not lactating. So what to feed newborn puppies without mother? Considering normal pasteurized cow milk is not the best option this may lead to diarrhea. For goat’s milk say that because of the differences in its fat and protein structures, it is easier for your dog to digest than cow’s milk and that dogs with allergies are less prone to allergic reactions when they drink it. Large quantities of any dairy product are never a good idea.

Always find a foster mother or go for Milk formula for puppies. Also, you can prepare yourself. The following recipe comes from Leerburg.com: To 10 ounces of goat’s milk (or canned, full-fat evaporated cow’s milk), add one raw egg yolk. Mix in 1 cup plain full fat (not skim) yogurt. Add 1/2 teaspoon of corn syrup or simple syrup made from sugar and water. Mix well and bottle feed warm. Do not use a blender or whisk as you don’t want a lot of air bubbles wreaking havoc on puppy’s tummy. This formula will keep for a week in the fridge. 

 When can newborn puppies drink water? Whenever your puppy is weaning away from his mother, then its perfect time to introduce water. It’s usually about 3 to 4 weeks old. It should be a shallow pan, water should not enter into puppies nostrils.

6 . My newborn puppy is constipated ?

Puppies need mother’s stimulation to defecate. It takes a minimum of 3 weeks of age to defecate on their own. While monitoring your newborn puppies, if you see one of them is not defecating. Then you should trigger manually. Take a towel or cotton moistened with warm water rub it around the anus and genitals.

The puppy should have a bowel movement within two minutes.  Usually, newborn puppies defecate every 45 minutes. It always happens right after feeding. So look out for any abnormality. If this is not working, consult VET. He might suggest stool softener.

7 .What temperature should newborn puppies be kept at ?

The temperature should be maintained at 85 to 90 F (29 to 32 C) for the first week. Do newborn puppies need a heat lamp? Puppies cannot maintain their own body heat for almost 2 weeks after birth. So making sure they are kept warm. To maintain the temperature with a heat lamp and a lot of old clothes.

 Do newborn puppies sleep a lot? Newborn puppies sleep 90% of their time. The only time they should be awake is while feeding. Its normal for newborn puppies to sleep most of the time in their first week.

8 .when can newborn puppies go outside ?

As we know the newborn puppies are born blind and deaf. Moreover, they can’t keep themselves warm, so keeping all these vulnerabilities in mind puppies can only come out after 4 weeks under your observation. when should newborn puppies go to the vet? So around 6 weeks old, they can visit VET. All the recommended vaccination is necessary for immune systems strength.

 When can newborn puppies take a bath? You can only provide a bath after 6 weeks old with gentle warm water. Always dip your finger to test the warmth. This is the right time to check if it’s infected with fleas. Use the flea comb or handpick all of them. Never use any medications, they will be harsh on the newborn puppies.

9 . Are newborn puppies born with worms ?

Yes, most puppies are born with worms. An intestinal parasite is common in newborn puppies. Intestinal roundworms come from their mothers through the placenta. So its good practice to deworm(worming) the pregnant bitches.  Consult your VET for worming bitches. So that it won’t affect the newborn puppies. 

when do newborn puppies need shots? Puppies vaccination schedule varies for all dogs and also for regions. Always consult VET on these. Can newborn puppies get parvo? When a dog licks or ingests anything that is contaminated by parvovirus, it typically will become infected. When the newborn puppies are under high stress, then more susceptible to CPV(canine parvovirus). Parvovirus can attack your puppy as young as 6 weeks of age.CPV is very hard to kill, so prevention is the best option.

10 . when can newborn puppies have visitors ?

Visitors are allowed only after 4 weeks. Its better after 6 weeks as some of the vaccination shots are done. Newborn puppies are vulnerable to so many infections, it’s always best to keep your guests waiting until the puppy is old enough. Read this article on how to handle newborn puppies.