Continued
Caring for the newborn
Newborn puppies are born without the capacity to adapt to environmental stress. With proper care and attention to the special needs of these infants, undoubtedly many unnecessary neonatal deaths can be avoided.
Since neonatal puppies do not respond in the same way to environmental stress and illness as do adult dogs, a special approach is needed to monitor the well-being of the newborn – beginning as soon as they are born. The two crucial aspects to watch closely are the puppy’s body temperature and his weight. His general appearance, heart rate, breathing rate, skin turgor, muscle tone, mobility and body position, sound of his cry, and suck reflex also can provide useful information as to his overall health and vitality. These parameters are discussed below.
General appearance and vitality
Healthy puppies are “round, firm and fully packed.” They nurse vigorously and compete for nipples with their littermates. If you insert a finger into their mouths they have a strong, vigorous suckle reflex. They are warm and plump. The mouth and tongue are wet; the skin has a pink appearance. When pinched, it springs back in a resilient fashion. Pick them up and they stretch and wiggle energetically in your hand. When removed from the dam, they crawl back to her.
Newborn puppies ‘pile,’ or crawl together for warmth. They seldom cry. Crying indicates that a puppy is cold, hungry, or in pain.
A sick puppy presents a dramatically different picture. This puppy, when picked up, is limp and cold. He hangs like a dishcloth. When you put a
