DAP also comes in spray bottles. You can spray parts of the whelping box, but you should not spray the dam or the puppies directly with it. You can buy DAP sprays, diffusers, and collars online or at some pet stores. Your vet may also carry them.
Try to keep the whelping box clean to create a comfortable environment for both the mother and the puppies. If you have other pets, you should block their access to the whelping box. The presence of other animals may stress the dam out. You can start introducing your other pets to the puppies around 5 or 6 weeks.
If the dog snarls, growls, or appears aggressive towards the puppies, remove them immediately from this situation. If this does not work, you will have to feed the puppies by hand, using a bottle or syringe. If the dog nurses her puppies but refuses to warm or stay by their side, you will have to keep them warm yourself.
You should tell the vet whether the mother dog is aggressive or indifferent to her puppies. Try to determine when the mother abandoned her puppies. For example, did she reject them at birth or did she stop paying attention to them after a week or two?
You can relieve the pain of mastitis by applying warm water compresses to the mother’s teats. You can help stimulate the flow of milk by gently pressing the teat between your forefinger and thumb. Be aware that if the dog is in extreme pain, she may become aggressive.
Symptoms of milk fever typically begin between three and five weeks after the puppies are born. [7] X Research source
Occasionally, something might be wrong with the puppies, causing the mother to abandon them. Your vet may be able to help them thrive. [8] X Research source If the vet determines that there is no medical cause, they can help you try to encourage the mother dog to accept the puppies. The vet may also recommend that you feed and care for the puppies yourself.
To feed the puppy, make sure that they are positioned with their tummy facing down. Hold the bottle slightly tilted down towards the puppy. The puppy should latch on. Let the puppy suckle until they are full. If the puppy starts to cough or if you notice milk coming out of their nose, stop feeding immediately. Cow or goat milk is not appropriate for puppies. You should use a store-bought puppy milk substitute. Some puppies may try to nurse and suckle each other in place of the mother. This may hurt the other puppies. If this happens, you may want to separate the puppies into different whelping boxes.
If the puppy does not respond well to this after a feeding, you might try doing it before a feeding. Puppies will start to go on their own by three weeks of age.
The temperature in the room should be 85 °F (29 °C) for the first 2 weeks. It can be lowered to 80 °F (27 °C) after 2 weeks and 75 °F (24 °C) after 4 weeks.
You might contact breeders in your area or a local shelter to see if they know of a dog that might be an appropriate foster dam. If you cannot find a foster dam, start introducing the puppy to other people after a few weeks to help the puppies socialize. Encourage them to play with each other as well.
