New Born Cockapoo Puppies
Temperature Control
Maintaining the correct temperature is very important for new born puppies. A new born puppy cannot regulate its own temperature so you must provide it with a comfortable warm environment. If the puppy is too cold it is more susceptible to infectious diseases and if too hot the puppy might die.
For the first five days of life the environmental temperature should be kept between 85-90 degrees.The environmental temperature can gradually be reduced to 80 degrees from the seventh to tenth day and further reduced to 75 degrees by the end of the fourth week.
Most breeders use a heat lamp or a insulated electric heating pad to provide warmth, but you must always make sure the puppies can crawl to a cooler place if they get to warm.
Nursing
Every puppy needs to start nursing from the bitch as early as possible. Of course it is a natural instinct but make sure every puppy from the litter is nursing from the mother. The milk produced by the bitch contains colostrum which provides the puppy with vital nutrients to give it immunity from infectious diseases.
Canine Mastitis
Some bitches contract mastitis which is a breast infection and will prevent the puppies from nursing at the breast. This isn’t common but you should be aware of it so look out for these signs:
- Enlarged, swelled nipples that are painful when touched
- Discoloured milk
- The mother does not wanting to feed her litter and snappy
- You detect a bad odor from the nipples
- Fever like symptoms
- The mother is listless and off her food
Canine Mastitis is caused by scratches from the puppies claws around the teets, or when nipples become cracked or chapped from over use. This leads to bacterial infection to the milk ducts. If left untreated it can lead to sceptic shock and the bitch will die so do act early and call the veterinarian!
