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Question

my westie has had a litter of five they are a week old i am so confused with all the books i have read . what should i do first everything went fine with the birth so i haven,t seen the vet yet whats my first important steps.from worming etc

Submitted: 417 days and 10 hours ago.
Category: Dog
Value: $18
Status: AWAITING CUSTOMER ACTION

Answer

HI XXXXXXXXX,

Usually a vet does not want to see the pups until they are about six weeks old. The mothers milk will help them ward off diseases and they have a greater risk of picking something up at the vets office then they do in your home. IF the mom is feeding them and taking care of them then just wait until they are older to start on shots and worming. Generally the mother will stop feeding at around four weeks as the teeth and nails begin to hurt mom when they nurse but the protection from the milk should keep them safe until the sixth week, at that time the antibodies start to wear off. Make sure to pick up all their feces so the mother does not eat it.

 

Keep in mind that people can carry the parvo virus into your home on their clothing and shoes so making sure anyone coming to see the pups have changed into clean clothing after being out is important. I used to make people take their shoes off as well and leave them outside the door.

 

Keep a chart on their weight gain so you can be sure all are getting a good intake of food. At four weeks you can start feeding them puppy chow. At first blend it up and add some water or chicken broth to soften it up enough for them to lap up, gradually start leaving chunks in the food so they learn to eat hard dry food. Take their temperature regularly to make sure that is always normal. (normal is 100.5 to 012.5) Keep their room temperature at around 75 -80 as pups can not regulate their own body heat. Keep them away from drafts.

 

Here is a good site on puppy development that will tell you what to expect and at what age.

 

http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/medical/whelping.html#timeline-pups

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Expert: Sally Grott
Pos. Feedback: 99.3 %
Accepts: 
Answered: 10/1/2008

dog training consultant

24 years training & behavior,pet first aide, Therapy dog eval., PA Animal Response Team

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