Care of Neonates

The best nutrition for any puppy or kitten is from the mother herself.  If they are not getting the attention and/or proper nutritional benefit either because of illness or from lack of interest on the mother's part, we must intervene for the health and survival of these puppies and kittens. It is important to keep them in a warm part of the house that is also within easy visual distance since you are now taking on the full time duty of being their "mother." You will have to feed them, keep them warm, and stimulate them to urinate and deficate.

Items That You Will Need To Purchase:

• Milk replacement formula
• Feeding bottle
• Crate or wicker basket
• Digital rectal thermometer
• Small ounce scale

Housing The Puppies Or Kittens:

You will need to buy a crate or wicker basket that is big enough to hold the entire litter.  Puppies and kittens cannot regulate their own body temperature.  Body warmth is usually received from the mother's own body and the other litter mates.  Therefore, it is important that you keep them in a warm part of the house with soft bedding that can be changed daily. 

Body Temperature:

Normal body temperature of neonates is 95-99 F.  The only way to obtain an accurate temperature is by using a well lubricated thermometer rectally.  If the temperature is below normal, you can warm the puppies or kittens by placing warm water bottles wrapped in a towels in their bed with them.  You can use hot water bottles (available at your local pharmacy) or any plastic soda/water bottle.  Either of these can be heated over and over again in the microwave.

Heating pad use should be avoided because of the risk of possible burns!  Also, keep in mind that puppies and kittens will not nurse if they are too cold or too hot.

Defecation And Urination: 

Before each feeding and several times daily you will need to stimulate the puppies or kittens to defecate and urinate (their mother usually does this by licking them). You can use either a soft washcloth or cotton balls for this.  Soak the cloth or cotton balls in warm water and gently rub their abdomen or perineum (genital area) until they pass urine or stool and then dry them with a towel.  You should generally see production of urine / stool within a few minutes of stimulation.  Normal stool is yellow to brown with a paste consistency.

Note: If you see diarrhea, the formula should be diluted 1:2 (1 part formula to 2 parts solution) with an oral balanced electrolyte solution (e.g. Pedialyte) until the diarrhea resolves, gradually switching back to full-strength formula.

Nutritional Requirements:

Puppies and kittens need to eat formula specifically designed for each species.  Oral milk replacement formulas can be purchased at any pet store and some grocery stores.  A good choice for puppies is Esbilac and for kittens is KMR, in either the powder or liquid form.  Each particular brand will give specific instruction on how much to feed and how often.  Please read the instruction carefully.  Don't forget to pick up a feeding bottle at the same time.  These should be sold along with the formula.

Tips:

• Stomach capacity is approximately 50 mL/kg (lbs divided by 2.2 will give you the weight in kg.)
• Initial feeding of puppies is 10 mL every 4-6 hours.  Initial feeding of kittens is 5 mL every 4-6 hours.
• Volume fed is increased by 1 mL per feeding for puppies and 1 mL per day for kittens unitl requirements are met.

Use these amounts only as a general guideline.  Please see you daytime vet as soon as possible for more detailed feeding instructions!

It is a good idea to keep a log of each puppy or kitten's daily weight, formula intake, and urination and defication productions so you can compare each baby's progress.