Mother Pomeranians usually care for heir newborn puppies. In the absence of their mother, you can be a foster parent, and provide them with food and a warm, clean environment so they will grow and flourish. Hand-feeding puppies forms a special bond with their owner.
Temperature
Step 1
Place a heating pad in the bottom of a box or bed. Turn the heating pad on low. Place folded sheets on top of the heating pad. Place the puppies on the sheets.
Step 2
Keep the room temperature at 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit for the five days after birth. Maintain this temperature using a portable heater in the room, if necessary. Place a thermometer in the room to monitor the ambient temperature.
Step 3
Reduce the temperature gradually to 80 degrees F from the seventh to tenth days. Reduce the temperature in the room to 75 degrees by the fourth week.
Bottle Feeding
Step 1
Mix puppy milk replacer with water according to the package instructions. Pour the milk replacer in a puppy bottle. Test the temperature of the milk on your arm. It should be warm, but not hot.
Step 2
Place a puppy in your lap with his feet on your legs. Lift his head upward gently with one hand under his chin. Place the nipple of the bottle in his mouth. You may have to open his jaws for the first few feedings until he realizes he will be eating from a bottle.
Step 3
Allow the puppy to eat his fill of milk. He may rest a while and then eat a little more in a few minutes.
Step 4
Wet a cotton ball with water and wring it out so it is damp. Wipe the puppy’s rear end with the cotton ball to encourage him to defecate.
Step 5
Wipe the puppy off with a damp washcloth after he eats, dry him with a towel and place him in his bed in an area without drafts. Feed each puppy in this manner, making sure each is fed and cleaned.
Step 6
Feed and clean the puppies about every three hours for 24 hours a day until they are three weeks old.
Weaning
Step 1
Mix a gruel for the puppies to start eating on their own at about three weeks of age. Mix a quality hard puppy food with milk replacer and let the food soften. Add milk replacer to make it a thick but flowable mixture.
Step 2
Place the puppies near the bowl so they can learn to eat. Dip a finger into the food and touch it to each puppy’s mouth to guide him or her to the food. Keep a bowl of fresh water available at all times for the puppies. Offer the gruel three times a day until the puppies are six to seven weeks old.
Step 3
Keep making gruel but reducing the milk replacer over the next three weeks. Eliminate the milk replacer and offer the puppies hard puppy food to eat at will.
Always check with your veterinarian before changing your pet’s diet, medication, or physical activity routines. This information is not a substitute for a vet’s opinion.
References
Resources
Tips
- Wash bottles and all feeding equipment after each use to reduce germs that can make your puppies sick from infections.
- Change the sheets in the puppy bed several times a day to keep their environment clean and dry.
Warnings
- Wash each puppy after each meal. When starting to eat gruel, you can expect some messy puppies with food on their faces and feet. Allowing food to dry in a puppy’s fur can lead to skin problems.
- Mix only enough milk replacer to last 24 hours and store unused portions in the refrigerator after each feeding.
Writer Bio
Mary Lougee has been writing for over 10 years. She holds a Bachelor's Degree with a major in Management and a double minor in accounting and computer science. She loves writing about careers for busy families as well as family oriented planning, meals and activities for all ages.