Some mama pups take it to the extreme and kill the pup because she senses he is the weakest link. Some mama pups can also suffer from mastitis — just like humans do — which makes nursing painful, so she kills her pups to stop the nursing. And speaking of nursing, with larger litters mamas may feel they need to do something drastic to prevent their pups from fighting for her limited resources.
By no means, in any of these cases, does human intervention have anything to do with such a sad event. Com All Rights Reserved, unless otherwise noted. Privacy Disclaimer. Table of Contents. Search This Site. Privacy Disclaimer WP Admin. If the puppy is nursing then leave the pup alone! Touching and holding a puppy requires it to be done correctly, so if you follow some guidelines, the pup will be happy and also will benefit from human interaction.
As always, if you have more questions concerning newborn puppy handling, always check first with your vet for information concerning your particular breed. Keep those pups comfortable and happy! References: Reference. About the Author Tom Matteo has been a freelance writer since Did your dog just have puppies? Are you are tempted to pick up them up, but not sure if you should?
They look fragile, and perhaps you have heard that the mother dog will reject her newborn pups if a human touches them. At AnimalWised we are here to answer the question " can you touch newborn puppies? Even though it is usually okay to touch newborn puppies, they are very delicate at this stage and you should take certain precautions before deciding to pick one up.
Keep reading to find out all you need to know about what happens if you touch newborn puppies, and exactly when and how you can start handling puppies. It is not necessarily bad to touch a newborn puppy, but there is no one-size-fits-all response. Many mother dogs - especially if they are our pets - will not mind humans touching their young puppies.
However, newborn puppies, like all newborns, are delicate, and it is easy to unwittingly hurt them. So, you can touch a newborn puppy , but there are factors you should consider before picking one up.
For example:. However adorable they may be, resist the temptation to pick up newborn puppies unless you have to. The mother dog is usually capable to taking care of all the puppies' needs in the first weeks, and you shouldn't have to interfere. Once the puppies are about three weeks old , they will begin to move around on their own. This is when you can begin to pet them and interact with them more.
You should only touch or pick up a newborn puppy if you observe that it is sick , if the mother abandons it , or in the case of orphaned puppies. Even if you do decide that it is necessary to touch the newborn puppies, do so with great care and following the guidelines set out in the following section.
As we have explained, there are certain situations in which you can or have to touch newborn puppies. However, you should never be careless. Make sure you are handling the puppy correctly so as not to harm it. The first thing to keep in mind is that your hands should not be cold.
You can touch newborn puppies with your bare hands , but make sure you have washed your hands properly and that they are at body temperature. Be careful though, as some mothers can be aggressive particularly it held when being nursed. I will also put to the bed the myth about mother dogs rejecting their puppies if you touch them after they are born.
There are conflicting opinions online, even from vets, about how soon after birth can you handle puppies. One popular time that crops up a lot is 3 weeks as being ok to hold newborn puppies. This is one that I believe holds most credence, and I will explain why. At 3 weeks old, puppies will be starting to move around by themselves more. Their eyes will have opened read more , and whilst still completely dependent on their mother, do have a bit more freedom. That should reduce the chances of her snapping at you when you decide to pick up and hold a puppy.
The best advice here is to not touch her puppies whilst she is cleaning them, or they are nursing from her. Handy Hint: Newborn puppies will get all the nutrition they need from their mother, but can start to drink water and eat food at 4 weeks of age onwards.
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