Last Updated: 26/01/2026
Newborn Puppy Care: The Complete Guide to Nursing and Hand-Raising
Welcoming a litter of puppies is a joy, but newborns are fragile. Our Australian vet guide covers everything from bottle-feeding orphans and managing warmth to worming schedules and weaning, ensuring your puppies grow into happy, healthy dogs.
Author: Dr Samantha Wycherley BVSc
Reading Time: 9 minutes - short read
There is nothing quite like the tiny squeaks and soft paws of a newborn litter to make a house feel full. Whether you are supporting a mother dog through her first litter or stepped up to the plate to hand-raise an orphaned pup, those first few weeks are a critical window for growth. Because newborns can’t see, hear, or even regulate their own body heat, they rely entirely on their caregivers for survival. This guide walks you through the essentials of neonatal care, from ensuring they get that vital first milk to hitting their very first developmental milestones.
Top tips
- It's much easier to care for newborn puppies if they are with their mother as most dogs will take great care of their puppies and you won't have to do much in the early stages except monitor how they are going, keep the area clean and ensure mum is well cared for.
- Hand-raising puppies requires much more work and hands on care, and we'll touch on both scenarios in this article.
- In the early days puppies will spend their time either feeding or sleeping and not much else. Puppies will have their eyes closed (they will open at around 2 weeks of age) and all they need is a warm place to sleep and regular feedings.
- It's not recommended to handle the pups much in the first few weeks of life - keep them close to their mother. However you can check them over for any birth defects e.g. a cleft palate. Contact your vet if you notice any abnormalities or have any concerns. You can also weigh them regularly to ensure they are growing well.
Creating a warm environment for newborns
Warmth is very important in these early weeks as newborn puppies cannot regulate their own body temperatures. Puppies will usually get a lot of warmth from snuggling up to their mum however they still need a spot that is safe, secure, dry and free from draughts. The whelping area should be nice and cosy with plenty of towels and warm blankets.
It's normal for mum to leave the puppies occasionally to toilet etc. however she should return shortly after. You will need to ensure that the puppies are warm enough when they are left on their own.
If the pups are orphaned then you will need to take extra care to ensure you are providing enough warmth - in this case a heating lamp is a good idea.
Heating guidelines:
- When puppies are without their mother or orphaned they will need an environmental temperature of around 30 degrees for the first week, you can reduce this to around 26 degrees by week 2.
- If you are using heating pads to heat the area you need to take great care to ensure that there are layers between the pad and the puppy and they are able to move away if needed. Direct contact with the heating pad can lead to thermal burns. The same goes for the lamp - there should be an area they can move away too if they are too hot.
- Signs of overheating: If you notice the pups are widely spaced, this may indicate that the room may be too hot.
- Signs of underheating: If the puppies are climbing over each other and unsettled they may be too cold.
- Larger litters tend to need less heating than the smaller litters.
Feeding and nutrition for nursing and orphaned pups
Puppies need regular feeding with their mother's milk. It's vital that all pups nurse on the first day of life in order to get colostrum on board. Colostrum is the nutrient and antibody rich first milk that the mother dog will produce and it needs to be absorbed in the first 12 hours after birth. The intestine is unable to absorb any colostrum at around 24 hours post birth.
How do you know if the pups are getting enough milk?
- Puppies that are feeding well will be growing well with fat tummies and they will appear content.
- If puppies are crying frequently and not settling this can be a sign that they aren't getting enough milk.
- In large litters you may have to help the smaller puppies get the chance to latch onto a nipple without being pushed out by their littermates. You can do this for 5 - 10 minutes at a time, 4 times a day.
- You can also start weighing the puppies - the puppies should be gaining weight steadily - on average a pup should double their birth weight in the first 10 days.
Feeding orphaned puppies
Puppy milk replacer
- If you have orphaned puppies you will need to feed them a puppy milk replacement formula, such as DiVetelact with a bottle.
- There are a number of different puppy formulas on the market. All of these have slightly different instructions and feeding recommendations so be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Bottle feeding tips:
- You will need to use cooled boiled water to make up the formula and clean the teats and bottles in between feeds with boiled water to sterilise them. Bottle feeding newborn puppies is similar to bottle feeding a newborn human baby!
- Ideally the pups will be fed 2 hourly in the first week of life - this is the most critical time. The frequency of feeding can be reduced as the puppies age and are able to take in more milk at a time.
- If you are bottle feeding, puppies will usually let you know when they are full. They will stop feeding or turn away and they should have a full round tummy at the end of a feed.
If a puppy is refusing to drink any milk at all then contact your vet. Puppies can become dehydrated or hypoglycemic very quickly if not being fed regularly.
Looking after mum
Make sure you don't forget about mum in those first few weeks! Caring for a litter of puppies requires a large amount of energy and it's very important for the nursing mother to have adequate nutrition.
Feeding a nursing mother on puppy food is best. These diets can also be used to wean the pups on to when they are ready - this is discussed in more detail later in the article.
Check out our Pregnant and Lactating Dog Guide for more information on how to best care for mum.
Assisting with toileting and hygiene
Mum will take care of toileting for the puppies for the first few weeks of life - she will lick their genital area after a feed which stimulates them to toilet.
How to assist a newborn puppy with toileting
- If the pups are orphaned, you will need to assist the puppies to go to the toilet.
- Use a damp soft tissue or some damp cotton wool to stimulate the area after every feed.
- Gently rub the cotton wool in circular motions over the genital area until you see the puppy start to urinate or defecate - this is usually achieved quite easily with mild stimulation.
- Puppies will start to toilet themselves around 2 weeks of age.
Hygiene
Hygiene of the whelping area is very important. Poor hygiene can lead to infections which can be deadly for puppies.
- Make sure that you are regularly changing the bedding and keeping mum clean as well.
- As the puppies get older this will need to be done more frequently, particularly once food is starting to be introduced around 4 weeks of age - they have a tendency to walk through the food and can make a real mess!
Worming schedules and preventative health
It's an unfortunate fact that nearly all puppies are born with worms (roundworms and hookworms can be transmitted to puppies in utero from their mum).
Deworming should begin at 2 weeks of age. Pups will need to be wormed every 2 weeks until they are 12 weeks old at which point the frequency decreases.
Vaccinations
It is recommended that puppies receive their first vaccination at 6- 8 weeks of age. This is the first injection of 3 with the final vaccine being given around 14 - 16 weeks of age.
The first vaccination a puppy should receive is the C3 vaccination - this vaccination provides protection against Canine Distemper Virus, Canine Adenovirus (hepatitis) and Canine Parvovirus.
For more information, see our Puppy Vaccination Guide.
The weaning process and solid foods
Puppies can start to have solids introduced as early as 3 weeks. Mum should be being fed a high quality puppy diet so puppies will start by eating some of their mums food.
You can soften dry puppy food with water to make it into a gruel-like consistency or you can add water to canned food. Puppies will be unsure at first and may end up covered in food with not much of it ending up in their tummies however with time (and with copying from their mum) they will eat more and more until puppy food makes up their entire diet at 7-8 weeks of age.
When to contact your veterinarian
Puppies, like all baby animals, are vulnerable to illness and infection. The most common causes for concern in puppies are dehydration (this can be secondary to poor feeding or diarrhoea), hypoglycemia (low blood sugars) and hypothermia.
Concerning signs in newborn puppies include:
- Not feeding
- Reduced activity compared with other littermates
- Failure to gain weight
- Difficulty toileting
- Changes in breathing
- Persistent crying
If you notice any of these symptoms it's important to contact your vet immediately. Puppies can deteriorate quickly and so early intervention is vital.
FAQs
Watching a newborn puppy transform from a tiny, helpless bundle into a playful explorer is one of the most rewarding experiences a pet parent can have. While the early days require a watchful eye and plenty of dedication, providing a warm, clean, and well-fed environment sets the foundation for a long and healthy life. Remember, if you are ever unsure about a puppy’s progress or notice a change in their behavior, a quick call to your vet is always the best course of action.
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History
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Tue 27 Jan 2026
Edited by Dr Gillian Hill BVSc (Hons)Dr Samantha Wycherley BVSc
Contributing Author, BVSc
Dr Samantha works as a companion animal veterinarian in Melbourne. Graduated from Massey University in New Zealand in 2015. I have worked in NZ, across the UK and in Australia. Special interests include wildlife and senior pet medicine.
