Care of Neonates

Either voluntarily or involuntarily, you may find yourself to be
the primary caretaker of a one or more orphaned baby kittens or
puppies or those “runts” of the litter that can less effectively
compete for food. Sometimes, the mother is incapable or
unwilling to take care of the babies. She may have been through
a surgery and can’t nurse the little ones or may be she is
insufficiently producing milk or sometimes, she rejects taking
care of the puppies or kittens. Your care of the newly born can
be a rewarding experience, but it is also labor-intensive and
challenging. The following are some guidelines to help care for
the little ones.

Temperature

Puppies and kittens are unable to effectively control their body
temperature for the first few weeks of life. Their body
functions, especially the digestive tract, are dependent on
maintaining a body temperature of 96-97 F during the first two
weeks. If they become hypothermic, they will cease to digest,
become constipated and stop eating. By 4 weeks of age, they will
be able to maintain an internal temperature of 100 F without
supplemental heat. A body temperature of less that 90 F will not
allow them to digest their food. The environmental temperature
should be 86-90 F for the first 2 weeks and around 75 F for the
subsequent weeks. Be careful with heating pads. As the neonate
cannot move off it, burns can occur. Hot water bottles are safer
but are harder to keep at a constant temperature.

Feeding

For orphaned kittens and puppies, the best option is to find a
nursing dog or cat willing to act as a foster mother. But
usually there is little chance of finding an available lactating
mother who will accept orphans. The only other alternative is to
feed a commercially prepared formula, of which there are several
types. Esbilac for puppies and KMR for kittens, both made by
Borden, are among the most used formulas. Also Unilact can be
used for puppies and Veta-lac and Havolac Food Supplement can be
used for puppies and kittens. Note that cow’s milk should not be
fed as this is not nutritionally complete and will cause
diarrhea. Once a formula is chosen, the quantity fed must meet
their metabolic needs. When making up formula, the
manufacturer’s directions should be closely followed and only a
48 hour supply of formula should be prepared at a time and kept
in the refrigerator. For the first week of life, a puppy or
kitten should daily receive about 13mls of formula for 100 grams
(gm) of body weight. This increases to 17mls/100gm of body
weight the second week, 20 mls/100gm the third week and 22
mls/100gm of body weight by the fourth week. These amounts of
formula should be fed in equal portions several times daily,
each time warmed up to body temperature. When a formula is first
introduced, less than calculated amount should be fed for the
first feeding with a gradual increase by the second or third
day. Feedings are usually done every few hours with increasing
amounts and decreased frequencies as the puppies and kittens
grow.

The easiest and safest way of feeding is via a nipple on a
bottle feeder. When feeding the puppy or kitten, it should be
held “right-side up”, that is not laying on its back. When the
puppy or kitten is nursing, the bottle should be held so as to
avoid ingestion of air. The hole of the nipple may need to be
enlarged with a hot needle to allow the milk to ooze from the
bottle when it is inverted. When feeding, squeeze a drop of milk
onto the tip of the nipple and then insert the nipple into the
animal’s mouth, but milk should not be squeezed out during
nursing. Note that “poor doers”, puppies and kittens that have a
low body temperature or do not have a good suckle response
should not be nursed. Occasionally, tube feeding is necessary,
but this should not be attempted without a demonstration from a
veterinarian or a breeder familiar with tube feeding.

Aspiration of food into the lungs can be a risk with this
feeding technique. It is important after each feeding to
stimulate all puppies and kittens to urinate and defecate by
gently swabbing the anal-genital region with a damp warm cloth.
After 3 weeks of age, most puppies/kittens can relieve
themselves without stimulation. If not stimulated, this will
lead to urine retention and constipation. Orphaned puppies and
kittens should be encouraged to start eating solid food at 3-4
weeks of age, respectively. Some formula can be mixed with
puppy/kitten dry food and the quantity of formula can be
gradually decreased. Monitoring the stools is important at this
stage since if the puppy or kitten shows signs of constipation,
more formula needs to be given and the amount of puppy/kitten
food decreased temporarily for another week. Alternatively, if
the stool is too soft, more food can be introduced.

Monitoring

Weight gain should be closely monitored and is a favorable sign
of response to the feedings. Having a baby scale at hand for
daily weight measurements is useful. Puppies should gain 1-2gm
per day for the first several weeks. The kitten should weigh
80-140gm initially and gain 50-100gm weekly.

Dehydration can be assessed by gently lifting the skin on the
animal’s back and noting its elasticity. It should return to
place immediately. A slow return can be indicative of
dehydration.

Bowel movements and urination will usually decrease in amounts
with dehydration. Throughout the period of feeding formula and
then formula/food mixture, the stools should be formed but not
excessively soft or hard. Ongoing diarrhea is usually indicative
of a problem with the feeding or others, such as parasites or
protozoa and a fecal analysis done by your veterinarian can help
diagnose this.

Vaccines & Testing

All kittens older than 4 weeks of age should be tested for the
feline leukemia virus. Testing is recommended before being
introduced them to other members of the household. All puppies
and kittens 6 weeks and older can be started on their vaccine
series.

If you have questions regarding the care of orphaned kittens or
puppies, don’t hesitate to contact your veterinarian.

The above is general veterinary information. Do not begin
any course of treatment without consulting your regular
veterinarian. All animals should be examined at least once every
12 months.