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Tip
76 - Food for newborn kittens and puppies
When
Mom is around and willing to feed her healthy newborn kittens
or puppies, there is no need to give the newborns any extra
food. Nature
is the best provider and mother's milk has all the nutrients
that newborn kittens or puppies need.
There
are times though when you may find a newborn puppy or kitten
without its mother. There are also times when a mother
refuses to feed
or abandons
her
newborns. Under these conditions you may ask yourself what do
I feed a newborn kitten or puppy.
Feeding a newborn puppy or kitten requires special care. The diet
must be healthy, rich in nutrients, and dispensed several times
a day on a strict schedule. It's crucial that you use top-quality
ingredients when preparing the mother's milk substitute and
scrupulously observe basic hygiene rules. The slightest carelessness
may lead
to serious health problems, such as diarrhea, and even death.
Keep the formula in the refrigerator (up to two days) and heat
only the portion needed for each feeding. Use a pet-nurser
bottle available at a vet's office, or in a pinch you can use a bottle
for
human newborns.
Avoid using an eyedropper, because the puppy or kitten cannot suck
at it and the milk might accidentally get drawn into the lungs.
The prescribed daily milk portion corresponds to 25 percent
of the animal's weight. Feed it six times a day during the
first two
weeks, then four times a day afterward, until it is weaned.
Mother's
Milk Substitute for Kittens and Puppies
240 ml (8 oz) Homogenized (3.25% milk fat) or evaporated milk (if
you use evaporated milk, dilute two parts milk in one part water).
Mother's
milk
substitutes are also available at a vet's office.
5 ml (1 teaspoon) Canola oil
1 drop Multivitamins for humans (or for kittens)
2 Egg yolks
5 ml (1 teaspoon) Corn syrup
Put all ingredients in a mixer and warm the milk before each feeding.
After each feeding
Help the tiny animal to burp after each feeding. Then wash its abdomen
and genitals with warm water to stimulate urination and defecation.
Gently dry then rub the animal.
Weaning
kittens and puppies
You can start weaning a kitten or a puppy as early as the fourth
week. Here's How:
