PUPPIES & KITTENS

Below, we offer general advice for some common topics that arise concerning puppies and kittens.  If you have questions concerning where to bring stray kittens, please see our web page (menu to the left) devoted to that information.


How old are my puppies/kittens?
If you did not witness their birth, we can estimate their age by looking at their teeth.  Different teeth erupt at different ages.  Incisors first come in around 2-4 weeks of age, and all baby teeth should be present by 2 months of age.  Adult incisors come in around 2-5 months of age and canines come in around 5-6 months of age.  All adult teeth should be present by 8 months of age.
Puppies and kittens are born with their eyes and ears closed.  Their eyes start to open around 8 days of age.  Also, their umbilical cord remains attached and takes 3 days to dry up and fall off.  Do NOT pull or cut the umbilical cord off.

What is involved with nursing and immunities?
Puppies and kittens both require their mothers milk for the first 6 weeks of their lives.  The milk contains valuable nutrients and immunities that are essential for proper development and protection from diseases.  Nursing should occur every 3-4 hours while the animals are less than 5 weeks of age.  Once they are older than 5 weeks, nursing can occur every 6 hours and they can begin eating "gruel".
If puppies or kittens lose their mothers, there are milk replacers you can purchase to use as baby formulas for them (Esbilac for puppies and KMR for kittens).  Do NOT use cow milk or human milk replacers- these do not contain the proper nutrition for these animals and they will become very ill and malformed (if they survive at all).  Do not feed cold milk replacer- make sure it is room temperature.  They generally need 8cc per ounce of body weight every day.  Do not overfeed them. 

Urination and Defecation
Most people are not aware that puppies and kittens need assistance eliminating until they are 3-4 weeks old or they can die.  The mother will lick their genital region and anus to stimulate them to eliminate.  If the puppies or kittens lack their mother, you must step in to help them eliminate.  To do this, use a warm, wet washcloth or paper towel and dab the animals urethra opening and anus.  Within a minute, they should start to eliminate.  You may need to continue dabbing till they are finished.  This should be done after every feeding.  Once they are 4 weeks old, introduce a litterbox for them to use.  Do NOT use clumping litter, because this gets in their eyes and can cause severe problems.  They will often try to eat the litter, which is not good for them either.  If they defecate outside the box, put the feces inside the box to encourage defecation there.  This will be a very messy experience for the first week. 

Warmth
It is critical that your puppies and kittens are kept warm and dry.  The mother will usually clean them and keep them warm, but we need to take over if she is not there.  Try filling a hot water bottle and wrapping it with a towel.  Place it under the animals to keep them warm. Use blankets or towels for insulation, and make sure to replace them when they get wet.  They may also apppreciate an old fashioned ticking clock wrapped in a towel in their bed.  This mimicks the sound of their mothers heart beat and can be soothing to them.

Weaning
Once pups and kits are 5 weeks old, their mother will start weaning them.  At this point, they are old enough to start eating "gruel" along with their mothers' milk.  Gruel is just kitten or puppy food mixed with milk replacer or water, and smooshed into a paste.  Place it in a shallow bowl and the animals will learn to eat it.  It will be very messy for the first few days!  As the animals get a bit older, you can reduce the amount of water and make the gruel a thicker consistency.  You can also introduce a bowl of water for them to drink.

Exams
It is always advisable to have both the mother and puppies/kittens checked out by a vet right after they are born.  Once the mom has finished weaning her babies, it may be a good idea to bring her to the vet to ensure she is not having any problems with post-lactation.  If she lost her litter, the vet may want to prescribe medication to help her finish lactation.  It is painful to continue producing milk without having a way to eliminate it.
When the babies are 8 weeks old, they have finished nursing and require vaccines to help their immune systems.  This vet exam will catch any developmental problems and we will give the first series of vaccines.  They will need to return for a booster vaccine in 3-4 weeks, and puppies will need a final booster at 16 weeks of age.

Weight Issues
Once your puppy or kitten is on dry food, it is advisable for them to maintain a slim weight.  Food products have recommended portions listed on their labels, but these may not be accurate for YOUR pet.  Every individual has their own requirements and it is up to you to ensure they are a decent weight.  We have posted a weight chart with visual pictures of appropriate body sizes on our "Weight Issues" web page (see menu on the left).

Dangers
Pets, like children, seem to find every way possible to injure themselves.  Besides sharp objects, electric wires, poisons (anti-freeze, slug bait, etc), and running into traffic, we have many toxic plants in our homes and neighborhoods.  Some of the more common ones include: daffodils, lilies, poinsettias, mistletoe, holly, philodendron, cyclamen, dieffenbachia and sago palms.  There is a longer list if you check out our "Pet Library" page (see menu on the left).  The ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center can be reached at: 1-888-426-4435 or http://www.apcc.aspca.org.

Training
We can't stress the importance of training enough.  Teaching your dog to COME and STAY may save their lives.  There have been great advances in animal behavior and training, and numerous products exist to help us train our pets.  Besides saving their lives, giving our dogs manners (which your neigbors will appreciate), and making the vets job much easier, your pets will enjoy the mental stimulation they receive from being challenged during training sessions.