While newborn beagle puppies are beautiful, they are quite fragile. They require continual attention from their mother. If mom is not there or needs assistance caring for her infants, the task falls to you. Would you mind consulting your veterinarian for advice on caring for these little creatures to ensure their growth and wellbeing? To care for newborn beagles properly, it is necessary to understand everything from litter dynamics to individual health and development. This guide will help you take care of a beagle puppy week by week, and hopefully, you will not have a problem!
Whelping Newborn Beagles
When a mother beagle is about to give birth, have a few supplies available to aid in the whelping process — a thermometer, cotton balls, plenty of towels, a tiny warming box, a heating pad, blankets, and a large garbage bag, to name a few.
How can you help during this time?
When the mother begins to deliver, prepare a small box with a heating pad set on low and several layers of towels. Allow one newborn beagle to nurse, but relocate it to a tiny box, if mom permits, after the mother’s contractions resume minimizing. Clean each one as you go; the mother will have generally cleansed them immediately after delivery. After delivering all beagles, place them with mom and let them, nurse. Bear in mind that baby beagles are born toothless, deaf, blind, and unable to walk. Therefore, you should keep them close to the mother and restrict your involvement with them for a time unless she rejects them.
Complications during Whelping
When a healthy mother beagle whelps or births a litter of puppies, owners and breeders often have little to do; the mother frequently cares for the newborn beagles independently. However, issues may occur that necessitate the intervention of an owner. Sometimes, when the mother sees her puppies, she becomes confused or fearful and abandons them. A mother beagle can whelp an excessive number of puppies in a single litter, rendering her incapable of nursing them all. In this scenario, the owner is responsible for feeding neglected puppies. Other potential issues include puppy fatalities, the death of the mother beagle, mastitis, and insufficient milk production.
Caring for newborn beagle puppies
In most cases, a mother beagle will keep her newborn puppies warm and nourished. Occasionally, though, an owner will be required to assist. A heating pad set to medium and put beneath the blanket nestling the puppies will assist in keeping the beagles’ body temperature warm. Weigh and record each puppy at birth; tracking each beagle’s weight and progress is critical.
Keep the beagle puppies warm.
Puppies are born without the ability to control their body temperature. They must cuddle with their littermates and mom to remain warm. For the first four days of the puppies’ life, maintain an ambient temperature of 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit using a towel-covered hot water bottle or a carefully regulated electric blanket. Reduce the temperature gradually to around 80 degrees by the time they are ten days old, finally reaching 72 degrees by the end of their first month.
Caring for a newborn beagle at three weeks
By this time, the eyes have opened. They are hearing and working on walking at the same time. It is natural for them to be a little unsteady at first while they regain their balance and stretch their muscles. They frequently want to explore now that they can see. It will soon be time for it, but they should still spend most of their time with their siblings at this age.
Puppies will engage in extensive play during this period. And this is a significant play. They play in a variety of ways, one of which is to nip and bite. It will help them learn that excessive strength is not a good thing. When one of them squeezes at the other too hard, the other let out a loud shriek. It is intended to convey the message, “Do not do that!”
Caring for a newborn beagle puppy at four-five weeks
The whelping box should be enlarged to include additional space where the puppies may relax and drink while still returning to the dam. In addition, toys may now be placed there, making them more amenable to being picked up and hugged by human family members. While they are still little, the easiest method to accomplish this is to hold their bottom with one hand and support their torso with the other, allowing their front legs and paws to fall over that hand.
Weaning Newborn Beagle Puppies
One of the most significant changes will be the commencement of weaning, which infants shift from a liquid to a solid diet. A young Beagle will thrive if first given a substance like soup or wet mashed potatoes. It will take some time to become used to chewing. Every few days, less liquid will be introduced until they can manage solid meals. It is recommended to feed only one brand, as rapid changes in diet are one of the causes that might cause hypoglycemia.
Protect your beagle puppy
They will be a lot more self-sufficient at six weeks now, eager to put their incredible nose to work sniffing for odors throughout the house. If you have not already, now is the time to puppy-proof your home. All tiny things should be kept out of reach, cupboards should be locked, and an owner should inspect the floor daily for anything that may be mouthed or swallowed. This might range from a single cent to a small sock.
Keep the baby beagle puppies well-fed.
In their early years, pups are mostly concerned with eating. If mommy beagle is not accessible, give your puppies canine milk substitute in a bottle. Be careful when feeding newborn beagles and consult a veterinarian for instructions on the proper amount and method of feeding pups since providing too much may cause damage. Weigh the puppies daily to ensure they are growing weight at a healthy rate. The exact amount they should acquire daily varies by breed, but they should usually gain between 10% and 15% of their entire body weight every day.
Training a newborn beagle puppy
By licking their babies’ nether regions, mother dogs promote their puppies’ toilet habits. Use a warm, wet towel to do the same effect and wipe up the resultant feces or urine. After each feeding, perform toilet responsibilities. When your infants reach the age of three or four weeks, they should be able to go without assistance.
Keep them close to the mother and siblings.
After pups reach the age of four weeks – when their hearing, vision, and ability to walk have developed – the beagles’ lively, inquisitive personalities begin to show through. Allow them to interact now. Beagle pups develop defenses and limits via play. You may encourage beagles’ innate curiosity by extending the whelping box or providing additional space for the young litter, such as a play area. You can separate the beagle puppies from their mother after they reach the age of 8 weeks.
Clean your puppies
Brushing beagle puppies practically every day is essential, whereas regular bathing is not necessary. It would be best if you used a hound glove for this task since it will collect the shed hair. A flea comb is beneficial for eliminating dirt and fleas from the coat (if any). Along with brushing, clean their eyes and ears. It would help if you kept a watch on the ears of the beagle since they are prone to infection. Change the blankets and bedding materials in the den area regularly to ensure your pups always have a clean, dry environment to sleep in.
To wrap up
The best way to raise a newborn beagle puppy is to maintain a schedule and stick to it. Providing proper care for your puppy may result in a companion who is loyal, mature, and playful for the years to come!
FAQs
Here is some additional information for owners caring for a newborn puppy.
Q. What should you not do with newborn puppies?
Ans: Unless otherwise directed by your veterinarian, avoid using soaps or disinfectants. Empty her whelping box of any dirty papers or bedding.
Q. How long do you have to wait to touch puppies after they are born?
Ans: Regardless of how cute they seem, avoid picking up newborn pups unless necessary. Puppies learn to move independently at three weeks of age. This is the time to begin petting them and engaging in greater interaction with them. You should only handle or pick up a newborn puppy if you notice it is ill, if the mother abandons it, or if the dog is orphaned.
Q. How do you take care of a newborn puppy at home?
Ans: Keep the newborn puppy in a warm and safe place. Make sure the box is always cozy and clean. Remember not to overfeed the puppy.
Q. What is the most critical time for newborn puppies?
Ans: Between the ages of 0 and 16 weeks is the most critical time in your puppy’s life. This time phase encompasses human socialization (0–12 weeks) and canine socialization (0 to 16 weeks). They will gain more knowledge over that short period than at any other point in his life. While windows of opportunity for learning open, the learning opportunity is lost if they are not stimulated.