Newborn pet care and tips to create a warm and cosy space for them

Those newborn fur-balls your pet dog, or cat, just brought into the world may look like the most adorable creatures to play with. But, they are also quite a handful when it comes to looking after them. Even if you do plan to eventually send them to a new home, given that most infant pets can only begin socialising after week 4, you will be caring for them for at least a month, if not longer. Devanshi Shah founder of Petkonnect lists down ways to take care of newborn pets.

How to take care of your newborn Pets?

Given the weather at the moment, the first thing to do is create a warm and cosy space where the newborns can rest. This place needs to be warm, dark, and large enough to allow the adult pet to stretch out without crushing the newborns who like to stay close to one another. This is crucial because newborn animals find it difficult to regulate their body temperature, and require some protection from extreme climates. It is also recommended that you use a heating gadget in the enclosure if the weather is too cold. Do hang your source of heating high enough so that neither mother nor the infants, end up hurting themselves. Provide for a pleasant corner where the newborns can crawl to if the pen gets too stuffy for them.

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You also need to keep an eye on the weaker siblings – it’s quite normal that one or two young ones of the litter are a little frailer than their counterparts. To make sure these weaker infants get their nutrition, take charge during nursing time by ensuring that the affected pups, or kittens, are able to latch on to the fuller nipples of its mother. Also, the mother dog, or cat, needs to get her nutrition so that she can sustain the litter until they are self-reliant. Have a word with your vet about supplementation.

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When the newborns are a few weeks old the anti-bodies they get from their mother’s milk will begin to wear off, and this is when they become prone to infections. You will need to consult with your vet about the right vaccinations for them, which are crucial when they are eight-weeks old. With these measures in place, you would be well on your way to successfully habilitating your pet’s off-springs in the world.

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