How to take care of a puppy or kitten left without a mother?

Did you find a tiny animal or someone threw it to you? If his mother is not around, the responsibility for growing up is on you. What to do? The Animal Clinic team is proposing an action plan for the coming month.

Keeping a puppy / kitten weaned from its mother

The perfect option in this situation is to find a female that can feed: a cat or a bitch. If you can't find an animal, get ready to take a vacation, because you will need a lot of energy and time for the baby. Over the next month, the kitten or puppy will need your help on three points:

• Care.

Self-thermoregulation begins to work in animals when it is about a month old. Before that, the baby needs to be warmed up: turn on the infrared lamp, put a warmer or a plastic bottle of warm water, but very carefully to avoid burns.

• ood.

You will need a substitute for cat or milk. The most popular are products from Beaphar, Royal Canin and Gimpet. Feeding should be carried out every 2-4 hours in accordance with the standards indicated on the package.

• Emptying.

To mimic the mother's behavior and help the baby defecate, stimulate the abdomen and perineum with a soft warm wet towel. If the pet does not go to the toilet in a big way, use an enema "Microlax". But do not get carried away: the feces should come out naturally.

First aid in unforeseen situations

If you have not taken care of the temperature: the water in the bottle has cooled down or the hot water bottle has been broken - and the baby has caught a cold, warm him up in the ways listed above. Hypoglycemia develops at long intervals between feedings. The animal loses strength, becomes lethargic. Drink it with 40% glucose solution or just fresh water and bring it to the clinic immediately.

Diarrhea is caused by many factors: parasites, infection, improper diet. The vet will help to find out the reason. The main threat is dehydration. To prevent it, give ¼ a bag of "Smectite" and do not delay a visit to the doctor. Medicines against worms can be given only from three weeks of age. If the baby suffers from fleas, use Frontline spray, it is recommended for animals from two days of age.