YOUNG PUPPY CARE AT HOME
The top three important things to remember are food, water and sleep!
1. Due to their smaller size, young Mini Cavapoo puppies must replenish their energy more frequently than larger size puppies, and need to eat more often initially. Small puppies only eat very small amounts of food at a time but they exert large amounts of energy. We also recommend not changing the puppy's food for the first 2 weeks until the puppy has adjusted to its new home. Then, if you are going to make a change, do it gradually by slowly adding more of the new food to the old food each day until they are totally switched over to the new food.
2. Keep your puppy in a confined area. You can do this by purchasing a crate, baby or puppy playpen. We recommend no bigger than 4’x4′ since the puppy is small. Provide enough space for food, water and their puppy bed. If the puppy is left alone, leave your puppy in a confined area. Using a confined area can also prevent your puppy from eating anything unsafe. Keep an eye out for small items your pup could get into.
3. During the first few weeks, keep play times to a one hour period at a time or less. Smaller puppies can over-tire easily, esp. in the first few weeks. If the pup plays too much, it can end up being too tired to eat. Puppies need a lot of sleep, as much as 20 out of 22 hours of rest. Be especially aware when children play with the puppy.
4. Make sure that the puppy is having regular bowel movements. They should be nice and solid. This is part of why we only reccommend using Royal Canine or Hills Science brand puppy food.
5. Cleaning your puppy during the first month, avoid submersing the puppy in a full bath. Instead, use a warm towel and wipe to clean, especially around the anal area. Be sure nothing prevents him/her to go to the bathroom, and be sure your pup is trimmed as needed. If necessary, you can clean the anal area under the sink in warm water and puppy shampoo. Just be sure the puppy is completely dried afterwards. We use a space heater if needed after bathing.
6. Smaller puppies can be susceptible to hypoglycemia. To be on the safe side, a good way to prevent this is to have corn syrup on hand. If your puppy shows signs of hypoglycemia, apply to the puppy's oral mucous membranes, and contact your vet immediately.
7. The first few weeks for the puppy is a time of change. Remember that the puppy has been transitioned away from his/her parents, brothers, and sisters. It may help to make the first couple of weeks as calm as possible for the puppy. It’s important for owners and the puppy to bond during the first couple of weeks. Consider resisting taking it out to the workplace and houses of friends and relatives until he/she has had all their vaccinations and is a little older. If you have children, minimize the handling of the puppy. Small puppies can be fragile and sometimes children don’t know their own strength. This helps protect the puppy from the possibility of drops and squeezing too hard.
9. You may contact Rosies Pups MN with any questions.