Newborns
Newborn puppies and kittens,
week by week.
Choose the species and age and see what they need this week: warmth, weight, feeding, deworming. Keep a daily weight log for every baby and see right away if one is not gaining as it should. Newborns can get worse within hours: if in doubt, call us early.
Your babies
Day 0 is the day of birth. If you have already entered a birth date in the pet profile, it is filled in automatically.
Enter the age in days (or the birth date) to see this week's care sheet. The table of all weeks is below.
All weeks at a glance · puppies
| Week | Temperature | Weight | Feeding | Development | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 days 0–6 | 29–32 °C (85–90 °F) | Losing up to 10 % of the weight in the first 24 hours is normal. After that: a gain of about 5–10 % of birth weight every day. | Colostrum within the first 24 hours: the antibodies are absorbed mostly in the first hours and hardly at all after the first day. They nurse often and sleep between feeds. Orphans: only a proper puppy or kitten milk replacer, with your vet's instructions. | Eyes and ears closed. They cannot shiver for the first ~6 days and cannot control their temperature: they need the mother or another heat source. The umbilical cord falls off in 2–3 days. They cannot urinate or defecate on their own: the mother stimulates them by licking (with orphans you do it). | Weigh every baby at birth and then every day. Make sure all of them nurse from the first hours. The umbilical cord should stay dry. A check of the mother and the babies in the first days is a good idea. |
| Week 2 days 7–13 | 27–29 °C (80–85 °F) | Still about 5–10 % of birth weight every day. Birth weight roughly doubles in about 7–12 days. | Mother's milk only. Orphans: a proper replacer, warm to body temperature (test on the back of your hand), in small frequent feeds, with the baby on its belly and never on its back. The bottle is sucked, never squeezed. | The eyelids usually open at 5–14 days and the ear canals at 6–14. A cloudy cornea and blue-grey eyes are normal for 2–4 weeks. They start to crawl (day 7–14). Shivering exists but is still weak. | Keep weighing every day. Do not open the eyelids yourself; if you see swelling or pus under the closed eyelids, call us. |
| Week 3 days 14–20 | 27–29 °C (80–85 °F) | Weight goes up every day: roughly 1–2 g a day for every 450 g (1 lb) of expected adult weight (e.g. a 10 kg adult: about 22–44 g). Weigh every 3–4 days until weaning. | Mother's milk. From 3–4 weeks the first semi-solid food starts (see next week). With orphans, stimulating urination and defecation continues until 3 weeks. | Vision and hearing mature at 3–4 weeks. They walk (kittens from ~10–12 days, puppies from ~12–16) and the gait is nearly normal by 21 days. They start to urinate and defecate without stimulation (2–3 weeks). | First deworming at 2 weeks (day 14), together with the mother. |
| Week 4 days 21–27 | 27–29 °C (80–85 °F) | Weight keeps going up every day (1–2 g a day per 450 g of expected adult weight). Weigh every 3–4 days. | Start a thick gruel of puppy/kitten food (or weaning food) with a little warm water, in a shallow dish, several times a day; remove the dish after 20–30 minutes. The mother's milk is still the main food. Never cow's milk and never homemade "weaning formulas". | Body temperature reaches adult values at 4–5 weeks. The baby teeth erupt (21–35 days). They play with their littermates and are awake more. | Next deworming at 4 weeks (day 28). |
| Week 5 days 28–34 | 21–24 °C (70–75 °F) | Steady weight gain. Weigh every 3–4 days until weaning. | After 4 weeks milk alone no longer meets their needs. They eat the gruel readily; keep offering it several times a day. | The main socialisation period of puppies starts (5–12 weeks): new people, sounds and surfaces, always calm and positive. | Deworming at 4 weeks (day 28), together with the mother. See the puppy guide for socialisation. |
| Week 6 days 35–41 | about 21 °C (70 °F) | Steady weight gain. Weigh every 3–4 days until weaning. | From ~5–6 weeks they chew dry food too (small pieces, soaked if needed). Nutritional weaning is usually complete at about 6 weeks, but the mother may still allow some nursing. | Hearing is mature. They play hard, explore and learn from littermates and the mother. | Next deworming at 6 weeks (day 42), together with the mother. |
| Week 7 onwards day 42 and over | about 21 °C (70 °F) | Keep weighing. From 2 months you can follow the breed's growth curve on the Growth page. | Complete (behavioural) weaning should not happen before 7–8 weeks: nursing has an emotional value too. Keep feeding a puppy/kitten food. | Nursing gradually stops. Socialisation goes on: people, other animals, new sounds and places. | Deworming at 6 and 8 weeks (days 42 and 56), then monthly. First vaccine at 8 weeks. |
The temperatures are for the nest or box when the mother is not there or is not enough. Humidity about 50–65 %. Use a heat source that cannot burn, never unattended. Indicative values: every baby is different.
Daily weight log
Weigh on a gram scale (kitchen scale), at the same time every day, always in the same order. Birth weight first (day 0), then every day. The data stays only on your device.
Weight in grams
Add the babies to get started.
No weights yet. Type each baby's weight and press Enter or leave the field: the table and chart appear by themselves.
Call us right away if you see
A newborn can get worse within hours. The earlier it is seen, the better the chances.
In the baby
- Does not nurse, cannot latch on or nurses much less than its littermates
- Cries constantly (for more than ~20 minutes) or, on the contrary, is very quiet, limp and hardly moves
- Cold to the touch (or the babies pile on top of each other to keep warm)
- Does not gain weight or loses weight after the first day
- Diarrhoea, especially green, foamy, bright yellow or bloody, or any vomiting
- Bloated or hard belly
- Pale, grey or bluish gums, or dry dark gums (dehydration)
- Difficulty breathing or nasal discharge
- Red, soft or wet umbilical cord, or swollen eyelids with pus
- Blood in the urine or stool, or purple or red marks on the skin
In the mother
- The mother is ill, has a fever, is not eating or is very dull
- Pus-like, bloody or foul-smelling discharge from the genitals after the birth
- Hard, red, hot or painful mammary glands
- She has no milk, the babies cry constantly or their bellies do not fill up
- She rejects, ignores or attacks the babies
On the way to the clinic: warm the baby gently against your body and do not force it to drink anything.
If you have to feed them yourself (orphans or top-up)
- Only a proper puppy or kitten milk replacer (each made for its own species). Never cow's milk: it has far more lactose and causes severe diarrhoea. No homemade "milks" without your vet's advice.
- Warm the milk to about body temperature; test it on the back of your hand. Cold milk can cause vomiting and chilling, milk that is too hot burns.
- The baby feeds on its belly, with its head not tipped back, never on its back. The bottle is sucked, never squeezed. Tube feeding is done only after your vet has shown you how.
- Small, frequent feeds: at least 4 a day in the first 2 weeks (4–6 for kittens), with the amount on the pack and as your vet advises for their weight.
- In the first 3 weeks the baby cannot urinate or defecate on its own: gently wipe the urinary and anal area with a cotton ball wet with warm water, usually before every feed.
- Clean all the equipment after every use and mix only as much milk as you need for the next 24 hours (keep it in the fridge).
- If the babies did not get colostrum from the mother, tell us at once: the first 24 hours count.
General information, not a veterinary examination. Every animal is different and newborns can deteriorate within hours: call your vet early.