Care of Newborn Puppies
The most important factor for the newborn puppies and their health, is the health of the momma. Though you should check daily on the pups and make sure they are eating, warm, and relatively quiet, it is critical that momma is watched closely for any problems. Make sure that she is on a good quality puppy food and that she is drinking lots of water. Always keep her food and water dishes full, and allow her to eat as much as she wants to.
©Photo Courtesy of Silia Valdez Do not give her milk to drink, as this will only cause her to have diarrhea and it has no value for her. I do give my nursing dogs one Tums with calcium, daily. For the first several days, she will not want to leave her pups. She will only go to the bathroom when absolutely necessary, and then will race back to her pups. This is a good sign and is exactly what you want to see from her. As time goes on, you will notice that when the pups are all asleep, then she may leave them for several minutes to either come and see you, or sleep outside of her whelping box. Her puppy care will also involve her licking her puppies to help them go to the bathroom and keeping them clean and dry, along with nursing her puppies continuously. If she acts disinterested in her puppies, this is not good and usually means that she has an infection of some sort. Take her to the vet if she ignores her pups. Though various problems can always crop up on each individual litter or even on individual pups within a litter, generally your main concern at this point should be taking great care of your Golden Retriever and allow her to take great care of her newborn puppies!
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