And that's for a good reason—her eyes aren't quite ready for the world yet. All dogs have nerves in their eyes that are receptive to light and send visual information to the brain. But the nerves in a newborn puppy's eyes are under-developed and overly sensitive, so the eyelids stay shut to protect the eyes. Eventually, when the puppy is ready, she starts to open her eyes, sometimes only one eye at first.
Even after her eyes open, a newborn puppy's vision is not very clear. The nerves in her eyes continue to develop, and her eyesight continues to improve for the next several weeks. Soon, she can see movement and things around her. Now she's ready to begin playing and having fun. Even in adulthood, a dog's vision is different from a human's. Humans have better vision for details, but dogs see better in the dark. Eye health issues can be serious, but most puppies recover from problems that develop with their eyes when they are young.
As long as you treat the problem quickly and seek professional attention if you notice a problem, your puppy will live along and happy life, even if there is a long-term vision issue that develops. The important thing is to have a vet assess anything you think is out-of-the-norm. During the first couple of weeks of their lives, all puppies do is sleep and eat. After a couple of weeks, when their eyes and ears open, they begin to explore their surroundings.
At around 21 days, puppies start to learn about their lives as dogs. This is a time when they are learning a great deal from their mother and all of the things they learn will help them later in life.
Puppies also begin to socialize around this time with their litter mates. You can hold puppies during the first couple of weeks of their lives, but mother dogs tend to be very protective and interacting with the pups can be risky. By the third week of their lives, however, pups are ready to be handled and can begin to play. Puppies need to be fed every two hours, burped, and assisted with defecation and urination. Caring for newborn puppies as a surrogate mother is a full-time job.
They require round-the-clock feeding every two hours or so, including overnight, and need assistance with even the most of bodily functions. Only under emergency circumstances should a human stand in as a mother for newborn pups.
A mother dog, even a surrogate mother dog, is always a better option than human care. Even healthy pups should be checked out.
Any sign of illness at this age needs to be assessed by a doctor. For the first three weeks or so of their lives, puppies get all of their food from their mother. Mother dog breast milk has all the nutrients puppies need and there is usually no need to supplement.
However, if a puppy has been orphaned or needs extra nutrition, puppy formula will need to be bottle fed. Usually, this weeks after birth, although it can be a little longer for some breeds. By trying to help things along you could cause damage or infection. Usually, a puppy will open its eyes without any issues, however, if any of the following occur, you should consult your vet for advice:.
If you have an Agria Pet Insurance policy, you can access the free Pet Health Helpline, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call free on 32 19 We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website.
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