New here and need help/3 week old GSD

[MrsNnr]

I have a 3 week old German Shepherd, Father was a long hair and Mother a short hair. The Mother of the puppy abandoned it when it was two weeks old. I would like this puppy to have a chance at a good life. I am taking him to the vet in a couple of days, until then do you have any advice/tips/or experience? TIA

[WarrantsWifey]

What is your food regime for this pup?! How often and what are you feeding it??

[MrsNnr]

4x a day wet mixed with dry Merrick's Puppy food. Also milk replacement.

[sagelfn]

Hopefullly a breeder will be on this soon.

Here's all I can offer Developmental Stages

Here are 2 threads on raising singleton pups with lots of helpful info
So you want to be a breeder???

Please tell me what to do - only one lived

[WarrantsWifey]

Do you have a warm area set up for the puppy, since the puppy can't regulate it's own tempature, it needs a warming area, like a hanging heating lamp on one side of the sleeping area or if no lamp is an option, I've heard of a heating pad on one side of the bed... The sleeping area should be kept around 80 degrees.

At 3 weeks, the puppy should still be on the bottle and fed in an upright position. Every four hours is about how often the puppy should eat. Mush between meals is good for the pup. I don't know the right ratio or how to make it, somebody should have better advice on that. Make sure to rub the puppies back to encourage burping, kinda like babies, but stick to rubbing, kinda like how the momma would lick their back....

Speaking of licking, your gonna be responsible for cleaning the puppy. Wipe the puppy's anus and genitals with a cotton ball moistened with warm water to imitate the sensation of the mother's licking after every meal, this will stimulate his peeing and pooping.

And last but not least, love, loads of it.

If your doing most of this great!! Hope some other people have stuff that I have missed!

[MrsNnr]

Thank you so much. As for the cleaning of the genitals to stimulate how long do we need to do this for? He is already peeing and pooping on his own. Several times a day.

[WarrantsWifey]

If the pup is pooping and peeing on it's own, GREAT! Make sure you designate a pooping/peeing area SEPARATE from where you feed the pup. Just keep up with cleaning it's area for now..... I'm not sure how long until they can start managing on taking care of that chore. Maybe Camspack will chime in on this thread....

[MrsNnr]

Thanks for all your help. We just got him yesterday. Last night I put him in a crate with a blanket and the other half newspaper at about 10pm. He did not go in his area at all until being let out at 6am, he also did not whine at all like I expected to him if he had to go-we kept him in our room.

[WarrantsWifey]

So for background purposes, can you explain how you came to get this puppy? Since you just got him last night??

Please, stick around. Have thick skin, there are going to be some critics here, but you are going to get the BEST info for the pup HERE.

[JakodaCD OA]

I don't think anyone would criticize someone for taking a 3 week old puppy because it's mother has abandoned it

good that he is pottying on his own, I've fostered kittens younger than this, (which I think are easier than puppies)

Carmen gave some great advice to someone who also in your predicament, let me see if I can find her suggestions ...