Caring for a rescue puppy
Puppies die from small mistakes. Warmth, feeding, worms, vaccination and sleep are the five things that matter in the first weeks.
Warmth before food, always
A puppy cannot regulate its own temperature well. A cold puppy will not digest food and can fade within hours. Use a covered box, blankets, and a warm water bottle wrapped in cloth, changed regularly.
Never put a puppy directly against a heater or hot water bottle without a cloth barrier.
Feeding by age
Under four weeks, a puppy needs a commercial puppy milk replacer, never cow's milk, fed by bottle at the intervals on the pack. From four weeks, soften puppy food with warm water into a mash and offer it several times a day.
From eight weeks, four small meals a day of puppy food. A puppy's stomach is small; one large meal causes vomiting and bloat.
Worms, ticks and the first vet visit
Assume worms. A vet will weigh the puppy and give an age-appropriate dewormer, then a schedule. Ticks are removed properly, not pulled and squeezed with fingers.
Vaccination starts around six to eight weeks depending on the vet's assessment. A puppy with diarrhoea or fever waits until stable.
Sleep and socialisation
Puppies sleep up to twenty hours a day. A puppy that is constantly handled by visitors is a puppy that never rests, and rest is when it grows.
Socialisation means calm exposure, not a party. Between three and sixteen weeks, introduce different floor surfaces, sounds, and gentle handling for a few minutes at a time.
The three emergencies
Diarrhoea in a puppy, especially with vomiting, dehydrates fast and can kill within a day. Refusing food for more than twelve hours is a warning. A puppy that is suddenly limp, cold or unresponsive needs a vet now, not in the morning.
Keep the vet number where you can find it at 2am.
General guidance for street dogs in India, written for volunteers and residents. It is not a diagnosis and does not replace a veterinarian who can examine the animal.
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