Stock Up on Supplies

PAWS Chicago will provide:

• Food
• Formula/Milk replacer
• Crate
• Syringes/bottles
• Collar and leash
• Any necessary medications

You will provide:

• Food bowls: You will need two bowls—one for wet food and one for dry food. Any relatively flat saucer will work. The larger the litter, the larger the saucer should be so that no one gets crowded out. It’s important that every dog has access to his food at all times.
• Water bowl: Use ceramic, porcelain or stainless steel bowls, which are heavy and impossible to tip. Do not use plastic; it is difficult to disinfect. It’s important that every dog has access to clean water at all times.
• Scale This may not always be necessary, but it can be helpful in tracking the puppies’ weight, which should increase approximately 4 oz. per week.
• Newspapers and pee pads (optional): Keep several layers of newspapers in the bottom of the box or area where the puppies will be located. These will come in handy as the puppies begin to roam around the room. Keeping pee pads next to the door can isolate unwanted elimination to one area.
• Bedding: Old towels make the best bedding and nest for your foster puppies.
• Heating pad: Unless the nursery is at least 85° and your puppies are two weeks or older, you need to supply extra heat.
• Toys: Disposable and easily sanitized toys are a must! Good choices include Kong-brand toys stuffed with treats and edible toys.

Make Sure It’s Safe

Kittens and cats are curious, playful and often mischievous. Don’t leave anything out that your foster pet can chew, swallow or break (electrical cords, hair ties, glassware, etc.). Look for places where your foster can hide and be sure to block access to those areas.

One tip: Lie down on the floor and look at your safe space from your new foster’s point of view to ensure it’s completely safe.

Caring for Your Foster Dog

• Isolation
  Keep your foster puppies isolated from any other animals in the home unless otherwise discussed. Especially in the first two weeks of life, puppies are very vulnerable. Their hearing and vision is still not developed, and they are unable to properly control their body temperatures. Therefore, they should be contained to a nursery area. As they get older, you might be anxious to take the puppies out. But they must not walk on any surfaces (such as parks or sidewalks) where another dog may have urinated or defecated. Even if it appears clean, it may still be harboring contagious diseases. So it is imperative for puppies to stay in the home until they have been fully vaccinated. The most common symptoms of illness in a puppy are vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and lack of appetite. If your puppy exhibits any of these symptoms, please contact our Emergency Line at 773-354-6520.
• Handling
  Young children should not handle the foster puppies. Everyone should wash their hands after handling animals, fecal waste or litter boxes.
• Health checks
  It is crucial that you monitor your foster dog’s appetite, attitude, energy level and appearance every day. We encourage our foster parents to keep a log. If something seems off or different, it’s easy to go back and pinpoint when the problem began.
• Warmth
  It is very important to keep the puppies warm. A heating pad is ideal for doing this. If you are using a crate, place the heating pad under half of the crate so they can move away from the heat if they need to. Set the heating pad to medium. The more puppies in your litter, the better able they will be to keep warm by sleeping together in a heap. Small litters and singletons need help keeping warm. Singletons should also be given a stuffed fluffy toy to cuddle.
• Weighing
  We ask that you weigh your puppies at the same time each day and keep track of any gains or losses. Ideally, puppies gain 0.25-0.5 oz. per day. If your puppies are not eating or are losing weight, please contact our foster team right away. We will likely need you to bring your puppy in immediately for a medical check.
• Urinating and defecating
  During the first two to three weeks of life, puppies do not urinate or defecate on their own. In nature, this process is stimulated when the mother is cleaning them. In the absence of the mom, you will need to do the job. Stimulation should be performed every few hours (often right after feeding) by gently rubbing a warm wet paper towel on the puppy’s anus and genital area. They will eliminate into the paper towel. It is important to do this prior to feeding. Otherwise, the puppies will not eat well.
• Bottle-feeding
  Puppies need to be fed every two to four hours. We will provide the formula for feeding the puppies. It should be given at the puppies’ body temperature, about 100 degrees. Once the can is opened or the powder is reconstituted, unused formula should be kept refrigerated and discarded after 24 hours. Never give a puppy cow’s milk (or anything else besides the specified formula).
• Puppy cleaning
  A mother dog works hard to keep her puppies clean. She will constantly be grooming them thoroughly to remove anything they get into. You can use a warm, damp washcloth to clean them a bit more thoroughly. Be sure to dry the puppies well so they don’t get chilled.
• Housetraining
  Put your puppy on the pee pads as soon as he wakes up, right after eating and at least once an hour until he starts to catch on. Reward him with enthusiastic praise every time he urinates or defecates on the pad. Change the pads frequently and encourage him to use it. Note stool consistency.
• Enrichment
  All foster dogs crave playtime. We recommend at least four 20-minute play sessions spread over the course of the day. Include fetch, hide and seek and scavenger hunts. Change your foster’s environment daily by adding new objects and toys.
• Socialization
  Socialization starts the moment a puppy born. Even before his eyes and ears open, it’s important he gets used to new scents and understands that gentle handling is normal and pleasurable. Encourage affectionate behavior with food treats or play sessions. Puppies should meet new people as often as possible. Use the Socialization Checklist to ensure your puppy is being properly socialized.
• Vaccines
  Puppies will need routine visits with our veterinarians regardless of their health. They need to be vaccinated every two weeks. Please check with your foster coordinator to find out when they need to be brought in for their next vaccine.

The Feeding Process

It is best to feed the puppies one by one on a counter-top. This allows them to feed with all four feet on the counter and their heads level, much as they would if they were nursing from their mom. It is important to stimulate the puppies to eliminate prior to feeding to ensure they eat well.

Gently open a puppy's mouth with one finger and place the tip of the nipple on his tongue. If he won't eat, try stroking him. Pull lightly on the bottle to encourage vigorous sucking. Tilt the bottle up slightly to prevent the puppy from inhaling too much air. Do not force the puppy to nurse and do not allow him to nurse too fast. At this stage, he has no gag reflex.

Avoid feeding a puppy while he is cradled on his back. If the fluid goes down the wrong way, it may end up in his lungs and cause severe illness or death.

After each feeding, the puppy should be burped. Hold him against your shoulder and gently massage his back or pat it lightly.