How to Care for Newborn English Bulldog Puppies

Your English Bulldog just brought a litter of puppies into the world and you may be wondering how you are going to care for these tiny tykes. Fortunately, the mother dog will likely take great care of the puppies and you won't have to intervene too much, although there are a few things you can do to assist her and to make sure the puppies are given the utmost care.

Provide a suitable environment for the mother English Bulldog and her puppies. Most likely, the mother will spend most of her time in one area, typically the spot in which she gave birth. It is your responsibility to keep the towels, sheets and other bedding clean, as the puppies will constantly eliminate on them. In addition, provide fresh food and water to the mother.

Keep the puppies warm. While most puppies will snuggle against their mothers to keep their body at the right temperature, you can help the process by keeping the whelping area nice and toasty. The PetPlace website suggests using electric bulbs to keep the area 29.4 to 32.2 degrees Celsius for the first five days of life. Then around five to 10 days, slowly reduce the temperature to 26.7 degrees C. By the fourth week, the puppies should be comfortable in 75 degree weather. Watch the mother Bulldog closely for signs of overheating. English Bulldogs are prone to becoming too hot and may vomit, become lethargic or faint as a result. If the mother starts to display any of these signs or acts differently, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Closely monitor your English Bulldog puppies' breathing. Because of their short noses, English Bulldogs are susceptible to breathing issues. Any puppy that seems to be breathing abnormally or is having difficulty should see a veterinarian immediately.

Feed the puppies mush when they are about 3 weeks old. The Doctors Foster and Smith website recommends placing 2 cups of high-quality puppy food in a blender with 369ml of puppy replacement milk. Fill the rest of the blender container with hot water. Process the mixture until it reaches the consistency of human infant cereal. Place the mush in a large pizza pie pan or other low-sided container and allow the Bulldog puppies to eat. Do this about three or four times daily. Bulldog puppies have noses that can easily become blocked with food, therefore, check the noses and clear them of any mush after every meal.

Take the English bulldog puppies to the veterinarian when they reach 6 to 8 weeks of age. The doctor will administer vaccinations, as well as worming medications. The vet will also begin examining for defects that are common in English bulldogs, such as skin problems and hip dysplasia.