Like us humans, puppies deserve tender love and care. They need a clean home to live in, sufficient food to sustain them, and people who will treat them properly. At Daisy Teacup Poodles in Miami, Florida, I educate puppy buyers about proper dog care.

Take note of the following supplies that you need before you take one of my babies home:

My small toys and teacups have been brought up with love and care. I am concerned with their adjustment to their new home. To help them acclimate faster for at least the first few weeks, please follow few simple tips.

One of the most important things your new puppy needs is a place to call his own. Whether it be a baby playpen, a large box, a small area partitioned in a washroom, or a dog pen, it should be large enough to hold a little bed and a small dish of food and water.

The area should also have enough room left to be able to relieve them if necessary. Puppies need a place where he or she can eat, drink, and sleep without interference. This is especially important when you first receive your puppy. Remember, puppies also need rest.

Confining them is necessary for their health and safety. It is also great to know that when you will be gone for the day, your pup is in a safe place.

The only safe prescription flea treatment I have found for teacups and tiny toys is Frontline Plus, which should be applied between the shoulder blades once a month. I have safely used this on teacups, pregnant dogs, and young puppies.

You may also use any flea shampoo that is labeled safe for young puppies and cats. I do not recommend using any other prescription or nonprescription treatments, such as flea sprays or dips, on tiny dogs.

When sending your teacup to the groomer, request that they don’t use flea products or dips of any kind. Flea dips and most sprays are deadly poisons. While larger dogs can tolerate them, they are too strong for such small dogs to handle. Many teacups have died from being dipped or exposed to these products.

Your Baby is currently being fed wellness core puppy and wellness Just for Puppy wet food. Puppies need to eat several small meals a day. The night feeding is the most important make sure that the puppy eats before you go to bed. Always have food and water available for your pup at all times. A teacup is so small that it burns up a lot of calories just moving around, so they need to replace these calories more often than a regular size puppy. They must have plenty of food to replenish this spent energy. I suggest soaking the wellness dry food in water let it sit for 30 minutes until the food becomes soft to feed. You can mix the soft dry food with a teaspoon of the Just for Puppy wet can food and feed once or twice a day. Leave the soft dry food out for the puppy all day. I do not recommend feeding wet food for a prolonged time period as it tends to damage the teeth. 

Make sure that your new pup is put in their little territory several times a day and is allowed to eat and drink freely. I also recommend giving a one-inch strip of Nutri-Cal two to three times a day for the first two weeks.

Also, if they have been playing hard or have been handled a lot, always give your puppies a tiny bit of Nutri-Cal before letting them retire in their playpen.

A small sample of food will be provided with your puppy. Keep the puppy on the same food for the first couple of days and gradually mix in whatever new food you will be giving. This is important so that there are not too many changes at once. This also helps keep the pup from getting diarrhea.

Any good-quality food, such as Wellness Complete Health small breed , is recommended. Even though it may cost a little more, it is worth it as it makes for a healthier, happier puppy. Canned food should never be given by itself as it causes diarrhea. The only exception to this is Wellness  Wellness Puppy, or other good-quality canned foods.

Keep in mind that the more often you feed canned food, the more they'll want and then it may be hard to get them back on dry food. For small dogs, the dry food is needed to help control tartar buildup on their teeth. Raw beef marrow bones are very good for keeping teeth clean, too.

In addition, a half of a teaspoon of vanilla-flavored yogurt once or twice a day for the first week or two is great to keep your pup from getting an upset stomach due to stress. The live lactobacillus in yogurt coats the intestines with good bacteria and is great for preventing some bacterial infections and illnesses.

Teacups or tiny toys can be subject to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) which happens when a puppy doesn‘t eat enough food to supply their body with the energy it needs. This usually happens if it doesn’t eat for some reason.

If your puppy has trouble walking, falls over, or lays unresponsive, immediately give Nutra-Cal, honey, karo syrup, sugar water, pancake syrup, or any other high-sugar content food. This is usually due to a drop in blood sugar as an effect of overactivity without eating.

Your puppy should show improvement within 10 minutes. Afterward, make sure your puppy eats a soft small meal (preferably containing protein like canned Wellness Puppy dog or straight meat baby food).

While hypoglycemia is easily treated if caught early enough, it can be fatal if not caught in time. The best way to treat hypoglycemia is not to let it happen by making sure that your puppy has food and water at all times within easy reach.

Remember that every minute counts. If you find your puppy lying on its side in a comatose state, and they require immediate vet care, always place a bit of honey on your dog’s tongue before leaving for the vet’s office. It could mean the difference between life and death for your puppy.