15. The Care and Feeding of the Cub
The Wolf and over 1/2 hybrid must have about a pound of good meat each
day, preferably horse meat and with a good dry dog food (I recommend
Waynes Pro Mix, which is modified a bit for a meat and gut animal, Puppy
O’s, till 6 months).
[Ed.: Currently, Eukanuba is probably the best dry food to use; high protein,
sufficient fat, and no soy; soy causes diarrhea in wolves.]
I recommend taking a pure bred litter at no later than 17 days, no
earlier than 14 days unless absolutely necessary, and feeding them 5
times each day a mixture of Gerbers Baby Food pure strained meat (ours
seem to prefer ham or veal) mixed with oatmeal gruel, about 1/2 and 1/2,
with a bit of brown sugar blended in, and fed at 75 to 80 degrees.
Then, after they are eating well for about 5 to 7 days, begin
introducing a bit of soaked Puppy O’s and mixing it with processed and
canned horse meat, but not too fast, intending to be converted to the
latter by two weeks to 17 days after adoption [4 to 5 weeks old].
Soon one can be feeding them 3 times daily and stay with Puppy O’s and
1/3 horse meat, with some reconstituted, non-fat dry milk mixed in with
it. By 6 weeks of age the little guys will be nibbling some self fed
Puppy O’s and you can be feeding the horse meat from a spoon, twice a
day — early morning and late evening is preferable.
[Ed.: The above section is outdated. See note on
cubs.]
Cubs should get a DM shot and a Parvo vaccine shot at about 4 weeks or 2
to 3 weeks after being taken from the mother, NO MORE shots until 16
weeks of age, and NEVER a hepatitis shot as this has tendency to congeal
the reflective beads in this nocturnally sighted, primitive eye and
cause damage if not blindness in many cases.
[Ed.: These warnings aren’t applicable in the 90s, except hepatitis shot
which is sometimes still a problem with pure animals.]
Do not ever use TASK as a wormer. Even dogs fall over and never get up
from this wormer. I personally use Piperazine for rounds and Dnp for
hooks, but now I am trying a drug called Thenatol which seems to be good
and takes care of hooks, rounds, and tape worms, but is just a bit
difficult to use with real small cubs.
[Ed.: Pyrantel Pamoate aka Strongid-T is probably the safest canine wormer
in the 90s, almost universally used by veterinarians.]
Check a combined sample of feces for worm eggs as soon as possible after
taking cubs and treat immediately. Just because they are negative at
that time, don’t quit. Check them again in a couple of weeks as there
could be eggs in the litter or in an individual or two that were fetus
induced and will hatch. Don’t just worm automatically; all wormers are
toxic, especially to young animals — if not necessary don’t do it.
Cubs should be housed in cribs while young, and until 5 weeks should be
on 1/2 inch hardware cloth metal with 1 inch chicken wire sides, 2 feet
high, with a 4 to 5 inch cup in at the top to keep them from climbing
out. Absorbent material under the crib will take care of the urine and
feces till 4 to 5 weeks of age.
One must be careful to avoid frightening the little fellows, especially
until they are fully bonded with the entire human family. Do not walk
up to their crib rapidly, neither sneak up to it. Get them used to a
silly little phrase that identifies you as you approach. “Hi there you
little rascals. Hello little guys, how the hell are you?” in a natural
and consistent voice.
As strangers are introduced, use the same procedure as the visitors
approach. Do not isolate the cubs, either Wolf or hybrid. Get as many
children as feasible to visit them. Allow them to pet the cubs under
close supervision. Soon one can have even pure bred Wolf cubs that
trust everyone, which is the only way to raise them.
In a kenneled situation, and if not programmed as I dictate, the animal
will become kennel shy and distrustful of every new visitor. The
warning snort or bark of an older animal will cause them to retire to
the farthest corner of their pens and watch carefully. But, if you have
programmed, yes I said PROGRAMMED, the cubs as I have told you, they can
be just as friendly and gentle with new people as ANY dog.
Remember that the cubs should not be introduced to the main pack until
fully bonded and socialized. This takes from 5 to 8 months, to
completely psychologically bond and program (IMPRINT) them.