[header] How to keep orphaned newborn puppies clean [title] Remove the amniotic membrane. [step] In the event of the mother dog's death or absence, she will not be able to perform several crucial actions at the time of delivery. This first of these is to remove the amniotic membrane, or the clear sac that the puppies are born in. 
It is necessary to remove this immediately in order for the pups to breathe. Simply break this membrane with your fingers, and slide the puppies out.