Neonatal Deaths in Pups
Richa Chourasia
PhD scholar, Department of Veterinary Surgery & Radiology, CVAS, RAJUVAS, Bikaner
(Email: chourasiaricha.27@gmail.com )
Early neonatal deaths or fading puppy syndrome is a very common problem in pups. It constitutes about 50% of deaths in pups. In this puppies are born apparently healthy but they gradually start dying before they reach the age of 14 days. Death can occur even with a healthy dam.
Causes:
All the causes can be divided into environmental, genetic and infectious causes.
Environmental:
Neonatal body temperature varies with the environmental for the first few days after birth. They are unable to regulate their body temperature efficiently on their own. Neonates if too cold they are unable to digest their food or nurse properly. With hypothermia their heart rate decreases and their circulatory and respiratory system collapses. Hyperthermia is less common but can occur in hot climate or with excessive supplemental heat.
Some maternal factors like age, body weight of dam are also one of few causes. Negligence of dam to feed, nurse, warms the pups and clumsily crushing the pups can be the maternal cause. Environmental toxins like chemical fumes, pine oils, phenols, bleach or quaternary ammonium compounds can absorb through the skin of pups and lead to toxicity.
Genetic or Congenital Factors:
Abnormalities of mouth, anus, skull, heart, swimmer puppies, pectus excavatum, and lower body weight in pups denote poor nourishment which can also lead to neonatal deaths.
Infectious causes:
Certain bacterial or viral infection, intestinal parasites like roundworm or hookworm and icterus neonatorum that the pups gain from the environment or through placenta is a potential cause of neonatal death.
Clinical Signs:
The clinical signs are vague and insidious. It is often too difficult to save a puppy once clinical signs are apparent. The common findings are a low birth weight or failure to gain weight at the same rate as their siblings, decreased activity and inability to suckle. These puppies have a tendency to remain separate from the mother and the rest of the litter. They are often reported to cry weakly in a high pitched tone as “seagulling”. Such puppies often quickly progresses to severe lethargy, loss of muscle tone and death.
Prevention:
- Puppies should be maintained in adequate temperature of 103 to 105⁰
- Check the feeding status of pups regularly.
- Take proper care of pups with low body weight.
- Vaccinate and deworm the dam prior to the whelping.
- Feed the colostrum to the pups with in first 12-24 hours of birth.
- Health status of bitch should be checked regularly.
- Provide special care to weak, sick and pups with deformities
- https://www.pashudhanpraharee.com/fading-puppy-syndrome-early-death-in-dogs-prevention-and-treatment/
- https://www.vin.com/apputil/content/defaultadv1.aspx?id=3862917&pid=11254&print=1
