Signs for Telling if a Newborn Puppy is Dying
Puppies who die soon after birth are frequently called “fading puppies.” There may be a known cause, but approximately 55% of puppies who are lost to this condition have no identifiable cause, so telling if a newborn puppy is dying is not always straightforward. There are four main causes of newborn puppy death.
These four factors are all intertwined; without managing one factor correctly, you will struggle to manage the others. The four problems to be aware of are low body temperature, dehydration, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and missing the “golden window” of colostrum intake.
Your newborn puppy is vulnerable to hypothermia. They rely on warmth provided by their mother in order to maintain their body temperature and should stay close during the first few days of life. However, if your puppy is struggling with fading puppy syndrome, they may separate themselves from their mother and littermates. This puts them at risk of hypothermia.
Rectal temperatures below 94°F are life-threatening for newborn puppies. A hypothermic puppy might feel cold to the touch and be lethargic. If your puppy is showing clear signs of hypothermia, it’s imperative that you act quickly. A healthy newborn pup can survive hypothermia if they are re-warmed gradually. It’s important to note that rapidly re-warming a puppy can result in death.
It is vital that your newborn puppy consumes enough milk during the first few days of life. One of the most common signs of fading puppy syndrome is the inability to suckle. If your newborn puppy is unable to suckle, they will quickly become dehydrated and malnourished. To add to this, puppies are unable to regulate their glucose, so prolonged intervals between feedings leave them at risk of hypoglycemia. Not only does this put them at greater risk of dehydration, but it complicates hypothermia as well. Having less water in your system hinders your body’s ability to regulate its own temperature, and for a puppy who can’t regulate it themselves already, this can be fatal.
A dehydrated newborn puppy will have a dry mouth and sticky saliva. Their skin may also lose elasticity. In hydrated puppies, the skin quickly springs back into its original shape when pinched. When a puppy is dehydrated, the opposite happens. If your newborn puppy is dehydrated, use a small bottle or eyedropper to offer fluids every two hours. You can use a milk replacer or sugar water to do this.
Hypoglycemia is also known as having low blood sugar. Because puppies have limited fat reserves, cannot fully regulate their glucose, and have a high requirement for glucose, they are very vulnerable to hypoglycemia. A puppy’s glycogen reserves are quickly depleted after birth, leaving a newborn puppy in need of an early intake of nutrients. Unfortunately, this means that failure to nurse can lead to hypoglycemia by the time a puppy is just two days old. In addition, it is important to note that, if too hot or cold, a puppy cannot digest their food properly. This can also quickly lead to hypoglycemia.
Signs of hypoglycemia in puppies include loss of appetite, lethargy, trembling, weakness, and seizures. Your puppy may also have discolored gums and skin. Responsible breeders should proactively look for any signs of hypoglycemia in their litters. Death can occur within a few hours if hypoglycemia is severe. Getting enough sugar into your puppy is the only way to help a puppy in this state. You will need to give a dropper of sugar water every 15 to 20 minutes. Boil three tablespoons of water to one tablespoon of sugar and ensure that the mixture is warm, not cold.
Colostrum is the milk that a bitch produces in the first few hours of whelping. This milk passes maternal antibodies to the litter. If consumed in time, the puppies will benefit from better immunity to a range of diseases. The flip side to this is that there is a time limit. Your newborn puppy’s intestinal walls will become unable to absorb colostrum within 12 hours. So, if your newborn puppy fails to nurse within this time frame, you will need to take action fast.
In 2014, Royal Canin studied the correlation between neonatal death rate and the number of antibodies the puppies had at two days old. Low antibody levels at this age are very strongly correlated with early death. This is because low antibody levels leave them vulnerable to routine viruses and bacteria to which puppies are exposed to in the birth canal or after birth. The most common culprits are E. Coli, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and Herpesvirus.
Can a Puppy Survive the Fading Puppy Syndrome?
Whether a puppy survives this syndrome or not ultimately depends on the underlying causes and how quickly the causes are dealt with. Death due to hypoglycemia, dehydration, or hypothermia can occur very quickly. Fortunately, these problems can sometimes be treated if caught early, so telling if a newborn puppy is dying is crucial. If your puppy’s condition further declines, you can’t pinpoint the cause for their sickness, or you are not confident to treat them at home, make sure that you call your vet as soon as possible. Some cases of fading puppy syndrome are caused by infections that require antibiotic treatment from a vet.
Unfortunately, some cases of fading puppy syndrome are not preventable or treatable. Poor mothering, inadequate lactation, congenital abnormalities, and even low birth weight can all leave a puppy vulnerable to fading puppy syndrome. It is not uncommon for puppies to be unresponsive to veterinary treatment, especially in cases where there is no obvious cause for the puppy’s decline.
When are puppies safe from dying?
Fading puppy syndrome affects puppies under the age of 12 weeks. These puppies, known as ”faders,” basically fail to thrive and are unable to survive. According to Petplace, about 20 to 40% of all puppies do not survive past 12 weeks of age!
Cause of a puppy early sudden death – about Fading Puppy Syndrome you need to know
The clinical signs are vague. It is often too late 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 (the ‘runt’ of the litter), decreased activity and inability to suckle.