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POSTNATAL DEATHS IN PUPPIES 

(Fading Puppy Syndrome)

Note for Pet Owners:

This information is provided by Provet for educational purposes only.

You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

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Description
Puppies that are born alive sometimes do not thrive, lose weight and die (usually within 3-5 days) despite every effort to save them


Cause

There are numerous possible (known) causes of postnatal death, including :

  • Congenital defects
  • Difficulty at the time of birth resulting in poor oxygenation
  • Immune deficiency
  • Infectious agents - bacteria (usually secondary invaders), parasites or viruses (account for about 20%) eg distemper virus, herpesvirus, canine parvovirus type 1.
  • Maternal illnesses
  • Neglect by the mother
  • Poor husbandry of the parents
  • Poor maternal nutrition
  • Trauma

These account for about 45% of all deaths, and generally they survive a few days longer (more than 7 days) than true "fading puppies".

The other 55% of puppy deaths during this period are due to unknown cause - and these are called "fading puppies". One study found that these puppies had lower phosphatidylcholine in their lung surfactant than puppies that died during the same period of known causes.  This may induce poor oxygenation (hypoxia) and suppress normal feeding reflexes.


Breed Occurrence
There is no reported breed prevalence


Signs

Postnatal signs of fading puppy syndrome include :

  • Normal or lower than normal birth weight
  • Poor weight gain
  • Weight loss
  • Poor sucking reflex
  • Crying a lot
  • Dehydration
  • Depression
  • Hypothermia
  • Weakness
  • Death

Complications
It is important to examine the parents for clinical or subclinical illness. A poor appetite or inability to feed properly needs to be overcome with assisted feeding.


Diagnosis

Diagnosis is based upon the clinical presentation and history.

In fading puppy syndrome no lesions are found at post-mortem examination.that confirm the cause. The gastrointestinal tract is usually empty.

Whole blood cultures may be helpful to identify an infectious agent.

Post-mortem examination should be performed as soon as possible on puppies that die, to try and identify an underlying cause.


Treatment

Colostrum is important to confer shrt-term passive immunity to the puppy. Food intake must be maintained and body temperature kept within the normal range by using heat lamps, warm bedding etc. Adequate water intake must be maintained to prevent dehydration, and if necessary parenteral fluids should be administered. Perineal stimulation is needed to encourage urination and defaecation.

If an underlying cause is identified this should be treated, eg antibiotics if a bacterial infection is present. Antibiotics are also useful to prevent secondary infections in debilitated puppies.

In critical cases oxygen should be administered (via a tracheal catheter if necessary) as well as fluids (lactated Ringer's solution with potassium  (20mmol/L) by intravenous, intraperioneal or intraosseous (proximal femur) routes) and antibiotics.

Other treatments that may be indicated depending upon clinical signs include :

  • Doxapram - if the puppy has breathing difficulties
  • Vitamin K - if the puppy has blood clotting problems

Prognosis

The prognosis is poor, and many pupies will die despite the efforts made to save them


Long term problems

Regular preventative treatments for parasites and vaccinations should be instituted in breeding kennels in an attempt to eliminate parasites and the common viruses as causes of this syndrome.

 

Updated October 2013

 

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