It has been brought to my attention that I should give a definition of the word “pediatrics” (or “paediatrics”), relative to veterinary medicine. Well, since this “PET CARE” column’s objective is also to educate, let me try to give an easy-to-understand explanation as to what the term means. The simplest definition would be “a branch of medicine that deals with the young (child) – its development, care, disease and ailments”. This definition might have been constructed for humans, but now it has expanded to incorporate the young of many (all?) other species, including amphibians, birds, reptiles, and all mammals. Scientists/veterinarians usually place a more descriptive word before “pediatrics”, so that one can easily identify that which we are specifically discussing: for example, canine pediatrics (puppies), feline pediatrics (kittens), etc. Also, some reference books document the period of pediatric study as being from birth to two weeks of age. For me, this two-week period should be defined as neonates (= newborn), while “pediatrics” would include the span up to six months of age. 
I hope that the paragraph above satisfied this thirst for knowledge of those persons who queried the meaning of the term “Pet Pediatrics”. We can now continue with trying to answer the equally important questions associated with the care of young pups and kittens. I have selected to the deal with the following question because it is by far the most Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) with which I have been confronted while practicing in many countries all over the world.
That question is:
WHY DO NEWBORN PUPPIES DIE?
Answer:
There is not just one definitive answer – especially since young animal deaths relate to the environment, social strata, geography, education/knowledge of the caregiver, etc. Textbooks emanating from the USA and Western Europe document that 30% of puppies die between birth and weaning. I do believe that such a figure would be much higher, especially if the (unknown) quantum of stray-dog puppy deaths are factored into the equation. Of the young pups/kittens who die before weaning, I am fairly sure that a large percentage would die within two weeks of birth.
Among the most prominent causes of puppy/kitten deaths would be:
Insufficient pre-, peri- and post-partum preparation
The caregiver may not have prepared the mother dog/cat adequately for pregnancy and delivery of the puppies/kittens. This deficient preparation would include mostly (but not only) poor nutrition of the mother during pregnancy, and during the period just before and especially immediately after delivery of her offspring. (See Pet Care articles of July 12, 19 and 26, 2020).
The inadequate mother – pup/kitten
See Pet Care advice given on August 9 and 16, 2020.
Traumatic Events
Some deaths are attributable to traumatic events that unfold just after the birthing of puppies and kittens. Tom cats are notorious for seeking out the kittens and killing them. Even the mother (often, but not only a first-time mother) might neglect/kill the runts of the litter. (Nature’s way of ensuring the survival of the fittest?) Sometimes, a mother would kill all of her offspring, and may even eat them, even if she had successfully nurtured previous litters. It is logical that maternal neglect will impact greatly on the pups’/kittens’ ability to survive.
Inadequate Milk Supply
Of course, if the mother’s milk supply is, for whatever reason, compromised, then that does not augur well for the newborn pups and kittens.
Birth Defect
Clearly, any birth defect (especially those which make suckling difficult or impossible) will lead to an early death. We shall deal with such specific newborn puppies’ deficiencies in a later Pet Care column.
Incest
Later on, I shall be giving answers to questions associated with inbreeding and the unscrupulous “breeders” who perpetuate abominable cruelty to the mother-dogs at puppy farms. This is an illegal exercise, but I dare say not easy to prosecute. Puppies/kittens whose parents are intimately related (genetically), do not fare well – especially if they are “ strays”. On the highways and by-ways, and in rural and urban Guyana, bitches and cats mate with their sons and fathers and brothers. The oft ensuing deformities in the offspring are heart-rending. Some of the deformities are quite evident in the offspring – hernias, great defects in the jaws, cleft palates (harelips), twisted extremities, etc. These are the physical defects that are visible to us. However, there are other consequences of inbreeding which are invisible, which the vet will be able to determine at various stages in the animal’s growth. A hole in the heart, a rudimentary kidney, sub-optimal liver function, blood-clotting disorder, are some of the manifestations of inbreeding. Actually, inbreeding may be the cause of mysterious, unexplained deaths – perhaps similar to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) in human babies.
Diseases
Many pups/kittens also die from bacterial, viral diseases such as infections which have found their way, via the umbilical cord, into the abdominal cavity, because the mother’s teeth were infected when she severed the navel string (umbilical cord) during delivery. (See Pet Care column of August 9, 2020)
Heavy Worm Burden
Pregnant dogs should be dewormed (never vaccinated) during pregnancy. Worms from the pregnant dog can get into the puppies while they are still in their mother’s womb. In other words, pups can be born with a worm infestation. They will not fare well.
Next week, we shall continue to identify some more specific problems associated with the early death of newborn/young puppies and kittens.
Enjoy the week.
