Assessment of Vitality, Blood Profile, and Degree of Meconium Staining on the Skin in Newborn Dogs According to Its Birth Weight

Simple Summary Preventing neonatal mortality is a critical aspect of canine perinatology. Among the leading causes of mortality, a low vitality score at birth, hypothermia, hypoxia, and hypoglycemia can be mentioned. This study aimed to assess vitality, blood values, and the degree of meconium staining on newborns' skin concerning their birth weight. It is concluded that larger newborns tend to present greater problems in surviving. Neonatal mortality in dogs reaches up to 40%. Due to the high rates, promptly detecting the causes and preventing newborns from dying are extremely important. Vitality evaluation, blood parameters, and the degree of meconium staining on the skin are valuable resources in canine perinatology. In this study, 435 puppies from 85 bitches close to parturition were recruited and divided into four quartiles according to the puppy's birth weight: Q(1) (127-200 g) n = 110 puppies, Q(2) (201-269 g) n = 108 puppies, Q(3) (270-388 g) n = 108 puppies, and Q(4) (389-464 g) n = 109 puppies. This experimental article aimed to report the effect of birth weight on the blood profile variables, the vitality of newborn puppies, and the meconium staining degree, integrating these three aspects. It was concluded that the weight of newborns was correlated with the degree of meconium staining, presenting more cases of severe meconium staining in the puppies of the highest birth weight group. The weight of the newborns was correlated with a higher number of stillbirths and alterations in the blood variables, showing the most severe cases of metabolic acidosis, hypoxia, and hypoglycemia in the puppies of the Q(4) quartile. On the contrary, no statistically significant correlations were found between the weight of newborns and vitality. Nevertheless, the analysis of the results showed that the most vigorous puppies were found at Q(1;) however, at minute 60 after birth (AB), all the puppies in the four quartiles standardized their vitality scores.