Patterns and causes of pediatric mortality in canine neonates presented to veterinary hospitals in Hyderabad

The present study analysed the pattern and causes of mortality in canine paediatric age groups presented to two veterinary hospitals in Hyderabad from January 2020 to July 2022. A total of 45,680 dogs of different breeds, ages and sexes were presented, of which 4064 puppies up to 12 weeks of age were examined. The puppies were classified as neonatal (birth to 2 weeks), infant (2-6 weeks) and paediatric (6-12 weeks). Among 601 newborn pups, 91 pups died during the whelping process with a mortality rate of 15.14%. The major causes of mortality at birth included stillbirths, anasarca, traumatic insults, congenital malformations and aspiration pneumonia. Neonatal mortality (birth-2 weeks) was 18.14%, including 3% losses due to respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Infant stage mortality (2-6 weeks) was mainly due to hypoglycaemia, enteritis, hypothermia and worm burden. In the paediatric stage (6-12 weeks), worm burden and gastroenteritis were the leading causes of mortality. The results indicate that a majority of deaths occur in the neonatal period and are linked to periparturient and immediate postnatal causes, highlighting the importance of timely intervention, neonatal monitoring, immediate postpartum veterinary support and preventive deworming strategies.