Two 2026 studies show that a birth leaves clues long before the first contraction, and heavier mothers had fewer newborns born alive. Here is the five-clue read for dog and cat breeders: the scale, the history, the scan, the room and the clock.
Category: Blog
Whelping Checklist: What Should You Have Ready Before the Puppies Arrive?
Two out of three bitches give birth in the middle of the night. A repro vet's whelping checklist: 10 things ready before her due date, in three waves, from the ovulation-based due date to the red lines card you tape to the whelping box.
Should Newborn Puppies and Kittens Get Antibiotics Just in Case?
An antibiotic given just in case can disturb a newborn's gut and drive resistance. Where infections in newborn puppies and kittens really start, the four signals that catch trouble early, and the 5 questions to ask your vet first.
Watch the Mother, Not Just the Milk: Five Body Condition Checkpoints in Dogs and Cats
Milk supply is a late signal. Her weight, her body condition and her muscle change first. Five checkpoints across the cycle, three signals at each one, and the two practical triggers I use to decide when watching a trend becomes calling the vet.
How Do You Watch a Postpartum Dam’s Recovery in the First Three Weeks?
The first three weeks after whelping are when metritis, mastitis, and eclampsia tend to show up. Here is how to watch a postpartum dam's recovery day by day, what counts as normal, and the trends that tell you when to call your vet.
What Sows Teach Breeders About Maternal Probiotics and Colostrum
What sow research teaches dog and cat breeders about maternal probiotics, colostrum, and the first 24 hours after whelping or queening.
What Does Prolonged Labor Do to the Placenta and the Puppies?
A 2026 study quantified what every hour of stalled labor costs the placenta and the litter. Here is what happens inside the uterus when whelping pauses—and the thresholds that tell you when to call.
Maternal Supplementation in Pregnant Dogs: Where Live Yeast Fits and How to Use It
Maternal supplementation in pregnant dogs is not new. Folic acid, omega-3, and antioxidants already form the prenatal stack. A 2024 dog-specific trial shows live yeast (S. boulardii CNCM I-1079) earns its place too: richer colostrum, fewer underweight puppies, and a softer first vaccine response.
Puppy Gut Health: Starting Right (2026 Update)
The first 21 days decide more about a puppy's gut than the next 21 months. New canine microbiome research from 2023 to 2026 reframes maternal seeding, birth-weight tracking, weaning diet, and antibiotic stewardship into specific actions every breeder can take at the whelping box.
Colostrum Secrets: Boosting Puppy and Kitten Immunity
A puppy or kitten is born almost agammaglobulinemic. Ninety percent of immune cover arrives through colostrum in the first 24 hours, with peak absorption at 4 hours and the gut mostly closed by 12 to 16. New science on microbiome seeding, S. boulardii CNCM I-1079, and the action ladder for a neonate who cannot suckle.
