What sow research teaches dog and cat breeders about maternal probiotics, colostrum, and the first 24 hours after whelping or queening.
Category: Blog
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.
Probiotics for Newborn Puppies and Kittens: Lessons from Human Neonatal Medicine
Human NICU probiotic medicine has matured around one transformation: pick the strain, not the category. Same genus, different strain, very different result. Here is what the 2023 European position paper and the 2023 FDA alert could mean for puppies and kittens, eventually.
How Do You Set Up a Whelping Box That Actually Protects Newborn Puppies and Kittens?
The 5-point whelping box audit every breeder should run before a litter. Why most setups fail on system design, not equipment.
Prenatal Stress in Dogs: Why the Last 6 Weeks of Pregnancy Are Doing More Than We Thought
Two 2025 canine studies show the last 6 to 8 weeks before whelping are not waiting time. They are an active programming window. The dam's chronic stress load in this period leaves a measurable signal in her puppies. Here is what to do with that, in real kennel practice.
When Queens Struggle to Deliver: A Breeder’s Guide to Recognizing Dystocia Early
Feline dystocia kills 40 to 44 percent of kittens in affected litters. The 2-hour rule, the 30-minute pushing rule, and the dark brown-black discharge before a kitten are your three non-negotiable triggers to call your vet. Observe, time, transport.
How Do I Prevent Neonatal Isoerythrolysis in Kittens?
Neonatal isoerythrolysis kills kittens when a Type B queen's colostrum antibodies destroy Type A kittens' red blood cells. Blood typing before mating and 24-hour colostrum management prevent it entirely.
DR. EMMANUEL FONTAINE 