Neonatal hypoglycemia in dogs-pathophysiology, risk factors, diagnosis and treatment.

Hypoglycemia is the most common metabolic alteration in the clinical routine of newborn dogs, acting as a predictor of mortality in these patients. The neonatal dog shows hepatic insufficiency and homeostatic mechanisms not yet fully developed, with limited glycogen reserves and limited capacity to perform glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis. These physiological particularities make newborn dogs particularly susceptible to hypoglycemia when of fasting, even for short periods. Several maternal and neonatal factors may be related to a higher risk of developing hypoglycemia in neonates. This paper reviews glycemic homeostasis, the pathophysiology of neonatal hypoglycemia, the main causes involved and the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to this condition.

Topics on maternal, fetal and neonatal immunology of dogs and cats.

Birth and the first few weeks of age are critical periods of developing the immune system of puppies and kittens and adapting to an environment containing a variety of infectious agents. The survival rate during these periods depends mainly on the newborn's immune capacity to prevent and combat infections. Although most components of innate and adaptive immunity are present at birth, responses are slow and immature compared to adults. Due to immunological immaturity and the endotheliochorial placental structure, circulating concentrations of immunoglobulins in dogs and cats at birth are quite low. Thus, newborns need a prompt and immediate immune response, which is essentially provided by defense cells and maternal antibodies via colostrum. Failure to ingest colostrum is correlated with high mortality rates in the neonatal period. Concurrently, factors related to pregnant, such as pregnancy physiological immunosuppression and nutritional and health states, can directly influence newborn immunity and health. Therefore, understanding the maternal and neonatal immunological aspects, importance of colostrum, risk factors for failure to transfer passive immunity and colostrum substitute strategies are essential to ensure the survival of the litter.

Two Types of Management for the Noninvasive Treatment of Pectus Excavatum in Neonatal Puppies-Case Reports.

Pectus excavatum is a deformity of the thorax characterized by ventrodorsal narrowing of the sternum bone and costal cartilages, which can lead to compression and cardiopulmonary alterations in dogs, presenting a high prevalence in brachycephalic breeds. The aim of this report was to describe two types of management for the noninvasive treatment of pectus excavatum in newborn puppies of the breeds French Bulldog and American Bully. The puppies presented dyspnea, cyanosis and substernal retraction during inspiration. The diagnosis was performed by physical examination and confirmed by chest X-ray. Two types of splints were performed (a circular splint with plastic pipe and a paper box splint on the chest), aiming at thoracic lateral compression and frontal chest remodeling. The management was effective for the conservative treatment of mild-grade pectus excavatum, resulting in the repositioning of the thorax and improvement of the respiratory pattern.