Title: Fading puppy syndrome

{{short description|Unhealthy young dogs}}
'''Fading puppy syndrome''' (or '''fading puppy complex''') is when a [[puppy]] dies within the first few weeks of life without a clear cause of death or clinical signs, that is to say, they [[fail to thrive]].&lt;ref name=&quot;:0&quot;&gt;{{Cite journal|last=Blunden|first=Tony|date=2012|title=Fading puppies – reality or myth?|url=https://doi.org/10.1136/inp.e4125|journal=In Practice|language=en|volume=34|issue=6|pages=314–321|doi=10.1136/inp.e4125|s2cid=76077091|issn=0263-841X|url-access=subscription}}&lt;/ref&gt; Death usually occurs within the first five days of life,&lt;ref name=&quot;:1&quot;&gt;{{Cite journal|last1=Blunden|first1=A. S.|last2=Hill|first2=C. M.|last3=Brown|first3=B. D.|last4=Morley|first4=C. J.|date=1987-01-01|title=Lung surfactant composition in puppies dying of fading puppy complex|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0034528818306659|journal=Research in Veterinary Science|language=en|volume=42|issue=1|pages=113–118|doi=10.1016/S0034-5288(18)30665-9|pmid=3823624|issn=0034-5288|url-access=subscription}}&lt;/ref&gt; but can happen up to ten weeks of age.&lt;ref name=&quot;:2&quot;&gt;{{Citation|last1=Evermann|first1=James F.|title=Chapter 16 - Viral Infections|date=2011-01-01|url= |journal=Small Animal Pediatrics|pages=119–129|editor-last=Peterson|editor-first=Michael E.|place=Saint Louis|publisher=W.B. Saunders|language=en|doi=10.1016/b978-1-4160-4889-3.00016-4|isbn=978-1-4160-4889-3|pmc=7152367|last2=Kennedy|first2=Melissa A.|editor2-last=Kutzler|editor2-first=Michelle Anne}}&lt;/ref&gt; It is responsible for about 50% of deaths of newborn puppies.&lt;ref&gt;{{cite book |last=England |first=Gary |year=2012 |title=Dog Breeding, Whelping and Puppy Care |publisher=John Wiley &amp; Sons |page=297 |isbn=9781118414354}}&lt;/ref&gt;

Around 30% of [[Pedigree (dog)|pedigree]] puppies die in their first few weeks of life, with only about half of them dying due to identifiable causes.&lt;ref name=&quot;:0&quot; /&gt;

== General ==
Like other species of [[mammal]]s, canine puppies are very vulnerable during their first weeks of life, partly because they have no ability to regulate their own body temperature&lt;ref&gt;{{cite web|url=https://www.petassure.com/new-newsletters/caring-for-those-new-puppies/|title=Caring for new puppies, PetAssure}}&lt;/ref&gt; and their immune systems are not yet fully developed.&lt;ref&gt;{{cite web|url=https://www.petmd.com/dog/care/your-puppy-weeks-0-12|title=Your Puppy:Weeks 0-12}}&lt;/ref&gt; It is estimated that the mortality rate is around 20–30% of live-born pedigree puppies in the first three weeks of life.&lt;ref name=&quot;:0&quot; /&gt;&lt;ref name=&quot;:1&quot; /&gt; Signs of the syndrome can include weakness, low body temperature, and &quot;paddling&quot;.&lt;ref&gt;{{Cite encyclopedia|title='Fading' Puppy Syndrome|date=2015|encyclopedia=Black's Veterinary Dictionary|publisher=Bloomsbury}}&lt;/ref&gt;

== Contributing factors ==

Some of the more common possible causes of fading puppy syndrome are:
*[[Hypothermia]] and [[hyperthermia]]&lt;ref name=&quot;:2&quot; /&gt;
*Lack of adequate care from the mother&lt;ref name=&quot;:1&quot; /&gt;&lt;ref name=&quot;:2&quot; /&gt;
* Congenital defects&lt;ref name=&quot;:1&quot; /&gt;&lt;ref name=&quot;:2&quot; /&gt;
* Low birth weight&lt;ref name=&quot;:2&quot; /&gt;
* Infection or disease&lt;ref name=&quot;:2&quot; /&gt;

After birth, the majority of the puppy's immune system is gained through the [[colostrum]], or ''first milk''. If the puppy is unable to nurse sufficiently of this milk, they may be more susceptible to infection.&lt;ref&gt;{{cite web|url=https://www.revivalanimal.com/pet-health/colostrum/learning-center|title=The Importance of Colostrum for Puppies and Kittens|date=2 August 2016 }}&lt;/ref&gt;{{Unreliable source?|date=June 2020}}

Among the bacteria associated with the syndrome are ''[[Streptococcus agalactiae]]'' and ''[[Streptococcus canis]]''.&lt;ref&gt;{{cite book|last1=Silverstein|first1=Deborah|title=Small Animal Critical Care Medicine|last2=Hopper|first2=Kate|publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences|year=2008|isbn=9781416069263|page=465}}&lt;/ref&gt; It is also associated with the parasite ''[[Toxocara canis]]''&lt;ref&gt;{{Cite journal|last=Salib|first=Fayez|date=2013-07-01|title=Fading Puppy Syndrome Associated with Toxocara canis Infection|url=https://advetresearch.com/index.php/AVR/article/view/123|journal=Journal of Advanced Veterinary Research|language=en|volume=3|issue=3|pages=93–97|issn=2090-6277}}&lt;/ref&gt;&lt;ref&gt;{{Cite journal|last1=Buckle|first1=Kelly N.|last2=Hardcastle|first2=Michael R.|last3=Scott|first3=Ian|last4=Craig|first4=Linden E.|last5=French|first5=Adrienne|last6=Gedye|first6=Kristene|last7=Collett|first7=Mark Grey|date=November 2019|title=Toxocara canis Larval Migration Causing Verminous Pneumonia in Fading Puppies From 2 Scottish Terrier Litters|url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0300985819852131|journal=Veterinary Pathology|language=en|volume=56|issue=6|pages=903–906|doi=10.1177/0300985819852131|pmid=31122148|s2cid=163167901|issn=0300-9858|url-access=subscription}}&lt;/ref&gt; and the viruses ''[[Canine herpesvirus]]'' and ''[[Canine parvovirus]]''.&lt;ref name=&quot;:2&quot; /&gt; In 2012, Tony Blundon concluded in ''[[In Practice]]'' that fading puppy syndrome occurs in puppies &quot;that would otherwise be expected to survive but instead enter a period of rapid decline soon after birth&quot;.&lt;ref name=&quot;:0&quot; /&gt; There is generally no established cause of death.&lt;ref name=&quot;:0&quot; /&gt;

== Mitigating the risks of fading puppy syndrome ==

During their first few weeks of life, puppies are unable to regulate their own body temperature, and require a source of heat to stay warm. Due to their lack of an independent immune system, strict hygiene is beneficial, as is examining the mother for disease, such as [[mastitis]] or [[metritis]], and viral infections such as [[Canine parvovirus]] or [[Canine adenovirus|adenovirus]].
If the puppy is unable to nurse independently, supplemental colostrum replacement may help, as well as [[antibiotics]] in the case of bacterial [[sepsis]].{{Citation needed|date=June 2020}}

== See also ==

* [[Neonatal isoerythrolysis]]
* [[Sudden infant death syndrome]], a similar phenomenon in humans

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{Citation|last=Peterson|first=Michael E.|title=Chapter 11 - Neonatal Mortality|date=2011-01-01|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9781416048893000115|work=Small Animal Pediatrics|pages=82–87|editor-last=Peterson|editor-first=Michael E.|place=Saint Louis|publisher=W.B. Saunders|language=en|doi=10.1016/b978-1-4160-4889-3.00011-5|isbn=978-1-4160-4889-3|access-date=2020-06-14|editor2-last=Kutzler|editor2-first=Michelle Anne|url-access=subscription}}

[[Category:Syndromes in dogs]]