These articles will help you better understand some of the developmental and more common reproductive diseases in puppies. That said, here we go. First we need some background information. Most disease transmission from pregnant bitch to unborn puppy occurs via the bloodstream, across the placenta. Appropriately enough, this is termed transplacental transmission.
Puppies can also become infected with disease-causing organisms during the birthing process.
In addition, some diseases can be transmitted to puppies after birth through the milk of the mother. This is called transmammary disease transmission. This is particularly important in the pre-operative evaluation of patients undergoing anesthesia. The value of this testing was driven home emphatically in my practice last week. Allergic skin reactions can be confused with other type of dermatitis.