Health Report Final - Flipbook - Page 71
Litter Size & Puppy Mortality
There was a big varia on in li er size form 1 puppy to 11 puppies. 16 li ers lost 1 or more
puppy. And most li ers produced 7 or less puppies with 24% of li ers producing less than 5
puppies.
As seen above some li ers lost between 25-50% of the puppies though most li ers that
lost puppies lost 1 or 2 puppies.
Death rates of more than 20% pre weaning and 10% post weaning should raise concerns
within a li er.
There can be a number of factors that can cause this such as inadequate hea ng, careless
or inexperienced mothering, lack of milk, health issues in the puppies, but also herpes-1
virus can play a big role in puppy loss and is more frequently seen in li ers where the bitch
has not been vaccinated and they have not been kept warm enough in the first couple of
weeks of life.
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