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Umbilical Cord Best Practices
By
Good Dog is on a mission to educate the public, support dog breeders, and promote canine health so we can give our dogs the world they deserve.
Good Dog is on a mission to educate the public, support dog breeders, and promote canine health so we can give our dogs the world they deserve.
Good Dog is on a mission to educate the public, support dog breeders, and promote canine health so we can give our dogs the world they deserve.
Q: Some say to cut the umbilical cords and others say to let the mom do what is natural. I know there are sometimes things that can go wrong if the bitch does it, but are those odds high? I’ve done both ways and I will say her doing it is way less stressful. What have you always done?
A: We all make decisions based on knowledge and our experiences, and this includes how we treat umbilical cords. Either way works, but because I had a situation where the umbilical cord was the conduit of bacteria, and a puppy went septic, I am much more concerned with treating the umbilical cord. So, I treat the cord using chlorhexidine, a 50% betadine solution, or vetericyn on the cord once I cut or shred it with my fingernails. By doing this, then using a warm blow dryer the cords on my puppies usually dry up and fall off in 48hrs. I also monitor my girls closely to make sure that they do not worry the cords, pulling and causing any other damage.
