Relation between the Dam’s Weight on Superficial Temperature of Her Puppies at Different Stages of the Post-Partum

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Newborn puppies have great difficulty achieving a stable temperature, and it has been seen that this is influenced by the weight of the mother. In the present study, the temperature of the puppies was evaluated in eight different areas of the body and at seven different times after birth. It is concluded that the weight of the mothers significantly influences the thermoregulatory capacity of the puppies and that the areas where the lowest puppies’ temperatures were recorded were the thoracic and pelvic limbs, and the highest were the abdominal, thoracic, nasal, and upper left palpebral, especially when newborns dry and at 24 h after birth. ABSTRACT: The thermal stability of newborns is an essential parameter that can be recorded to evaluate neonatal care. Knowing the thermal windows to evaluate and maintain a constant temperature helps significantly reduce neonatal mortality. This study aimed to assess the superficial temperature alterations in the distinct thermal windows of puppies with mothers of diverse weights and their repercussions. We evaluated the superficial temperature using infrared thermography at eight thermal windows and seven different times: when wet due to the fetal fluid immediately after birth until 24 h of life in newborn puppies from bitches divided into four bodyweight groups. The results revealed a positive correlation between the dam’s weight and the ability to achieve thermostability in the newborn puppies in all the evaluated thermal windows. The time effect showed the lowest temperatures when the puppies were still wet, a gradual increase, and the highest temperature at 24 h after birth. The thermal windows with the highest temperatures were abdominal, thoracic, nasal, and upper left palpebral, and those with the lowest were the thoracic limb brachial biceps, thoracic limb elbow, metacarpal, and femoral pelvic limb. A significant increase in the temperatures in the thermal windows of the abdominal, thoracic, and upper left palpebral immediately after ingesting colostrum was observed. The weight of the dams is an important factor that positively intervenes in the thermoregulatory capacity of the puppies, especially when newborns are dry and have been passed 24 h after birth.