Puppy Umbilical Cord Care

Why the Navel Needs Attention

The umbilical stump is an open route into a newborn's bloodstream at the point when it has almost no immunity. Navel infections move fast and are among the more common causes of loss in the first week. A few seconds of care per puppy prevents most of them.

What We Stock

Wound care

Wound Gard at around $35 for treating and protecting the stump.

Gauze

Swabs 10cm by 10cm in packs of 100 at around $16. Cheap, sterile and used constantly through a whelping.

Cleaning solutions

Ear and wound cleaning solution at around $42, useful across the whelping kit rather than for the navel alone.

What to Do at Birth

If the mother has not severed the cord, tie it about 2cm from the body with sterile thread, cut on the far side of the tie, and dip the stump in iodine solution. Dip rather than dab: you want the whole stump covered. Repeat once or twice over the first day.

What to Watch For

Redness spreading up the abdomen, swelling, weeping, or a puppy crying and not feeding. Any of those is a vet call the same day, not the next morning. The stump itself should dry and drop off within two to three days.

Trusted by RPBA Breeders

Iodine dipping at birth is standard practice for Responsible Pet Breeders Australia members and takes about ten seconds per puppy.