Do I have to clean puppy umbilical cord? In this Vet Minute, Revival’s Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Marty Greer, talks about how to care for an umbilical cord on a newborn puppy and why it’s important.
Do Puppies Umbilical Cords Get Infected?
Why is belly button care so important for puppies and kittens? Puppies and kittens are born with a wet umbilical cord which is vulnerable to bacterial infections. It’s easy for bacteria to ascend up the umbilical cord into the abdomen of a puppy or kitten and cause them to pass away unfortunately very suddenly. So instead of having to wait for problems, we want to use Breeder’s Edge Clean Cut Iodine to preemptively treat all of our umbilical cords to help dry it and keep bacterial assent from being a problem.
If you have more questions on what to put on a puppy’s umbilical cord, call a Revival Pet Care Pro at 800.786.4751.
LEARN MORE:
Kitten and Puppy Umbilical Cord Care
What do I need to know when cutting a puppy umbilical cord? Kitten and puppy umbilical cord care is often forgotten. Learn how to properly care for a kitten or newborn puppy umbilical cord to avoid navel infection.
Kitten and Puppy Umbilical Hernias: What is a Dog Hernia?
How serious are umbilical hernias in puppies? A kitten or puppy umbilical hernia is relatively common. Learn about the dog umbilical hernia and other hernias, and when they require emergency vet surgery.
Newborn Puppy Care: Managing Neonates and High-Risk Puppies
Improve neonatal survival outcomes when puppies are in trouble. Dr. Greer provides resources to measure and strengthen the health of newborn puppies.
My First Litter: Newborn Puppy Care
How do I take care of newborn puppies? From puppy umbilical cord care to feeding, vaccination schedules and deworming newborn puppies. Learn answers to your newborn puppy questions.
Written by: Marty Greer, DVM
Director of Veterinary Services
Marty Greer, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, has 40+ years’ experience in veterinary medicine, with special interests in canine reproduction and pediatrics. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State University in 1981. She’s served as Revival’s Director of Veterinary Services since 2019. In 2023, Dr. Greer was named the Westminster Kennel Club Veterinarian of the Year.