Evaluation of Warming Methods for Neonatal Puppies

Maintaining appropriate nest temperatures during the first weeks of life is essential because neonatal puppies have limited thermoregulatory capacity. Commonly used warming methods in breeding and veterinary settings, including infrared heat lamps and electric heating pads, may produce uneven heating, unstable temperature regulation, or temperatures that are difficult to measure accurately. This study evaluated the performance and temperature measurement characteristics of commonly used neonatal puppy warming methods and compared them with a thermostatically controlled water warming system. Temperature stability, surface uniformity, and differences among temperature measurement methods were evaluated under standardized environmental conditions using Type K thermocouples, handheld infrared thermometers, digital surface thermometers, and infrared thermal imaging. Infrared-heated surfaces demonstrated substantial variation in measured temperatures depending on the measurement method and surface characteristics. Electric heating pads exhibited significantly higher surface temperatures (p < 0.05), localized hot spots, and greater temperature fluctuations than desired for neonatal thermal support. In contrast, the recirculating water warming system demonstrated greater temperature stability and more uniform heating than the other methods evaluated, with adjacent fleece temperatures maintained within the target neonatal nest temperature range.