The first hours and days of life represent an extremely sensitive period for the physical and emotional development of newborn puppies and kittens. This protocol promotes neonatal handling that focuses not only on survival and health monitoring, but also on maintaining a stable environment compatible with the welfare of the mother and litter.
Key recommendations include minimizing excessive handling during the earliest adaptation stages, maintaining appropriate thermal conditions, and supporting correct maternal contact from the first moments after birth. Health checks should be performed calmly, briefly, and progressively, avoiding unnecessary stress for both the mother and newborns.
The protocol also encourages early attention to maternal behavior, environmental quality, feeding, thermal stability, and the behavioral development of newborns during the first weeks of life. The objective is to support a more stable neonatal development process aligned with the welfare of the entire litter.