Puppy umbilical cord not falling off: Is it normal? What to do?

It looks like it may be part of the umbilical cord that hasn't dried up or healed completely yet, which can be normal at this age. I would keep the area clean and dry and continue to monitor it. If the area seems to be bulging, worsens, or the puppy isn't thriving or nursing properly, I would seek out veterinary care to rule out more serious issues.

If the [puppy](https://www.petcoach.co/article/caring-for-newborn-puppies-their-mother) is still bleeding from the umbilical cord and if there is a long enough piece of umbilical cord, you can take some sewing thread, soak it in iodine or alcohol and try to tie it around the umbilical cord. This should stop the bleeding. If there is not enough cord there to be tied off , roll up some gauze, put it on the navel and carefully wrap a bandage around the puppy's abdomen using that gauze roll as a pressure pad. If you cannot do any of this , or if the puppy looks very pale or is lethargic, you need to take it to your vet today or an emergency room. There is a chance that your puppy could bleed to death if the bleeding is not stopped.

Poor pups. This can sometimes happen with the umbilical cords, especially if the sutures are placed close to the skin. I would not recommend placing any topical ointment on a bleeding wound. Instead I would suggest cleaning it with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water and then flushing it daily with just sterile Saline, both found at your local pharmacy. This will hopefully keep the area from getting infected until they can be seen. Take special care not to soak the pups and only use a gauze to apply this so that it quickly dries. Newborn pups can’t regulate their temperature until they are around 1-2 weeks of age. Then it’s best to take them back to your vet for a recheck exam since this is a complication from a previous visit. The vet may need to place skin glue to the open area and possibly give the pups some antibiotics. I hope that your pups are able to recover well. Best wishes and take care.

The umbilical cords should shrivel and fall off on their own, however you can tie off the cords with floss/suture and them trim above them if the mother is unable to do so. The remainder of the cord will then shrivel and fall off on its own.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would suggest just leaving the cord alone. As long as it doesn't have any discharge, and the kitten is eating, drinking, playing and doing well, the cord will die and fall off on it's own. Do not pull on it and you don't have to cut it. Best of luck with Tinkie!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There can be a small “outie” for a few days but this could also be an umbilical hernia. This is a small hole in the body wall at the area where the belly button is. A little peice of intestine or abdominal fat pokes through to cause the bulge. It feels soft and squishy and you may be able to “poke it back in” for lack of a better term. This is not considered painful or especially dangerous but it is something we keep an eye on throughout puppyhood. If it’s still pretty decent sized, we generally just sew the small hole closed at the time of spay. Mention it to the vet at her first puppy check up. Obviously if it gets hard, painful, red, bigger, or Shadow has any other concerning signs, head into the vet sooner. Best of luck to you and Shadow!

Thanks for reaching out about Chanel. You should leave it alone. The umbilical cords with continue to dry and fall off. Clipping could allow an infection to enter the body and could potentially lead to a serious infection. The mother should take care of things. Good luck.