Fig. 4.

Theoretical estimation of the minimal IgG concentration in colostrum for appropriate passive immune transfer.

[1] With a blood volume equivalent to 7% body weight and a hematocrit of the newborn puppy at 50%, the total volume of serum within a puppy is 3.5 milliliters for 100 g body weight (100 g x 7% x (1–hematocrit)).

[2] The minimal serum concentration to be reached by the puppy at two days of age is 2.3 g/l, representing an absorbed IgG amount of 8.05 mg (2.3×serum volume).

[3] The IgG absorption rate was 30% in average between birth and 8 h of life (Chastant-Maillard et al., 2012). An 8.05 mg absorbed amount corresponds to 26.8 mg ingested IgG.

[4] A puppy ingests 4 ml/100 g body weight and performs 2 meals over the period of intestinal permeabilty: circulating IgG are thus absorbed from 8 ml colostrum per 100 g body weight.

[5] The minimal colostrum concentration is 3.4 g/l (ingested IgG×1000/8).