piper Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Well the time has arrived for Jazz to be mated and in preparation for the inaugural Ildanach litter I was wondering what people consider absolutely essential in their kit and what things are nice to have but you don't have to have. I read some people's lists and think wow that is an awful lot of stuff and then other people say they don't use much at all. So I thought I would ask the collective DOL brains trust what are absolute non negotiable items. This litter has been a long time in the planning but suddenly I am terrified and feel like I have learnt nothing over the years. Tomorrow we go for the first progesterone test, a couple of days early but of course it has to be a long weekend in Adelaide this weekend!! So the absolute essentials that I am guessing everyone will say are: whelping box (I am thinking about 1.2m square for a BC litter?) heating source bedding of some description (I am planning on vetbed) scales beyond that lists vary so much, so please share with me what would you not be without and what you would like to have but can get by without? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shazzapug Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Umbilical scissors and Oxytocin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaY Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Pen & Paper Dental Floss Panadol Vets & Friends number Old Towels Nutri Drops I will be back with more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bordacollies4me Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 my whelping boxes are 900mm x 1200mm.. one used to be 1200 square but, i found it too big... i like the current size... Towels for the whelping, and also for drying off puppies... i used newspaper once, but with a manic digger, yes it tore to shreds but was such a pain to clean up... so grabbed some old towels, and has been great ever since... i also have some sheets that i doubled up cut to size and stitched together, i alternate between vet bed and a light blanket covered with the sheet during the day(but then it is quite warm at the moment up here in QLD) Scales Yep... notepad/pen basket or box, to place pups if needed in between whelps... clock- i have a wall clock in sight... scissors thats my basics what i just used for my latest litter... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Lots of coffee & the ability & will power to stay awake all night, when needed One thing I always remember to have, that many people forget, is plenty of petrol in my tank. Living rural, but even if I was in the city, I can't imagine anything worse than having to rush to the vets, stressed by then of course no matter how much experience you have, & hunting for or hoping that you have enough petrol to get there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jed Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 (edited) I have whelping box - clean and sterilised dry bed for whelping box towels newspapers hot water bottles clothes basket heat lamp Nutri drops Liquid Calcium Thread for cord tying - if necessary plastic bag for wet/dirty paper or towels hand cleaners Sofa bolster for sitting/kneeling Comfortable chair Dog record book (all CC members are required to keep a book where they record their breeding efforts, i use this book to record what pup arrivess when) NO oxytocin When it is apparent that whelping is imminent, I put newspaper down in the whelping box. When the pup is born and the paper is soiled, I roll it up and put it in the plastic bag. I let the mother do it all .. but if she is having trouble, confused, or she's spitting out pups like a production line, I might remove the a/b - and I always remove it from the head/ Use the towels to roughly dry the pups and stimulate breathing. And to hang onto them if they need to be artificially stimulated to breathe I put the pups back into the now clean whelping box for some mother/child bonding. When it is obvious that the next pup is on its way, I transfer the pup/s to the washing basket, which has a soft nest of towels. I put the basket under the heat light. If I think a pup needs a bit more, or it is very cold, I put a hot water bottle on the bottom of the basket. I f the bitch wants the pupw, I hand them back to her between whelpings, and take them away when she is about to whelp again. If the pups are not doing well, I give them a drop of Nutri drops. Ditto the bitch. Liquid calcium for the bitch, between whelps, if I think she needs it. I rarely have a problem with cords. Let the bitch pass the a/birth, push the blood from the a/birth towards the pup, and the cord will either break naturally in the right place, or the bitch will chew it thru. It's worth watching that she doesn't keep chewing the afterbirth and chew the pup as well. Not nice. I also might give the bitch a drink of warm milk, liquid calcium, beaten raw egg and glucodin - well into the whelping if she is flagging a bit. If you give it too soon, she either wont drink, or vomit it up. But well into the whelping, this keeps the blood sugar levels up. when the whelping is finished I clean up the box, and put the dry bed down, give the mum a drink, and settle the pups with her, with the heat light over the whelping box, ensuring every pup is on a teat. For the first 24 hrs, I ensure all pups are drinking. Sometimes it's too easy, sometimes not. I never weigh them. They are ok or not, and if I weighed them I would be anxious .. they are ok, or not ok. And I hate having green fingers and fingernails, so I wipe my hands often!! Cup of coffee (or several) is good, but mine whelp in the house, and it's not far to the kitchen!! Sorry, you only wanted to know WHAT, but that's why Edited March 10, 2011 by Jed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piper Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 Thanks everyone and keep it coming! Jed - your comment about not weighing is interesting. The breeder of my girl is the same like that. I think for my first litter though I am going to weigh. My other current fear is trying to secure time off work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jed Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 piper, I think the pups should be weighed, but I didn't start out doing it, and it hardly seems worth it now -- but if I am not happy with them, I will weigh them all. When people ask how much they weigh, I have no idea!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shazzapug Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 I havewhelping box - clean and sterilised dry bed for whelping box towels newspapers hot water bottles clothes basket heat lamp Nutri drops Liquid Calcium Thread for cord tying - if necessary plastic bag for wet/dirty paper or towels hand cleaners Sofa bolster for sitting/kneeling Comfortable chair Dog record book (all CC members are required to keep a book where they record their breeding efforts, i use this book to record what pup arrivess when) NO oxytocin When it is apparent that whelping is imminent, I put newspaper down in the whelping box. When the pup is born and the paper is soiled, I roll it up and put it in the plastic bag. I let the mother do it all .. but if she is having trouble, confused, or she's spitting out pups like a production line, I might remove the a/b - and I always remove it from the head/ Use the towels to roughly dry the pups and stimulate breathing. And to hang onto them if they need to be artificially stimulated to breathe I put the pups back into the now clean whelping box for some mother/child bonding. When it is obvious that the next pup is on its way, I transfer the pup/s to the washing basket, which has a soft nest of towels. I put the basket under the heat light. If I think a pup needs a bit more, or it is very cold, I put a hot water bottle on the bottom of the basket. I f the bitch wants the pupw, I hand them back to her between whelpings, and take them away when she is about to whelp again. If the pups are not doing well, I give them a drop of Nutri drops. Ditto the bitch. Liquid calcium for the bitch, between whelps, if I think she needs it. I rarely have a problem with cords. Let the bitch pass the a/birth, push the blood from the a/birth towards the pup, and the cord will either break naturally in the right place, or the bitch will chew it thru. It's worth watching that she doesn't keep chewing the afterbirth and chew the pup as well. Not nice. I also might give the bitch a drink of warm milk, liquid calcium, beaten raw egg and glucodin - well into the whelping if she is flagging a bit. If you give it too soon, she either wont drink, or vomit it up. But well into the whelping, this keeps the blood sugar levels up. when the whelping is finished I clean up the box, and put the dry bed down, give the mum a drink, and settle the pups with her, with the heat light over the whelping box, ensuring every pup is on a teat. For the first 24 hrs, I ensure all pups are drinking. Sometimes it's too easy, sometimes not. I never weigh them. They are ok or not, and if I weighed them I would be anxious .. they are ok, or not ok. And I hate having green fingers and fingernails, so I wipe my hands often!! Cup of coffee (or several) is good, but mine whelp in the house, and it's not far to the kitchen!! Sorry, you only wanted to know WHAT, but that's why When you live in rural areas and 2 hrs has gone between puppies best to try Oxy (if a puppy can be felt at the end of your finger) before heading off the 1 hr drive to the Vets. But I would not reccommend this for a first whelping on your own..I didnt whelp a litter on my own for a couple of years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoL Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 (edited) Remember for the whelping box, you need a pigging rail around the sides. Personally, I have plastic sheeting tacked all the way around because our boxes are wood; then newspaper and then blankets. You will need towels but I find it better to buy terry towelling nappies - perfect size, not expensive and they're meant to get dirty anyway so you won't be too precious about them You will definitely need a heat source Pen that works, note pad, some source for time telling and yes, I weigh my pups so digital scales. If you have pups of similar size and colour, some way of telling them apart helps. Mobile phone nearby with vets number on speed dial Plastic bags to put soiled nappies and newspaper in Scissors and dental floss on hand - I've never actually needed these as my girls tend to cut the cords fine by themselves Calcium and some mult-vit supplement for the bitch post whelp. Nutrigel or something similar is good for a 'hit' of energy. Coffee made and ready to serve ETA: brandy and/or Rescue Remedy for either pups or you and, after reading the other thread about Sway's whelping supplies, I'd have to agree with the chocolates and champagne post-whelp Edited March 10, 2011 by SoL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yarrowfell Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Whelping box Vetbed Heat pad Heat lamp Scales notepad/pen basket or box, to place pups as more born (with hot water bottle or heat pad in it) clock or watch Scissors Cotton (for tying cords) Newspaper Coloured wool (for around necks to identify each puppy) Rubbish bags Calcium Oxytocin Coffee (lots of it) Chocolate Mud cake (an essential for whelping in our house) I am sure I will add more later Mine is already set up in the spare room for a litter due next Tuesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaY Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Must Haves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabs Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Artery clamps. Any cords I have do do myself I clamp. Never had to tie one off using this method. I never cut cords with scissors always use my nails as scissors can cause bleeding. Clock Heat Pad Hand towels newspaper scales pen paper id collars extra towels to clean the mother up between whelps if necessary. dry bed Brandy (for pups not me) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaY Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Baby wipes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becks Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Pen & PaperDental Floss Panadol Vets & Friends number Old Towels Nutri Drops I will be back with more Panadol? Is that for you or the bitch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaY Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Pen & PaperDental Floss Panadol Vets & Friends number Old Towels Nutri Drops I will be back with more Panadol? Is that for you or the bitch? For me, as I know it's going to do my head in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baileys mum Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 (edited) For my first litter I had -Whelping box -Heat pad - vet bed - nutri drops - nutri gel - Calcium sandoz ( I gave to my bitch in between pups ) - A box to put the pups in (with a hot water bottle ) when bitch was whelping the other puppies - Hand towels for drying of puppies - larger towels for cleaning up mum - Garbage bags - scales for weighing pups - blunt scissors,hemostats & dental floss for the cords (I did not use these last time , as my bitch attended to the cords herself. - Antiseptic for sterilising scissors & hemostats - Anti bacterial soap for cleaning hands - pen & records book for recording time of birth , weight for each pup, any other observations ect.. - Id collars ( but initially used nail polish for the first couple of weeks to id each pup) - vets number & breeders number (my mentor ) just in case - milk replacer, feeding bottles ect.... in case bitches milk doesn't come down straight away - A watch for noting time of birth of each puppy - Lots of newspaper, ( i recommend you start collecting this now, as you will probably need lots of it, especially when pups get older ) - lots of coffee, choccie biscuits & champagne for celebrating - camera - panadol - And of course my hubby for assistance, he was so helpful & kept me calm & sane, don't know how I would have coped without him. This post has made me so excited, we mated our girl 25 days ago & all the signs so far look very positive & I do think she could be pregnant, although we still have to take her for a ultrasound yet, so I could be organising everything again myself very soon, & Sway you will probably be receiving another order from me in the very near future. Good luck with your future litter. Nicole Edited March 11, 2011 by Baileys mum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baileys mum Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Thought I would also add to have a torch on hand & an extra towel too, just in case your bitch decides she wants to go to the toilet & then whelps one of the pups outside in the dark. I personally did not need this as we had a day time birth, but I have head it happening to other breeders. I also remember my bitch was starving after whelping , so I made her a yummy meal of cooked mince, scrambled eggs & cottage cheese, so I will probably have something yummy organised to cook for her next time too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piper Posted March 11, 2011 Author Share Posted March 11, 2011 Thanks everyone. I am chuckling at the chocolate, coffee and panadol references though. LOL The vets number is handy however we have a slight technicality - the clinic I use no longer do after hours and the nearest emergency centre is quite a drive away. I did speak to the new clinic owner who I used to run puppy classes for at his previous clinic and he has said we can have a chat once the mating has been done and see what we can work out. There is a new vet clinic at the Universitry vet school and they will be running emergency eventually but apparently it is not yet up and running. We are just back from progesterone test number 1 and Jazz was such a good girl for her blood draw. He also gave her a thorough exam and checked everything out and all was good - no strictures there. At this stage I won't get the results until Tuesday (although they did say ring tomorrow as they might get them back before they close) and depending on the result we will test again Tuesday or Wednesday, they will let me know. I am sure I will have plenty more dumb questions over the coming months. Years of reading, listeningl talking and observing all of a sudden seem to mean nothing and I am incredibly nervous about it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fordogs Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Don't worry piper, it doesn't matter how many times you go through a whelping it is always a very stressful time >>>> always happy when she is finished and all is well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts