Lining Of Whelping Box

[Antoun]

Hi my dog is going to be having a litter in the next week or so, one thing i am trying to make sure i get right (for obvious reasons) is the lining of the whelping box.

The size is 5x4ft and has the pig rails etc in the inside.

My thoughts were to do something like this: (pls make some suggestions as I am confused!!)

1. Plastic vinyl on ground (as ground is concrete)

2. Layers of newspaper to absorb fluids etc.

3. ontop of newspaper have a 'keep dry' type material i.e. like a rug.. so that its soft like carpet but yet keeps the top layer dry and all fluids go directly underneath to newspaper? (what is this material called? - budget type material as I would like to purchase 2 or 3 so I can swap them over and machine wash the dirty one.

I have purchased a 40x30cm heat pad to use for the pups, i am assuming that this will simply sit in the middle of the whelping box underneath the 'fur' type material and ontop of the newspaper?

I appreciate your feedback !

[persephone]

Hi... depending on where you are , how big the litter is ,and how cold it is, you should not need a heat pad - that's what mum is for ;)

Unless it's freezing, I prefer the pups gravitate to the warmth of the Mum .. then they are with her and feeding ...

I think most folks here use VETBED in whelping boxes .

I suggest also placing a carpet square or a flattened cardboard box (in which a fridge or something was stored ) on the concrete, then your vinyl/lino, etc. That insulates it from the concrete .

[becks]

Vetbed, not cheap but it will last for many years.

If the weather is cool, a heat pad or over head source of heat is a good idea, afterall mum isn't always in the box!

[Rebanne]

Heat pad in one corner of the box. Have a read in the breeders forum.

[**Super_Dogs**]

I used cheap lino on the floor, then newspaper with vetbed on top. I brought 3 vetbeds the exact size of the whelping box. Love vetbed!!

[sandgrubber]

Do not use a heating pad designed for humans. They are far too hot; likely to drive mum out of the whelping box. Veterinary heat pads are designed to equilibrate at ~37 to 39C and feel almost cool to touch.

[lappiemum]

I put down a layer of plastic on the floor of the whelping room, then have papers and vet bed. Use the vet bed that isn't rubber backed (the green backed vet bed) as that allows the liquids to go through and be absorbed by the paper underneath. A good idea is to use puppy training pads between the layer of paper and vetbed, its great at absorbing the excess, esp when the litter is a bit older (although there is usually one little monkey that works out how to dig it all up and have a chew!)

[Mystiqview]

I normally go down to a floor covering place and get either the sample lino squares or an offcut and place that under the whelping box. If I use the squares, I join them with gaff tape.

Get one of those cage compost things from bunnings. I use a securapen around my whelping box, and place a sheet over it. I have found with some bitches they need to be in a "den" to start nesting etc. Also keeps bitch in box rather than trying to find a spot in your wardrobe.

During whelping, I only use newspaper. She will dig up much of it anyway in the first stage. As she whelps the pups, I take out the dirty paper and put in more clean. After whelping, I clean the bitch (I generally have to wash pantaloons as I have a coated breed). She will drip blood/afterbirth for about 5-10 days after whelping. This is normal. Depending on how clean she is, is whether she cleans herself well or not.

As for your heatpad. Keep an eye on it. I have found mum likes to hog it as well. I have two in my whelping box.. One for mum and one for the pups. I place mine at opposite ends of my whelping box.

Depending on what you have used for pig rails, keep an eye on it. I have 20mm hardwood dowel in mine fixed with each end with towel rail ends. During whelping I do not have my pig rails in, as mum during her digging can get her foot inbetween the dowel and the edge of the box, I also find they are a nuisance while whelping if you have to assist or support the puppy coming out between placenta and afterbirth. During whelping, the more room you have to move around the box the easier it is.

I have not used vetbed. I know plenty who have and sware by it. Some other materials you can use are Kylie sheets. You can buy these second hand or see some nursing homes for their old ones. Soak them, and they are fine for animal use. I have also used your polar fleece or synthetic blankets cut up. Both of these are great as they wash and dry easily.

I know also a number of breeders who just use newspaper and never have a problem. I myself have also just used newspaper and never had an issue with it. I have heard some blame newspaper for problems later on claiming the puppies have done damage to their limbs while on newspaper as they did not get traction. Personally do not know. Newspaper has been used for a long time by many breeders without a problem.

I use an oil heater in my whelping room to keep a constant temperature. Drafts from open doorways etc can also kill pups. I generally do not do summer litters as I find it easier to keep pups warm rather than cool. Be careful if you have a fan/air conditioner running in the whelping room. Make sure the drafts are restricted on the whelping box.

My only other comments are:

Make sure you have something to dry the puppies with: I use cloth nappies. Perfect size and you just soak them after (In cold water, hot water will set the blood)

A pair of scizzors and two artery lamps if you need to cut the umbilical cord. Clamp the cord about 2 cm away from the pups stomach and support the clamp. cut the cord. You can clamp the other side and cut inbetween, but not necessary. You can pinch the umbilical cord with your fingers and cut. But always cut about 2-3 cm away from the pup.

I personally do not believe in giving calcium to the bitch. There are others who have different opinions on this. I went to one breeding lecture where the giving of calcium is not advised. If the bitch is on a good balanced diet, she should have the calcium you need. If anything I do give her biolac or similar during whelping.

Have some nutrigel on hand. Can be great for puppies and mother. Also have a small bottle of brandy. If you need to get a pup to breath (after clearing the airway), put a drop on the tongue and it makes them gasp. Any left over is for you.

[jr_inoz]

My breeder uses marine carpet in the bottom of his whelping box. This is my plan too, along with a vet bed on top. (Plus newspaper during whelping, or maybe those incontinence sheets/pads that old people have on their beds (not the kylie blankets). I asked about those and nursing homes wont give/sell them anymore - OHS says they aren't allowed to (according to a couple of places here anyway).

[Antoun]

hmm so I just want to make sure i got the right idea.

1. During whelping have the cardboard at bottom,

2. followed by lino (i picked up a bunch of real nice stuff off the side of the road the other day)

3. Next a bunch of newspaper laid out (a couple of layers i am assuming to soak up fluids etc)

4. After whelping completed - maybe a couple hours(?) later move them to a heated area and clean up lino (hopefully just wipe down) and then put fresh newspaper down followed by vetbed.

5. Wash vetbed every 48hours(?) and clean newspapers once every 4-8hours(?)

[Antoun]

edit: double post

Edited December 19, 2011 by Antoun

[SparkyTansy]

I didn't use cardboard at the bottom, but it depends on whether your whelping box has a bottom or not. Mine doesn't have a bottom, so I had Lino, followed by newspapers, followed by "old sheet number 1" followed by more newspaper, followed by "old sheet number two" with towels right to hand next to the box, and more newspaper layed out next to the box also.

During whelping, when the first sheet was heavily soiled and ripped up, along with the newspaper, I just lifted it all off and had fresh sheet and newspaper underneath. I would also cover any wet bits/soiled with sheets of newspaper during the whelping between puppies.

Once it was all done, I removed all the newspaper and sheets, and replaced with more newspaper and vet bed on top. The lino at the bottom of the box under the layers of paper and sheets didn't get anything on it at all so didn't need to be changed or cleaned.

[Mystiqview]

hmm so I just want to make sure i got the right idea.

1. During whelping have the cardboard at bottom,

2. followed by lino (i picked up a bunch of real nice stuff off the side of the road the other day)

3. Next a bunch of newspaper laid out (a couple of layers i am assuming to soak up fluids etc)

4. After whelping completed - maybe a couple hours(?) later move them to a heated area and clean up lino (hopefully just wipe down) and then put fresh newspaper down followed by vetbed.

5. Wash vetbed every 48hours(?) and clean newspapers once every 4-8hours(?)

*bold*

In the early stages, you may be able to wash the vetbed every 48 hours. Later you would be replacing twice daily (depending on how many pups etc).

Maybe before/during whelping, I would refrain from the cardboard. Depends on how much your bitch wants to dig to china!

Once all the whelping is done, move the pups to a basket with a blanket in it, clean mum and whelping box and then put them all back in. In the first 4-5 to 12 hours, you may want to refrain from the vetbed, as the mum will still be passing afterbirth. Up to you. There is not a lot of movement in that time anyway.

Not knowing where you have your box, I just made some comments to think about. If the room you are whelping in and where the pups will be for the first 4 weeks is relatively free from drafts, then you may not need a heated area. I mostly do winter litters, so for me, it is important to keep the room an even temperature. it is easier to keep a room warm than to cool it (especially here in QLD). I also whelp in the laundry and can control drafts.

[becks]

I whelp litters on the vet bed, all the fluid drains through and mum and pups aren't left on cold, wet paper. Once whelping complete, box cleaned out and new vet bed put down then first lot of vet bed and towels used during whelping are put straight into the washing machine.

[Bilbo Baggins]

If your whelping box has no base and the floor is to be concrete I would definitely be doing as Pers states, concrete can hold cold and be moist.

Whereabouts in the house do you plan on having the box??

Most breeders have it in the lounge room or a spare room so that the pups get lots of noise experiences.

[Rebanne]

hmm so I just want to make sure i got the right idea.

1. During whelping have the cardboard at bottom,

2. followed by lino (i picked up a bunch of real nice stuff off the side of the road the other day)

3. Next a bunch of newspaper laid out (a couple of layers i am assuming to soak up fluids etc)

4. After whelping completed - maybe a couple hours(?) later move them to a heated area and clean up lino (hopefully just wipe down) and then put fresh newspaper down followed by vetbed.

5. Wash vetbed every 48hours(?) and clean newspapers once every 4-8hours(?)

3. more then just a couple of pages, about a third fo a newspaper is what I would put down minimum. If it is not wet all the way through you can only throw out the wet layers

5. I changed the vet bed 3 times a day, roughly every 8 hrs and the newspapers under it. When newborns you could change just twice a day but I would never leave the same piece down for 48 hrs.

[**Super_Dogs**]

hmm so I just want to make sure i got the right idea.

1. During whelping have the cardboard at bottom,

2. followed by lino (i picked up a bunch of real nice stuff off the side of the road the other day)

3. Next a bunch of newspaper laid out (a couple of layers i am assuming to soak up fluids etc)

4. After whelping completed - maybe a couple hours(?) later move them to a heated area and clean up lino (hopefully just wipe down) and then put fresh newspaper down followed by vetbed.

5. Wash vetbed every 48hours(?) and clean newspapers once every 4-8hours(?)

During whelping I lined the box (on top of the lino) with lot of old sheet and towels, which I then threw away. During whelping I had to change these a few times.

After whelping I changed to the vetbed straight away. I was worried the pups would get caught up in the sheets/towels.

As I am in Qld we did not have to worry about heating.

While the pups where young I changed the vetbed every 48 hours, then as they got bigger daily, then twice daily. When the pups got bigger and I had extended their pen to a large area they did not spend much time on the vetbed so I went back to changing it daily.

[periannath]

make sure you disinfectant the lino you picked extremely well before using it!