I always prep months in advance just so I know I have all and any necessary supplies and my favorite products i use before, during and after whelping. Some of these things still stay useful during the pups growth in weeks to come.
I do not use whelping pens, I feel the prices are absolutley ridiculous for some cardboard plastic, although i will be having my fiance build some out of PVC in the near future.
For the past 5 years, my closet or DIY ideas have been working just fine. The "fencing" i use I'll list below and is also great for the puppies once they start walking and more convenient to set up and take down and move around if i want or try different ideas. Up until they're at a certain age i keep blankets i purchase from the salvatian army, covering the cage with simple clams on bottom and top for mom to have privacy and have softness to lay her head against instead of hard plastic.
Everything i get is from Amazon because its easier to create my Dog wish list and have everything organized in one spot so i can re order later if I need to. (links to the EXACT products I use are highlighted below. I will also post more example photos on my next whelping so everyone can see.
--First I start by laying down 2 layers of washable pads (from Amazon)
--Then another 2 layers of regular disposable puppy pads. I dont use the Large or XL during whelping because moms like to dig and with all the mess going on they're easier to remove and replace quickly. WHY SO MANY PADS you ask? So once whelping is done, i remove the disposable puppy pads so mom has a comfy regular one to relax on. The following day, i'll remove that one and the first layer i put down will be there so that way I dont have to move her or the puppies to clean an area and she can relax and bond and sleep for a day or two afterwards. But I do prefer washable pee pads the first 3-4 weeks for all litters, not only is it more comfortable for them and easier for me to just wash and re use but ALSO- because it helps me indicate when their first nail trimming will be. Because the more they grow, their nails grow and once at a certain length they start getting stuck or pulling tiny pieces of fabric from the pad which shows me its time for nail trimming!
--After I have all that done i use my 24" portable fencing to make an enclosed area near my bed (with blanket clipped for her privacy, so i can keep an eye on mom and help her through whelping. I love this not only because its light weight and portable but also i can use it for the puppies in any room or outside once their big enough. Some people do prefer to use a whelp box, <- which this one i found a reasonable price and looks great. Some also prefer the pool type.
-- Have your Latex gloves ready, & I usually switch off after each puppy. Have your trash can by your side, some 2-3 towels & a laundry basket or small box with a blanket in it. Alcohol is a must with umbilical cord scizzors in case mom needs help or the pups isnt being fully pushed out and needs detached from mom. This is very important to help avoid any hernias. None of my puppies have ever had one.
-- Once whelping starts and shes in her motion, i give her a tiny Bit of Breeders Edge calcium Paste to help delivery go smoothly. And the reason I chose that specific paste is because I used "DogZymes" brand before and my dogs hated it and wouldnt eat it. I like to give mom a relaxing slow massage from the neck with my pointer and index finger massage down her spinal muscles to her butt to help ease contractions and this has helped amazingly to where she just lays comfortably and pushes instead of walking all over the place being anxious. The love and comfort keeps my girls in a calm relaxed state which makes birth go so smoothly. One of my dogs litter of 10 went so smoothly, they were popping out like skittles every 20 minutes to an hour and within 2 hours after giving birth, mom was outside trying to play ball. HAHA!
--If i sense a puppy is showing signs of weakness, a little bit of Breeders Edge colostrum has shown quick results. Thankfully I only had to use it twice. ALWAYS keep rubber suction syringe balls handy in case you need to get any fluids out of newborns nose and mouth so they can breath! I keep different sizes for my different breeds.
-- Once each puppy is born and cleaned by mom I use a small scale to weigh them and i write each one down and mark their tail with a lipstick or a dot of nail polish so i know whose who. In between birthing i have pups feed from mom to get milk flowing, while birthing i put the pups in a small basket with a puppy safe heating pad under the blankets, (make sure its low enough where mom can still touch them with her face, but be cautious as she might try to get in with them. If there are more then 5 puppies and they just keep coming then i do keep them in a puppy incubator so mom doesnt get overwhelmed. it really all depends on the dog, her anxiety & comfort levels, so i know what to do and not do for her pleasure as I want theyre experiences and bond with me to be the best.
--I do not use whelping collars until theyre a week old. If theres only 3-5 i dont use collars at all because I know whose who. However with the larger puppies once they get about 5 weeks old i do love to use These puppy collars to match their original whelping collars. I personally like these whelping collars for the smaller dogs because their adjustable.
(Thats basically it for my whelping routines, if i forget anything I'll be sure to come back and add it in. I'll discuss more about my routine care for growing puppies, and EVERYTHING else in some other blog posts. So stay tuned.
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