Whelping Box?

Ginny

Ginny

New member
The Lectro mat is what I bought and I do have the controller. I think I'll bag the lamp since I'm sure to knock it over...

Those hospital pads are quite pricey. The thought of used ones is very unappealing so I may just bite the bullet and get new ones. Do you use the ones with the PVC on the back side or the newer, greener backing (can't remember what it's called)?
 
Sun Valley

Sun Valley

New member
Ginny,

I use the disposable blue pads that Wal Mart sells. I buy different sizes and use them during whelping to help as absorb some of the mess and then I like to put the puppies on them while their nursing. There also great to put on top of the Lectro mat

Lou Ann
 
newfvo

newfvo

New member
Ginny wrote "I checked into the nest, but thought it might be too small."

Actually it isn't too small. Your Addy's litter of 12 fit in it just fine. One of the benefits of the nest versus a flat heat mat is that it is shaped like a bowl thus allowing for variations of heat temps from warmest at the bottom to cooler at the top edge. That shape also allows puppies to lie propped up versus flat on their stomachs which aid in preventing "swimmers chest".

One option instead of a "heat" lamp or even the red heat bulbs is a ceramic heat emitter. These are used to heat reptile habitat. They produce heat but not the strong light that can damage new born eyes. They should only be used in a lamp that has a ceramic base as they get hot and could melt those with plastic.
 
Ginny

Ginny

New member
I'll get my husband to bring some of the disposable blue ones home. He's already bringing me his baby scale and the oxygen tank! I went ahead and bought 4 huge hospital pads 35X54. Love that site Renee.
 
Pipelineozzy

Pipelineozzy

New member
I actually find the red lamp very gentle...and don't worry about eye damage as the eyes don't even open until about 10 - 12 days and when they do, it's very very gradual. I didn't ever have much luck with the disposable pads, they just seemed to roll and bunch up (maybe I got the wrong kind?). I LOVE the actual cloth ones with the rubber back that the old folks home here uses, so much so that when they started to wear out, I recovered the cloth side with flannelette. My lamp is attached to the side of the box on an arm somewhat like a grooming arm and in one corner so that it doesn't bother the mom at all. It's on a chain so I can raise and lower it depending on room temp. My favorite part about the lamp is that I can sit under it when she's laboring and it's the middle of the night and I'm tired and cold LOL.
 
Piratebears

Piratebears

New member
Do you keep your puppies in the whelping box for the entire 8 weeks ? or just the first few and then transfer to a pen ?
 
Pipelineozzy

Pipelineozzy

New member
I don't know what everyone else does...but at about 3 weeks I take one side off the box and attach an expen to give them more room. At about 5 to 6 weeks..they start to sleep in the puppy room instead of having the run of my office. In the daytime, whenever I am not too busy, my puppies are WITH me through out the house after that, and put to bed at night in the puppy room. They also start to learn to use the pet door out into the puppy room, and none of mine leave before ten weeks.
 
Sun Valley

Sun Valley

New member
In the winter time I start putting puppies outside around 6 weeks, but still bring them in at night. By 8 weeks I move them to my kennel building, which is attached to my house and has indoor/outdoor runs.

In the Summer time they go out earlier for a few hours of sunshine.

To me, it's not healthy for a large litter to be confined to a whelping box. They need a bigger area that can be kept cleaner( puppies go alot and often...:) ) and they need more exercise then a whelping box can provide.

Lou Ann
 
Piratebears

Piratebears

New member
We were thinking along the same lines - we were going to use the whelping box mainly for the first 2-3 weeks and so were planning on having it around 5x5 ft - then at 3 weeks move them into a bigger pen and from 5 weeks use the pen and a sterile out door pen (weather permitting).
I have to confess we don't have oodles of room,but our puppies wont go without
 
Piratebears

Piratebears

New member
Ginny said:
I read through all of your thoughts and suggestions and had this whelping box made. It's 6'X8'X24" with a removable pig rail and is easy to assemble and disassemble. It's fairly heavy though. The sides are made out of the same stuff my kennel walls are covered with. It's a fiberglass product that can be power-washed off. Initially, I wanted seats that could be moved around, but the fellow that made it felt as though screwing them down would keep my fat behind from tumbling down! The sucker nearly takes up the entire living room, but I'm thrilled with it. What we won't do for our dogs...

(Please know that I have tons more people wanting pups from the upcoming litter than I can handle, so this is not a solicitation.)



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WOW ! I love the whelping box - what do you have at the bottom? just a tarp or is there a solid floor too?
 
Pipelineozzy

Pipelineozzy

New member
And remember too..that if pups don't have lots of room..they are forced to sleep where they have soiled..and that ruins cleanliness instinct in them. Shortly after birth..they will begin to go off away from their mother to defecate..they don't WANT to be dirty..so allowing lots of room is important to develop that instinct. I am always so pleased at how quickly they learn to use the pet door once they are in the puppy room (which is right off my kitchen). What's comical is that when I take the side off the whelping box...and put up the expen..they start to use the whelping box as a potty area and sleep out in my office instead, rarely ever soiling outside the box. Even once they have the run of the house..if they are not close to the pet door..they will head for the whelping box to piddle. Before I had the puppy room with the pet door..I used to have to take them all outside every day and bring them back in to help develop that instinct, but now with the door..they just seem to grasp it really well anyway.
 
Piratebears

Piratebears

New member
BluwaterNewfs said:
Here are a few pictures of mine. As you can see, the ledge goes around the whole box and I have an opening at one end. The opening has 2 panels so it can be partially open or completely closed. My ledge comes out when the puppies start climbing on it. I don't think the pipe is big enough to offer the protection ledge does. The puppies can't really get under the pipe.






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Joan - what paint do you use thats ok for the pups incase they lick / gnaw at it ? also - is it a solid floor ?
 
cedarvalleynewfoundlands

cedarvalleynewfoundlands

New member
I use the super size 35X80 reusable underbads used in Nursing homes and hospitals.
They are a bit pricey at right around $35 each, but last forever.
I get them from Metro Medical Online and LOVE them.
I also occasionally use the disposable underpads, and get them from Sams for a very reasonable price. Havent had to buy them in a while, but it seems like they are around $35 for 150 24 X 36 pads.
 
911Newfs

911Newfs

New member
cedarvalleynewfoundlands said:
I use the super size 35X80 reusable underbads used in Nursing homes and hospitals.
They are a bit pricey at right around $35 each, but last forever.
I get them from Metro Medical Online and LOVE them.
I also occasionally use the disposable underpads, and get them from Sams for a very reasonable price. Havent had to buy them in a while, but it seems like they are around $35 for 150 24 X 36 pads.
Click to expand...
You might also try Personal Touch Health Care Apparel. I get the 34x35 reusable underpads ($12.00 each - currently on sale for $10.00 each) and sew them together. They usually offer buy 5, get 1 free, or some other discount. I will have to look at Metro Medical as well.





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911Newfs

911Newfs

New member
My very good friends let me use their whelping box - it is very, very nice (and so are they)! It is made of the melamine-type particle board for the sides, solid 1/2" plywood for bottom. They also have a piece of linoleum flooring that they put down over the plywood floor, attach it all together with the baseboard-frames. Then the sides are installed and the corner attachments. Absolutely love the idea of the linoleum - makes for easy cleaning!!

Here are a few photos.








This has certainly given us many great ideas for the future when building our own. Of course, I may need a larger house! :)















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