|
 Boxers
belonging to the domesticated
canine species often require
human intervention during whelping
and most certainly need loving
human supervision. Presence
of a skilled breeder during
the whelping can make a big
difference in the outcome of
the process. Emerging puppies
need to be dried and cleaned
and sometimes revived if their
journey to the outside world
was difficult or took more time
than usual. For those wishing
to learn how to assist the whelping
bitch efficiently there are
many good books available, however
very few of them go into detail
when it comes to the list of
supplies a breeder must have
on hand when preparing to deliver
the litter.
I am often
asked by less experienced breeders
to assist in whelping their
bitches and I often face the
situation novices seldom know
the list of essentials that
must be prepared in advance
for the process. Sometimes it
is only when the first puppy
arrives, enclosed in sack and
soaked in fluids that the breeder's
family starts their frantic
search for something to dry
the puppy with. I have heard
of Pierre Cardin pajamas being
used for this purpose if they
happen to be in the way of a
panicky first time breeder,
and oh I should definitely not
get started about the items
newbies use for cutting the
umbilical cord of that first
born puppy! Under such circumstances
a part of the litter can be
lost solely because the assistance
was not provided in time.
In our kennel,
we always have a checklist of
supplies and we actually do
go by the list, checking off
items as we place them in the
whelping room (which at other
times is known as our bedroom).
This ensures we are fully ready
for those upcoming arrivals.
We hope that our illustrated
checklist below will be useful
for the novice breeders. This
list is quite extensive, so
we divided it into six parts
grouping the items into the
categories of equipment, blankets,
medications, cleaning products,
essential extras and nonessential
extras. Acquiring all of these
items will probably run over
a one thousand Euro, but nobody
had promised that breeding was
going to be easy or cheap! Some
of the items can be reused with
the following litters, and some
will have to be purchased again
for each upcoming litter.
|
| Main
hardware |
Boxer
bitch in need of whelping
You will obviously need a pregnant
Boxer bitch to begin with! :)
Start assembling your whelping
kit right after her pregnancy
is confirmed. The bitch must be
moved to the whelping room at
least two weeks before the first
due date to get her accustomed
to the whelping box. If everything
is arranged properly and with
the bitch's needs in mind, by
the time whelping approaches,
she should have the idea that
the box is the best place to have
her puppies - not under the porch
or on your bed. Your whelping
supplies should be fully set and
ready one week before the first
due date - some pregnancies end
at day 56 post-breeding. |
Whelping
box
This is an essential piece of
equipment. While some of the toy
breeds can successfully raise
their puppies in a shoebox, Boxers
require properly made and assembled
whelping box. The best whelping
boxes are made of wood and are
stained or painted to make cleaning
easier and to prevent bacteria
from setting in the pores of the
wood. Plywood is not the best
material for a whelping box -
most plywood panels are made with
the use of formaldehyde, a toxic
substance that can be dangerous
to the health of the dam and the
puppies. The whelping box can
be purchased, ordered or made
at home. |
Whelping
box details
For Boxers, the size of the box
must be at least 100 cm by 100
cm. The box above is 120 cm by
120 cm and is 30 cm high. The
height of the box should be sufficient
to keep the puppies from getting
out of the box, yet the dam must
be able to get in and out easily.
This box is made of solid wood
panels, double coated with child-safe
wood polish and has a 10 cm wide
safeguard rail placed 10 cm off
the box floor - our 53 cm tall
Chiara's newborns are normally
small. For larger bitches a 15
cm wide rail 15 cm off the floor
is a better idea. Safeguard rail
is important as it helps prevent
the puppies from getting sat on
by their mother. |
Whelping
box positioning
It is the best to position your
whelping box in the corner of
the room - this prevents drafts
and helps the bitch feel more
secure. Make sure you do not put
the box near the heater or furnace
openings in the winter, and do
not position it right in front
of the door or window. If you
have several dogs, either prevent
them from entering the room where
the pregnant bitch is housed or
put an x-pen around the box -
pregnant and nursing Boxers often
become very aggressive towards
other dogs. The x-pen should not
exceed 1m in height as you must
be able to bend over it and reach
the floor of the box easily. |
|
Heat source
Newborn puppies have very little
ability to control their bodies'
temperature and depend on external
heat sources to keep themselves
warm. Use either a heat pad
under the blanket in the box
making sure all the wiring is
placed out of the dogs' reach
or hang an infrared lamp above
the whelping box. When using
the lamp, put it to the side
of the box leaving at least
one cooler corner - the dam
will then have a chance to lay
there should she start getting
overheated. The distance between
the floor of the box and the
lamp should be at least 100
cm. It is useful to have the
lamp set up on such way that
enables you to change the height
and thus the temperature inside
the box. We do not use external
heat sources if the litter is
born during warm months of the
year, but we do cover the box
with a heavy flannel linen to
help the brood stay warm - they
create their own microclimate
in the nest and are quite comfortable.
|
Thermometer/Hygrometer
We use a digital thermometer which
also shows the humidity level
in our whelping box. This piece
of equipment is often used in
electronics manufacturing. It
measures in both Celsius and Fahrenheit
and is very reliable. Optimal
room temperature for young Boxer
puppies is anywhere between +25
and +28 C with optimal humidity
ranging from 55% to 70%. Don't
forget that the humidity level
the devise shows will be higher
if the bitch slobbers on it or
if the puppy manages to pee on
it, so keep it dry. Place your
thermometer on the floor of the
box and check it frequently. Room
temperature of +17 C can feel
pretty comfortable to you and
even to the bitch, but young puppies
will most likely become chilled
especially if they are left alone
in the box. To control the humidity
level we use several bowls filled
with water and placed in different
corners of the whelping room,
but a fancy humidifier would probably
do a better job. |
Flashlight
We would not ever attempt to assist
with delivery without a reliable
flashlight on hand. The main reason
for having a flashlight is that
you may never know when your electricity
goes out - you would then have
to run all over the house looking
for those Christmas candles as
your bitch struggles to deliver
her first pup. Many times the
bitch requires trips outside in
between the puppies and should
she decide to whelp on one of
these trips in the middle of the
night, you will definitely be
glad to have a flashlight available.
During whelping, always have a
flashlight and a towel with you
every time you take the bitch
outside. |
Kennel
lead
It is a wise idea to have a good
sturdy kennel lead on hand for
one of those trips outside. Even
the best of brood bitches can
occasionally decide to take off
on you and have their next puppy
in the bushes in the yard. Having
her on lead every time she is
taken out will prevent this from
happening. We do not use a regular
collar and a leash in such situations
solely because kennel leads are
much faster to put on and take
off. Define a place for your lead
and always put it there as soon
as you take it off - leads have
an annoying habit of disappearing
when they are needed most - or
have several of them. |
Weight
scale
This is another essential piece
of equipment. We weigh the puppies
as soon as they are born and dried
and continue recording their weight
daily for the first few weeks
of their lives - this helps us
evaluate the development and vitality
of the newborns and also helps
determine when to start supplemental
feeding. Healthy Boxer puppies
will gain steadily anywhere between
50 and 100 gr a day. We expect
a healthy puppy to double his
birth weight by the 10th day.
We do prefer digital postal scale
to any other. The model above
is very reliable and can accurately
measure anything in between 5
gr and 5 kg. It can also be adjusted
to weigh in ounces. A less expensive
option is a digital kitchen scale
- most of them measure quite reliably
and already come with a cup where
you can put the puppies when you
weigh them. |
Container
With almost every weight scale
you will need some kind of container
where you will be putting the
puppies during their weight measuring
sessions. Healthy puppies are
very active, very squirming and
very uncooperative, so putting
them on the flat weight scale
platform is out of the question
- they can crawl off faster than
you can blink. We use a regular
plastic tupperware container.
The weight scale above can be
adjusted to zero in so it doesn't
measure the weight of the container
together with the puppy. If your
scale doesn't have this option,
subtract the weight of the container
from the recorded weight of the
puppy. We would never think of
specifying this separately if
not for one occasion where a novice
breeder phoned us saying his newborn
Boxers measured at over 750 gr
each: he simply forgot to subtract
the weight of the container! |
Clock
You will definitely need to have
a clock in your whelping room.
We suggest recording times as
whelping events progress - should
anything go wrong (prolonged first
stage or the bitch struggling
for too long to push the puppy
out), you will have all the whelping
information ready for the veterinarian.
It will also help you determine
when the trouble begins. Usually
we expect the first puppy to make
his appearance within 24 hours
after the bitch's temperature
drop and we don't want to see
the bitch having continuous fruitless
contractions for anything over
two hours. You will be more comfortable
with the clock that you can see
easily from anywhere in the whelping
room. Hand watch won't do as you
will need to sterilize your hands
frequently. |
Puppy
box
Do not underestimate the importance
of the small box. Should the bitch
become restless or too active
in between the puppies, you can
place those already born in the
puppy box while you safely help
her deliver the next one. As soon
as the next puppy is born and
dried, put the whole litter back
with their mom - we do not support
removing the puppies from the
dam until the whole litter is
born as some breeders practice.
We believe that puppies require
warmth of their dam and especially
the colostrum as soon as they
are born. Puppy box is also very
helpful during daily box cleaning
- you simply put the little ones
in, cover the box and proceed
with washing and drying the whelping
box while the babies wait for
their bed to be ready in a safe
and warm "puppy room". |
Thermometer
Thermometer is a must for anybody
who owns a dog, but especially
a bitch that is heading toward
the end of her pregnancy. Starting
with day 55 from the first breeding
we take the bitch's temperature
three times a day. Hormone progesterone
helps maintain the pregnancy and
as soon as its level drops, the
bitch enters the first labor stage.
The drop of progesterone level
is always accompanied by the drop
of body temperature. First stage
is easy to miss if you do not
measure the bitch's temperature
at least twice daily. Do not be
alarmed at the lower than usual
temperature during second half
of the pregnancy - normally the
bitch will measure at 37.4 - 37.8
C during the last few weeks. The
drop you are looking for is the
one when her temperature goes
way below 37 degrees, usually
36.0 - 36.8 C. Thermometer is
also useful for spotting after
birth complications early and
also for chilled puppies. |
Stethoscope
A good quality cardio stethoscope
is a very helpful tool if you
know how to use it properly. Counting
the puppies' heartbeats before
the whelping helps you determine
approximate number of whelps.
It is also useful in early diagnostics
of various problems with the newborns.
You can use it to check momma's
heartbeat and also to check if
there are any alive puppies left
inside toward the end of the whelping.
We also use it to check for heart
murmurs with older puppies, although
the last word on their cardiac
status is always left to our veterinary
cardiologist. Do not be tempted
to buy the least expensive stethoscope
you see - those cheap ones are
usually totally useless. What
you need is a midrange cardio
stethoscope, there is usually
a good choice of them in the medical
supplies stores. Alternatively,
medical students catalogues usually
carry reasonably priced quality
stethoscopes. |
Sharp
scissors
You will need a pair of good scissors
(we prefer those made in Germany)
if you are involved in dog breeding.
Cutting up linens and gauze in
preparation for whelping, bands
for tail docking, ribbons of tape
for posting the puppies' ears
after cropping, as well as various
bags and packages. We do not use
this pair for cutting the tape
OFF puppies' ears reserving this
task for another pair which we
aim to dull as soon as possible.
We suggest investing into a reliable
pair of scissors that are kept
in top shape by regular visits
to the sharpener. |
Dull
scissors
Maybe even more important than
the pair of sharp scissors, dull
ones have a special role. These
are used for cutting the umbilical
cords and they must be dull! Sharp
scissors used on cords will produce
a lot of unnecessary bleeding,
while dull scissors will "chew
up" the cord much in the
manner the bitch would do herself.
We usually buy a new pair after
each litter, use them on cutting
tape off the pups' ears, so that
by the time we have our next litter,
the scissors are reasonably dull.
You will need to sterilize them
by boiling right before whelping. |
Hemostats
You will need at least two pairs
of surgical hemostats - these
are purchased in the medical supplies
stores. They are used for clamping
the umbilical cord just before
cutting it off - this helps minimize
the bleeding. If placenta was
not delivered with the puppy,
clamp two hemostats on the cord
and cut it in between with your
dull scissors. Now you can safely
dry and revive your puppy. When
you are done with the newborn,
gently pull on the hemostats attached
to the mother's end of the cord
- and placenta will be delivered.
Sterilize your hemostats by boiling
for a minimum of 20 minutes before
whelping and wipe them with betadine
or alcohol in between the puppies. |
Rubber
bulb syringes
You can use either the type shown
above or a baby ear/nose syringe
for sucking the fluids out of
the puppy's mouth and throat as
soon as he is taken out of his
amniotic sack. These will not
work on puppy's nose though -
when presented with a puppy that
is not breathing, forget the bulb
syringes! You will have to embrace
the puppy's face in between your
lips and suck the fluids out -
there is more force to this than
to using a bulb syringe and sometimes
such intervention is absolutely
necessary to safe the pup's life.
Grossed out yet? We never said
breeding was all about fluff and
roses. If grossed out easily or
not ready to roll up your sleeves
and get dirty, perhaps dog breeding
is not for you. |
Eye
dropper
It is a good idea to have a good
quality eyedropper on hand - many
times you will need to place a
few drops of glucose or another
medication onto a newborn puppy's
tongue. There is no need to sterilize
the eyedropper - just get a new
one for the next litter. When
buying an eyedropper, make sure
the end is rounded and not sharp.
Keep it clean and flash with alcohol
in between the puppies. |
Nursing supplies
Having several baby bottles
and nipples is essential. Make
sure your bottles are made of
glass, and your nipples can
be either rubber, silicone or
latex. All of the nursing supplies
must be sterilized every time
before using. We always have
fresh goat's milk on hand and
use it to make our puppy formulas
should the need arise. The best
nipples for Boxer puppies are
those made by Easyflo.
|
Tray
It is a good idea to have several
metal trays to keep all of your
whelping items organized. There
is no need to buy expensive surgical
grade stainless steel trays -
a good quality cookie/pie sheet
will do just fine. |
Table
You will definitely need to have
a table right by the box. This
time we used a grooming table
to organize our whelping supplies
- we especially enjoyed being
able to put a roll of surgical
towels onto the grooming arm. |
| Some
"soft" ware |
Whelping
pads/blankies
Providing you have a good washer
and a dryer, you will need a minimum
of four whelping pads. Make that
six if you don't have access to
a dryer. A good puppy blanket
is made of very absorbent material,
provides good traction, washes
easily and stays put. If your
blanket slides around the box
and forms folds all over, a puppy
can get caught under the pad and
suffocate. Loose material is not
good either - separate threads
can wrap around the puppy's leg
or neck and cause serious damage.
Our puppy blankets are made of
a soft blanket folded in four
and stitched through with a lambskin
pad stitched on - this provides
traction for puppies and lets
moisture go through the pad keeping
the whelps dry. These blankets
are easy to wash and dry and are
very durable. |
Hand towels
Lots of towels! These are used
for drying the newborns, and
you will need a minimum of two
towels per puppy. We use inexpensive
kitchen cotton towels that can
be washed at 90 degrees and
even boiled. Wash them and iron
them before whelping and store
them under cover - we wouldn't
want our towels to sit somewhere
and collect house dust before
we need them. Often times you
will insert a corner of this
towel into a newborn's mouth
so do make sure they are as
clean as possible. We usually
wrap a stack of boiled and ironed
towels into a surgical paper
sheet and put the whole thing
into a plastic bag, this way
they stay perfectly clean. The
towels can be reused after careful
cleaning or simply replaced
with the new ones for the next
litter.
|
Flannel
sheets
The more the better! Our bitches
whelp on flannel sheets that get
changed to puppy blankets when
the whelping is complete. You
will also use flannel sheets under
the bitch's rear so that she doesn't
stain the puppy blanket with lochia,
you will use them if you need
to bottle feed the puppies, you
can use them to slowly warm up
a chilled pup, etc. Incontinence
pads are great to have as well. |
Gauze
sponges
Having a pack of sterile gauze
sponges on hand is a good idea.
You will use them wrapped around
your finger to dry inside the
newborn's mouth. You will use
them to stop bleeding from the
umbilical cord and to apply gentle
disinfectant on the cord's end.
You will also use them to wipe
your hemostats and scissors with
bactericide solution in between
the arrivals. |
| Cleaning
products |
Why
cleaning is important
Newborn puppies have fairly immature
immune systems and cannot fight
off bacteria if placed in dirty
environment. Cleanliness is therefore
very important, even though you
will probably not be able to prevent
parvo or herpes virus by maintaining
simple hygiene. While you should
not aim to completely sterilize
the puppies' environment, washing
the floors in the room where the
puppies live, as well as their
whelping box daily is a must. |
Floor
cleaner
We use a hospital strength surface
disinfectant/decontaminant with
bactericidal, virusidal and fungicidal
properties for washing the floors
in the puppy room. We can also
dilute it and use as a spray for
scissors and hemostats during
whelping. There are many similar
products on the market, but make
sure whatever you buy is a child-safe
product. We definitely prefer
this product over bleach and over
many other toxic household cleaning
products. |
Whelping
box cleaner
Whelping box is one of the places
where harsh chemicals should not
be allowed entry. We use a 100
% natural disinfectant spray for
cleaning the box. It kills bacteria
(effective against Salmonella,
Staphylococci and Pseudomonas),
mold and mildew using only 100%
biodegradable plant extracts.
The spray's main ingredient is
Thymol present as a component
of thyme oil and contains no synthetic
fragrances, dyes, ammonia or chlorine.
As the puppies grow and their
immune systems mature, we use
the cleaner less often giving
the little ones a chance to meet
all kinds of bacteria they will
have to deal with once out of
the box. |
Hand
cleansers
Well, here we have our antimicrobal
hand wipes we use during whelping,
our antiseptic skin soap containing
2% of Chlorhexidine Gluconate
and a regular instant hand sanitizer
which is basically "alcohol
in jelly" type of solution
and doesn't require rinsing. We
use these every time before handling
the puppies, especially if we
just came in from outside. If
we need to take the puppies to
the vet, a jar of antimicrobal
wipes goes along - we wouldn't
want the puppies picking up something
nasty in the hospital. You might
use all three types of hand cleansers
or opt for the one you prefer. |
Paper
towels, toilet paper, kleenex
Paper towels, lots and lots of
paper towels! You will use them
for cleaning and washing, as well
as wiping the whelping box after
spraying with a cleaner. We use
kleenex tissues for small cleanups.
Toilet paper is best when it comes
to wiping thermometer with rubbing
alcohol every time after use,
and you will use it two to three
times daily, it's cheaper than
cotton and does as good a job. |
Baby
wipes
Small puppies have no sense of
dignity - they poop all over themselves
and onto each other, they burp,
they get head on into mom's vaginal
discharge, and nothing is as easy
quick and efficient as a baby
wipe for cleaning up those messy
little guys. You will need lots
of baby wipes, but make sure they
are plain, no fragrance or other
harsh substances added. |
Surgical
towel roll
We use these towels under the
bitch during whelping to soak
up fluids which usually come out
in quantities sufficient for rescuing
the crops in the whole drought
exhausted country of Zimbabwe. |
Wash
cloths
These will come in handy for washing
the floor and the box. We suggest
having several of them in different
sizes - larger ones will be used
for floors and the smaller ones
for the whelping box. Replace
before the next litter. |
Waste
basket
It is a smart idea to have one
in the whelping room. Laundry
basket would be helpful as well
- you will have lots of laundry. |
Other
cleaning items
You will need a bucket, a mop,
a broom and a shovel (we use the
small variety for sweeping up
the whelping box), plenitude of
plastic bags, etc |
| Medications
& supplements |
Alcohol
and the disinfecting family
You will use rubbing alcohol for
wiping up the thermometer. Betadine
comes in handy for wiping the
hemostats and scissors in between
the puppies. The "green thing"
also known as Solutio Viridis
Nitentis Spirituosa is one of
the oldest and umbilical cord
disinfectant, it is gentle but
powerful. |
K-Y
jelly
For lubricating your thermometer
before measuring the bitch's temperature.
You want to keep your K-Y sterile,
so do not insert the thermometer
into the tube! Squeeze a small
amount of jelly onto a sheet of
toilet paper and lubricate your
thermometer. Use another sheet
of toilet paper to clean the thermometer. |
Potassium
permanganate
This is one of the essential disinfectants
to have on hand. Dissolve a few
purple crystals in water to make
it slightly pink and use the resulting
gentle natural disinfectant solution
for washing up the bitch after
whelping as well as washing her
paws and breasts upon coming from
the outside to the puppies. |
Bach
Rescue Remedy
A homeopathic preparation excellent
for comforting and reassuring
the future mom as well as the
overly anxious breeder. Place
4 drops on tongue or dissolve
in small quantity of water and
sip. We have also successfully
used this all-natural preparation
on puppies in distress after a
long and difficult delivery. |
Glucose
containing solutions
For chilled or hungry puppies
as well as for exhausted moms.
Use ONLY as directed by your veterinarian.
Subcutaneous injection of 40%
glucose will lead to painful skin
inflammations, so either dilute
it with Ringers or use via IV
route! |
Calories/vitamins
concentrate
Used during especially difficult
whelping to boost up the bitch's
energy. Can be safely used for
older puppies if needed. Excellent
for shipping puppies to give them
that little extra nutrition before
the flight. |
Injectable
calcium solution
To be injected at the first signs
of eclampsia or to help during
delivery. Best administration
route is intravenous, although
deep i/m is possible. Use ONLY
if and as directed by your veterinarian. |
Calcium
tablets
If uncomfortable with injectables,
have some fast dissolvable calcium
tablets on hand. These can save
the life of your bitch should
she start developing signs of
eclampsia in the middle of the
night when the vet office is closed. |
Oxytocin
Used for strengthening or restarting
uterine contractions as well as
for bringing milk in. A very powerful
medication that can do miracles
or can kill your bitch if used
incorrectly or in the wrong moment.
If not experienced in proper administration
of oxytocin, use ONLY when and
as directed by your veterinarian.
|
Other
drugs
Many experienced breeders have
other drugs on hand such as dopram
and atropine to revive a stillborn
puppy or no-spa and seduxen for
the bitch. Please note that we
DO NOT ADVOCATE CASUAL USE OF
THESE OR ANY OTHER DRUGS. Use
them ONLY when and as directed
by your veterinarian. |
Ringers
solution
Use lactated ringers solution
to rehydrate the mother or the
puppies should the need arise
- via IV in the mother, s/c for
the pups. Also can be used as
base for glucose-water solution
for weak puppies. Keep sterile
(do not poke the bag with anything
other than a sterile needle). |
Pedialyte
Plain unflavored pedialyte can
be used orally for rehydrating
the bitch or the puppies if you
are not comfortable administering
lactated ringers solution intravenously.
For puppies use a baby bottle,
stomach tube or eyedropper. For
the bitch - offer straight in
her water bowl or mix with her
regular drink. |
Injectable
vitamin concentrate
Wonderful for boosting up tired
bitches during and after whelping
as well as those in the peak of
their lactation. Use ONLY as directed
by your veterinarian. |
Fenugreek
herb
One of the most powerful herbs
that helps bring milk down in
lactating bitches. Use capsules
or make tea and mix with the milk
drink your nursing bitch gets. |
Syringes
You will need several syringes
of various sizes. We usually have
1 cc, 2 cc, 5 cc and 10 cc syringes
available, as well as a huge 100
cc syringe for administering oral
medications. Do not reuse syringes
and make sure to cap them properly
before disposal. We also keep
a few IV lines on hand, as well
as extra needles of different
sizes. Consult your veterinarian
on what syringes you should prepare. |
More
about syringes and injections
Ideally every breeder should know
how to inject medications i/m,
s/c and i/v. If you are just starting
out, ask your veterinarian or
a more experienced breeder to
teach you how to use syringes.
Be extra cautious when using any
kind of medication on your dogs
and always seek advice of your
veterinarian on proper dosage
and administration route. Keep
syringes safely locked away from
children. |
Euthanasing
agent
If your veterinarian trusts you
with a few cc of the euthanasing
medication to use on puppies born
with serious defects, label the
syringe properly and store it
safely locked up. Do not connect
a needle to a syringe containing
deadly medication. We do not recommend
novice breeders use this drug.
DO NOT bring such medication home
if you have children or mentally
incapable family members or if
you cannot provide proper safe
storage of the drug. If you do
not have euthanasing drugs available
to you and if you are presented
with a fatal defect in the puppy,
bring it to the vet as soon as
possible to be humanely destroyed
- ideally before it takes its
first drink of milk. |
Butterflies
These are a must if you euthanise
puppies born with defects at home
and are a necessary precaution
measure. Many medicines used for
euthanasing puppies are deadly
to humans, and you must follow
the proper routine for administering
poisonous substances. Inject the
needle of the butterfly into the
puppy and connect the syringe
containing medication to the opposite
end of the devise. This technique
prevents you from accidentally
pocking yourself or the helper
with the syringe containing poisonous
substance. Remember most of euthanasing
agents are extremely dangerous
to people. Think twice before
brining it home, especially if
you have children (or a spouse
who secretly dislikes you). |
| Essential
extras |
Phone
Make sure you have a phone in
your whelping room so that you
don't have to leave the bitch
alone should you need to call
the vet in case of trouble. |
Pen
Do have several pens on hand to
record the whelping events. Pens
are much like socks and kennel
leads in their ability to disappear
when they are most needed. |
Note
board
It is very useful to have a note
board with the phone numbers of
your veterinarian, nearest emergency
clinic, 24 hours taxi service,
your mentor, your priest, your
psychiatrist and whoever else
you might feel like phoning during
whelping. It saves time if you
don't have to run around the house
madly trying to locate that Post-It
with the necessary phone number
as your bitch struggles with the
puppy stuck half-in half-out. |
Temperature
spreadsheet
We always use some kind of a spreadsheet
taped above the whelping box to
record the temperature of the
bitch from day 55 from the first
breeding until a few days post-whelping.
On the vertical there are actual
calendar dates and the days post-breeding
recorded, and on the horizontal
there are temperature values in
Celsius. Simply mark the needed
square to record the temperature
reading. In case of trouble your
vet will love you for your proper
temperature record. |
Whelping
spreadsheet
After loosing our whelping notes
on several occasions we now use
standardized whelping spreadsheets
where we record the details of
each arrival, including his time
of birth, presented position,
birth weight, vitality status,
gender, color and markings, and
any other particulars. These sheets
get stored in kennel files and
are a very useful reference. |
Puppy
weight spreadsheet
These are used for recording puppies'
weight measurements on a daily
basis. We suggest weighing the
puppies every morning and recording
the weight on the sheet. Calculating
daily gain is very useful for
spotting possible puppy problems
early. Anybody not gaining properly
should get immediate attention.
It is also a great reference tool
to use with your future litters. |
| Nonessential
extras: |
TV,
VCR, video tapes, books, food,
water, coffee, champagne - for
humans;
Vanilla ice-cream for the bitch;
Camera for taking those first
photos;
Newspapers if you prefer to use
them in the box during whelping,
we don't;
Clothes that you will wear during
delivery - make sure they are
very clean, very comfortable and
easy to wash;
A good washing machine for washing
mountains of puppy blankets;
Window mesh - can be a very useful
thing to have if you raise the
litter during summer months. |
 Now
that you have assembled your whelping
kit with all of the necessary
items in place, you can start
waiting for the puppies! A very
exciting and nervous time for
most breeders, it is best spent
knitting, watching movies, reading
novels, thinking up names for
the upcoming puppies or... writing
articles... :)
We wish you all the best for
your upcoming litter!
May the delivery be fast and
easy, may the whelping start
at 11 AM and finish by 3 PM,
may your bitch be the most perfect
mother of all, may all of the
babies be fat and healthy, may
there be no defects in the litter
so that you don't have to do
what we all hate doing, and
may there be a puppy of your
dreams in this litter - the
most beautiful, the smartest,
the healthiest, the most perfect
Boxer you have been striving
to produce!
|
WHELPING
SUPPLIES article
Written by Alexandra Gav, DVM
Photos taken at Eurozone Boxer
kennel
July 2004
©2004 European Boxer Zone
©2006 Eurozone
Boxer kennel |
