I've been chatting with several other CWC breeders about supplies needed for whelping. Since its my first litter I pretty have zero supplies. It took me two years to accumulate all of the 'needed' supplies for lambing and i seem to throw out a lot of stuff that expires each year due to not needing it, but I guess I'd rather throw it out and buy a new bottle of calcium gluconate (or something else that has expiration date) than have a ewe or lamb that needs it at 4am on a Sunday or a snowstorm.
I have already purchased a food scale...digital to the .10 ounce. I have lots of old towels, but was curious as to what else would be needed (obviously a lot)
It would be helpful if you could perhaps send me a private email with what would be needed, or you can reply here too.
I realize i need a whelping box, which I'll probably do a plastic swimming pool for starters. I need a lower Xpen so i can reach over and pick up puppies at any time, and obvious things like heat pat or lamp, but specifically what KIND you have used, or what products NEVER to buy.
Also where you go to find these supplies...ebay, petedge, etc.
I didn't want to buy too many things before she was confirmed pregnant, and have it sit here taking up space if she wasn't bred, but I guess its better to err on the side of caution right?
8 comments:
I've never raised a litter, but am a "professional bucket bitch", and one big thing friends have stocked up in is those bed pads, for seniors. You can get them at medical supply stores, and they're a lifesaver for puppy boxes.
It's basically bed-sized diaper, you put under the pad to soak up anything. Helps keep things sanitary, and aids in cleaning (So you don't have to scrub the floor each time, just toss the pad)
That's the big thing not a lot of people seem to know about, but I know from personal experience as 'bucket bitch', they're soooo handy! Oh and a new washing machine... a friend blew out her washer from puppy laundry, so ended up buying two, a nice one for people clothes, and the other a $50 used one for dog laundry! haha
Hemostats to clamp cords
Latex gloves-makes for cleaner you and puppy
Dental floss, unwaxed for tying off cords
Iodine for cords
Blunt scissors-like those little kid ones for school, to cut cords.
Lots and lots and lots, did I say lots? of towels.
Frozen or fresh goats milk and some of Cathy O's fading puppy formula made
I use a regular human heating pad and find that Mom likes to lay on it too
Some thing to id puppies by-Jeri had the cool numbered collars for her gang-I'm going to get some of those for my next litter
Clipboard and copies of Cathy O's forms, lots of pens, clock and I like to have one of those remote thermoters-where I can put a remote in the whelping box and have the read out where I can easily see it.
Extra bottles and nipples to supplement puppies. French tubes if you feel confident in doing tube feeding but I use a syringe.
Hum-since I whelp in a seperate room in the house, a space heater to moderate the temp at about 74-76 air temp. The heating pad keeps mom and pups much warmer and they will move on and off it as needed.
Oh-goodies for momma dog-chicken broth, nutrical, anything that she will eat.
Good luck and heck, that's a list, plus I think I missed a few things---OH a good book or movie for you
:0)
I'm still at work on the article for the Bulletin that lists supplies and where to get them. I prefer the Pet Safe warming pad to a regular heating pad. It's low voltage, has a chew resistant cord, does not automatically shut off, and is placed under the pads in the whelping pool/box. My crew move over it at night when the house is cooler and away from it during the day. Have some Probiocyn on hand for the newborns and the mom and some unflavored Pedialyte which will give the puppies a boost if Mom is not willing or able to nurse at the outset. The whelping and neo-natal puppy care books by Myra Savant-Harris are required reading. Be sure to have a flexible oral/rectal thermometer on hand to check Zoe's temperature twice a day when you get closer to whelping time -- keep a chart.
I also made a warming box (35 qt. plastic storage box) with a human 12" x 14" warming pad (without an auto shut off) under a small crate pad. I bought a Radio Shack adaptor to use with the heating pad/warming box in the car for taking puppies to and from the vets'. We used that at midnight after the C-Section.
When I finish the article, I'll forward it to you.
I had a PVC whelping box with attached potty room built by my friend at grayfootagility.com. He doesn't yet show it on his site, but it will be there soon. It weighs half of what wood weighs, can be disinfected, hosed off, and breaks down completely for storage -- knock-down size is 40" x 40" by approximately 8" deep. The sides are 14" high, with a removable panel on one side to take the height there down to 10" for mom to jump in and out.
I've already sent you the eddress for the "lightly used" hospital pads. They've certainly stood me in good stead.
After I got the entire list together and neatly arranged in a three drawer rolling plastic chest, we did a C-Section and I used only a few things -- BUT I'm glad I had everything on hand. Most of it will work for the next litter anyway and it's all organized in one place.
People are giving you great advice. I love my plastic swimming pool for the whelping box. 1. cheap 2. easy to clean 3. can move easy - I have a bad back and I can swing the pool towards me instead of climbing through it if I need the bitch closer to me.
Also, I love my snuggle safe for heat without electric cords.
I don't bother with hemostat, scissors, dental floss, and stuff. If the mom doesn't do the cord, I shred it with my nails. Shredding it mimics what happens if the mom chews it and keeps it from bleeding much.
WARM. Space heater and heating pad. I use the pad with the wire-covered cord and thermostat. I keep my puppy room so warm at first that you can wear few clothes in it. One has to be careful around the puppy cam when doing that though.
I use a pool for the first couple of weeks and then move them to a 4 x 4 box, and then to two 4 x 4 boxes as they grow.
Tube-feeding supplies. For "just in case" and especially if you're going to be expecting a big litter. You'll hopefully have an idea of that first.
I love the Dura-whelp box that I ordered, a bit of an expense but well worth it. I think the next time I’m going to order their heating system since I always worried about the heating pad. I also used their box liners which help with clean up.
The other things that have come in handy are the Snuggle Safe, microwave heating disc, the puppies loved to snuggle with it to keep warm. I also have used the thin fleece pads in the box, easy to wash and good tractions for the little ones.
I started weighing the babies on my food scale in a cake pan but that quickly became a chore as they got wiggly. so I got a puppy sling and scale with worked great.
Of course one of the basic things was a package of 80 shop towels from Costco, being white you can see any little thing on them and they wash as bleach well and you can toss them if they get too nasty.
Once I started feeding them our flying saucer pan has been great and my brother gave me an immersion blender a while back it is fabulous for making puppy mash.
Have tube feeding stuff on hand so that you don't have to think about where they are if you have to tube.
Camera!
They are a lot of work so anything that makes it easier for you and the mom helps a lot.
Tube feeding stuff, nutracal in case mom needs a boost, frozen liver in the freezer just in case- thaws fast. A couple of baskets or buckets or garbage cans (clean) for tossing used towels, messy papers whatever into during the birth so they are out of the way. (I just made my son run for these things as I needed them, but if you are home alone?) Definately the camera, although I was too nervous at the time to take pictures, I wish I had.
I forgot something! My knees were killing me so I have a garden kneeler made by CROC to use in front of the whelping box. Of course I have ouchy knees anyway. Also Dawn is right to have something for trash handy. I have 2 5 gallon paint buckets one for trash and one for soiled but washable towels etc.
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