PEI Animal Rescue & Information

Car
Have your car ready in case you have to make a quick trip to
the vet’s office. Ideally, you’ll have someone to drive while
you sit with the bitch. Take some towels with you because it is
very common for the bitch to start delivering with the motion
of the car. You should protect your car’s carpeting or
upholstery with a sheet or blanket that can be washed. Make
sure the car is gassed up and ready to go. If you need to make
the trip, you don’t want to have to delay for things like that.

Whelping Box
A box with sides large enough for the bitch to stretch out
comfortably. She and the pups will live in the box for the
first few weeks. The whelping box should have guard rails (also
called pig rails) extending from the sides to protect the
puppies from their mother rolling over on them.

Newspapers
Keep a good supply of newspapers on hand to line the whelping
box during the actual whelping. As the papers become messy, you
can just put a new layer down and clean the whole thing up when
the whelping is over.

Trash Can
Keep a trash can on hand for use during the whelping and while
the pups are growing up. Trust me — puppies are messy!

Incubator Box
You’ll need a smaller box on hand to put the puppies in when
Mom is delivering another puppy. You don’t want the pups to get
cold so line it with a towel and keep it near a heat source or
put a heating pad under the towel. A clean laundry basket works
well for this — and is easy to carry when you need to take the
pups to the vet for their first checkup.

Sharp Safety Scissors
For cutting the umbilical cord.

Quick Stop Powder
To stop bleeding, if there is any, after cutting umbilical
cord.

Betadine
For cleaning umbilical cord end after cut.

  Hemostat forceps
For clamping off the umbilical cord prior to cutting it. You
can use two and tear the cord as an alternative to cutting it.
This helps inhibit bleeding.

Dental Floss
For tying off the umbilical cord after cutting it.

Surgical Gloves
Use if you have to help deliver the puppies.

Digital Thermometer
For checking the bitch’s temperature in the day’s before her
due date.

Bulb Syringe
For helping clear out puppies who are born with problems.

Flashlight
Puppies always seem to come in the middle of the night and if
you need to let your bitch go outside, you’ll need to keep a
close eye on her. A good strong flashlight will make that
easier.

Leash and flat buckle collar
Same reason as above. If you take her out on a leash, she’s
less likely to disappear into a dark corner and leave a puppy
there without your knowledge.

Clock
For timing the whelping and the time between puppies.

Notebook
For recording details. The puppy sheets mentioned in the record
keeping sheet will work as well.

Rickrack Ribbon
For identifying puppies. Tie a loose bit around each pups neck
when you check them out and weigh them after birth.

Food Scale
For weighing the puppies at birth and daily thereafter.

Heating Lamp
A 100 watt bulb installed with a dimmer switch in one corner of
the box will allow puppies to move toward the heat if they are
too cool. The dimmer switch will allow you to control the heat.

Fan
If the weather is very hot, you should keep a fan on hand. This
is more for the mother than the pups. Don’t set the fan up to
blow directly on the pups but rather to move the air across the
top of the whelping box. If the mother is panting a lot in the
whelping box once she’s finished and has rested, set the fan up
so that she can cool down and be comfortable with the puppies.

Whelping Box Pads or Blankets
While the pups are still in the whelping box, you’ll need to
keep a blanket or pad in their box. This pad will need to be
changed twice a day or more, depending on how well the dam
cleans up after the pups. A piece of fleece with a towel sewn
to the back the same size as the whelping box makes a great
pad. They can be washed and bleached to keep them clean. Having
four on hand will keep you from having to do endless laundry.
Don’t put these pads in the whelping box until the whelping is
over.