Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook.pdf - Mr. Walnuts

PREPARING FOR WHELPING
PREGNANCY AND WHELPING • 471
Dams should deliver at home in familiar surroundings where they are at ease.
The best place to care for newborn puppies is in a whelping box. The box
should be located in a warm, dry, out-of-the-way spot that is free from drafts,
noise, and distractions.
An adequate wooden box for large dogs should be at least 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to
1.5 m) on each side and 12 inches (30 cm) high. A box 2 to 3 feet (61 to 91
cm) on each side and 8 inches (20 cm) high is sufficient for toy breeds. The
sides should be tall enough to keep puppies from crawling out while allowing
the dam to step (not jump) over. If necessary, one side can be made shorter
than the others to help the dam. This side can be replaced by a taller board
when the pups are older.
The floor is much easier to clean and the box easier to store if the sides are
removable. Therefore, the sides of the whelping box should not be nailed to
the floor. Instead, they should be held in grooves made by nailing 1-by-2-inch
(2.5-by-5-cm) molding around the edges. The sides are then joined and held
in place by hook-and-eye latches.
Make a shelf around the inside of the box a few inches from the floor by
nailing 3-inch to 6-inch (7-cm to 15-cm) wide boards to all four sides.
Puppies will instinctively crawl under these ledges and thus are less likely to
be stepped or rolled on by their mother. All wood surfaces should be treated so
they are safe for the pups and easy to clean and disinfect.
There are many commercial whelping boxes available that have safe, easyto-clean
surfaces. If you borrow a whelping box, be sure to thoroughly disinfect
it.
Lay several sheets of newspaper in the bottom of the box to absorb moisture.
If you ask at your local newspaper office, you may be able to get sheets of
newsprint without any printing so you won’t get ink on the pups. Because
newspapers offer little traction and do not provide a good surface for crawling,
cover the newspapers with heavy towels, mattress pads, or some other material
that gives good traction and is either washable or disposable. Make sure
there are no strings or loose strips or threads in the bedding that could entrap
the puppies. Disposable baby diapers are excellent for toy breeds. Newborn
puppies should never be placed in deep, loose bedding, such as blankets, in
which they can smother. Also do not use straw or wood chips, because these
substances can be inhaled.
Cold, damp quarters are a leading cause of newborn puppy deaths. The whelping
room should be free of drafts and kept at a temperature of 85°F (29°C) for
the first seven days after delivery. During the second week, reduce the temperature
to 80°F (27°C). Thereafter, progressively reduce the temperature to
72°F (22°C) by the time the litter is 6 weeks old. Keep a constant check on
the temperature using a thermometer placed on the floor of the whelping box
(and carefully protected from the puppies).