Whelping Checklist : Things You Need for Expecting New Born Puppies

When a woman is pregnant, everyone around her becomes so caring that she feels like a pampered queen of her house. We can’t deny the fact that caring of a ‘to be’ mother plays a vital role in the safe delivery and a healthy child. Same formula goes for our beloved pets. The animals, especially the female ones, require more attention during their pregnancy span. They love to be alone and don’t want us to interfere during their whelping, but at the same time, they love our help and support. Dog Owner should be aware of Basic Whelping Puppies Checklist to take a better care of their New Birthing Puppies.

If you have a dog and the bitch is about to whelp, it is essential to create a comfortable environment for her. Also, we must be prepared to have what we will need for them at the time of delivery. We should be their helping hands during this painful process of delivering a baby. Here are some puppy whelping supplies and a Dog Breeder checklist you can rely on! Read further and don’t forget to use pen and paper to make a note. Below are shown some Optimized Whelping Box Supplies for better comfort to your dogs. Dogs delivering puppies are in pain. Whelping Puppies Checklist helps a dog owner by providing them basic necessities at the time of delivery. 

Whelping Puppies Checklist

Whelping occurs with few minor issues. If the dog owner is not aware of such problems, the dog may not get through the process quickly. She usually needs a little help from the owner. Create a checklist for the necessities and prepare yourself for any emergencies.

1. Whelping Box – It is a fundamental need if the bitch is about to Dog whelp in the house. Make or purchase a comfortable whelping box and put some small towels in it to keep it warm from inside. Make sure that you are placing the box at your canine’s favorite place to provide convenience.

2. Vet Number & Address – Note down the veterinarian’s numbers and clinic address in a diary and put it near your telephone so that you can quickly find it. You may not need a vet, but you must take all types of precautions.

3. Vehicle and Fuel – Make sure that you have a car available at the time of whelping and also check the fuel in it. In the case of emergencies, you may need a vehicle to take the bitch to the pet hospital. So, be ready.

4. A friend or Babysitter – If you have a small child at home, it is better to have a friend or a babysitter at your place near the due date. They can help you to take care of the other important stuff so that you can focus on the whelping. A friend can also drive you and your canine to the hospital if needed.

5. Digital Thermometer – It is an essential item. Start taking a note of the mother’s body temperature before two weeks of the expected due date. When the temperature goes down to the 99 degrees, be prepared for the puppies.

6. Heating Pad or Hot Water Bottle – Heating pad is helpful to keep the puppies warm. The hot water bottle is for the traveling purpose. Just in case you need to take the dog to the hospital, such containers will help her in decreasing the pain.

7. Scissors – Scissors are used to cut the umbilical cord. You must have a clean pair of scissors as well as Hemostats in the whelping kit.

8. Unwanted Dental Floss – It is used for tying the umbilical cord if needed.

9. Lubricant – We can use K.Y. Jelly or Vaseline as lubricants to help the bitch when her puppies get stuck. Professionals have approved both of them.

10. Newspaper Rags or Paper Towels – To keep the whelping box area as clean as possible. Newspaper rags or paper towels can help in the drying process.

11. Surgical Gloves – Just in case you need to pull out the stuck puppy, you can’t do that without wearing surgical gloves. Also, after the whelping sessions, to hold and clean each puppy, you will need such antibacterial gloves to avoid infections.

12. Trash Bags – Have some disposable bags and keep them near the whelping box for the proper cleaning.

13. Flashlight or Torch – Keep some extra lights just in case of power outage. It becomes challenging to whelp the puppies when there is no light. As the whelping time is not pre-decided and it might come at night, we have to be ready with some charged flashlights or torches.

14. Hand Sanitizer – Clean, clean, and clean! During the whole process, you may get connected with the bitch – directly or indirectly. If not during the whelping procedures, then just for the cleaning part of the whelping box. So, you have to take care that you don’t get any infections or allergies. For that purpose, the hand sanitizers can help you.

15. Ribbons – Ribbons are optional but preferable. When there are lots of puppies, that too when all come with the same color, it is difficult to remember them. Different colors’ ribbons can help you to identify puppies.

16. Measurement Scales and Weighing Machines – It is imperative to note down the height and weight of the birth of newborn puppies. They can help us to notice the changes occurring in the body from which we can find out any abnormalities. So, use a right quality scale & weighing machine and also maintain a chart of all the measurement for each puppy.

17. Puppy Food or Canine Milk Substitute – If you want, you can get all the information from the internet regarding the healthy food for the puppies and their mother. There are also some milk replacers available which are as healthy as the puppy food. Try some and compare the results.

18. Teat Bottles – Sometimes, the mother is unable to feed her puppies. At that time, the bottles – which we generally use for the toddlers to give milk or water – can be helpful to feed the baby dogs. So it’s better to have 2 or 3 bottles at home.

19. Calcium – Calcium is essential for the growing puppies. To be very specific, the Vanilla Ice-cream works amazing on them as it helps to keep them hydrate and provides glucose for energy. If needed, one can give other calcium supplements also. Consult the vet and go further.

20. Puppy Holding Box – Generally, 24” X 18” plastic box is comfortable enough to hold the puppy. If you want to take the puppies out, you should purchase such carrying boxes for convenient movement.

So, these are the necessary puppy whelping supplies. If you are owning a pet which is pregnant, you should have a whelping kit ready to be used. I have listed down the must-have supplies that any breeder ‘must-have’ in the house. Dog Owner should practice well for Whelping Puppy Litters.

But always remember that first and foremost, you should speak to the pet doctor to seek advice and make him aware about the pregnancy of the bitch so that when needed, you can call him/her directly to get the guidance in case of emergency.