Whelping boxes - tips, advise?

[Joss]

The OH's brother is about to have a litter of puppies from his Boxer bitch. To say he is excited would be a huge understatement He has bought a rather posh whelping box which is 4' x4' with a door at the front & pig rails all round.

What would you recommend for on the floor of it? Any previous puppies I have had experience of have simply used layers of newspaper. Wondering if this is still the best as quite harsh for a bitch to lie on who is used to big, fluffy bedding I see that vetbed is recommended on some websites but I would be nervous of 'losing' a puppy underneath it & wonder if the bitch will clean up after her pups the same as they do off newspaper?

Thoughts & experiences please folks..........

 

[Smile_and_Wave]

Our dogs box was a draw lol, nothing as fancy as that, she was at first on a nice comfy soft bed, we checked them regualrly and once or twice a puppy did get under the bedding but they were fine, once they had gotten a bit bigger, wiggly but eyes still shut, we put the mum and pups in a cage with a soft bed at the back for her and then newspapaers at the front, she cleaned up after them on the soft bed as well as the newspapers and they actually all learnt to poop on the newspaper not the bed which was good

 

[CorvusCorax]

We always used newspaper, cardboard and a small bit of Vetbed...and a three sided box my uncle knocked together...cruel gits!!!

 

[Maesfen]

We're worse, we use an enormous plastic hen crate, about 3 x 5ft with sides about 9inches high! It has a removeable (so scrubbable) wooden bottom which we line with newspaper while she's having them; once she's finished, they're moved onto a massive Vetbed in the box but still with paper underneath as sometimes, the bitch gets too hot so scrawps the bedding up and this lets the pups still have a bit of something under them. There's a slice taken out of one corner which lets the bitch walk through the gap rather than risk her jumping back in and landing on a pup; the pups soon find their way in and out too so no problems on that score. The neighbours are all primed at whelping time to save all their newspapers; believe it or not and not being at all snooty about it but the Times and Telegraph seem to be the best, both on size and absorbency.

 

[MurphysMinder]

I used a wooden box, 3 high sides with rails and a lower one at the front, with the facility to raise the front as the pups grew. I whelp on newspaper, changing the paper as it gets damp and then once the bitch has finished they are on vet bed placed on newspaper. The vetbed wicks any damp away from pups and having newspaper underneath absorbs it. I also used to chat up neighbours to save their papers, it is amazing the amount a litter of pups can go through.

 

[FestiveSpirit]

My mum always uses a fancy purpose built whelping box with rails around - she used to use a heat pad underneath, but has now changed to a heat lamp overhead if required as it is more easily controlable? She whelps them and keeps them on vetbed, changed very regularly as required - she has a HUUUUGGGGEEE stock of the stuff

 

[EAST KENT]

You can now buy vetbed liners that are like a pillow so a stiffener can be slid in ,no scratching up or lost puppies. It varies here,some are so good they have a big squashy doughnut bed,some have to have pig rails..and my borders and lakies have a home made arrangement that is perfect for them we cut a plastic barrel in half,cut out a lower entrance hole,put in lots of nice sweet hay..and there you are a squashy terrier size bed,a blanket over the top if it is at all chilly. Every breed is different in it`s needs.

 

[echodomino]

Mum has a wooden whelping box she made herself, it has 3 high sides and the front is lower so the bitch can get in and out easily but the pups can't, then when they're old enough she takes the front off, there are pig bars all around which get removed when the pups are big enough not to be squidged. She uses newpaper with vetbed on the top.

I've had 3 JRT litters and they've all been in huge cardboard boxes cut to whelping box shape with makeshift pig rails and about an inch of newspaper with a vetbed on top, never had any probs