Hi,

Just wondering if I could pick the brains and experience of some of the breeders on here, what would you consider the essentials to be in your whelping kit?

I'll get a heat map and light (puppies will be born around christmas if all goes well!)
whelping box with pig rails
scales to weigh the pups
record books to check weights of pups
Collars so I can tell them apart

What do you have as far as medical supplies go - we always have a basic dog 1st aid kit but I was wondering what else you use?

I've seen the 'complete whelping kits' on ebay and was just wondered what everyone uses?

thanks

Id have...

emergency feeding bottles and milk
phone number of the vets on hand
Book of the Bitch
lots of Towels
make shift incubating box i.e. heat pad in a cardboard box in- case mum needs to go to vets or she is a bit clumsy when having the puppies.
A Good hand wash

Id get either pad or light but not both Iv only used heat pads.

All the above and....

KY Gel just in case of stuck pup
Umbilical clamps (emergencies only) never had to use them yet
Sterile scissors
lots of towels
Newspapers
Bottle of Collo-Cal D
Hot water bottle or a heat pad to warm in micro-wave in case you need to make a visit to vets
Torch for when the bitch needs to go outside (always happens at night in this house)
Glucose powder to add to mums water during whelping to keep her energy up

Apart from the easy ones, I would never be without Dopram V and proper obstetric gel as it is so much easier to deliver pups than using KY.

same as jean i alway get a bottle of dopram v never had to use it but i know if i didnt have it id need it!

As above, plus.

Latex gloves, plenty of tea and coffee and a good book.

thanks for all the replies.  I hadn't even thought about the need for bottles and puppy formula just in case and your definately right about the torch my bitch does everything possible to make things akward so I can imagine her being desperate to go outside and us routing around for a torch!

This should hopefully help me to be prepared and avoid any last minute rushes thanks

:)

I have a head torch (looks very odd lol) but it keeps your hands free if necessary and means you don't have to have another person there to hold the torch and put the bitch off etc (although mine is quite open to anyone joining in for whelping!!)