Hi all,

Some of you might remember me from my progesterone posts in early January.We had a tough time,testing every other day from day 2 to day 17.We had a gut feeling on day 14 and took her to stud,had a 50 min tie.Re tested the next day,still not ready,two days later told ready - took her - no tie.We thought all was lost until she was scanned and showed whelps :-)

Whelps are due 13th March and we have busily been preparing as best we can.Getting together as much as we can and just wondered your advice on the best places to get a few things and what brands etc people use.

Im looking for cheap puppy pee pads - preferably in bulk.Also,some one mentioned having iodine to hand - any particular brand ? whats the best disinfectant to use when cleaning up after whelping ? or should we just use milton sterilising soloution?

Puppy packs - what sort of info do you include in them?

Thanks guys x

Congratulations on the pups, you're due about the same time as me.

I ordered some stuff off ebay testerday.  i was getting a whelping kits but changed my mind, i just ordered separates.  i a bulb asparator and scissor kit, tags, extra scissors and babydog with feeders.  i was going to get some towels as well but decided that was being extravagant, they were a good price.  they also had puupy pads.  PaH sell large packs of these as well.  i've got a shower curtain, bewspaper then paper roll sheets on top for when they start to toilet themselves.

ordered my Homoepathic aids last night.  all should come next week.  Don't forget scales and pen/paper to weigh them.

Forgot you can get Iodiene from Boots ect

Thanks,i have my new scales arriving next week,have my clamps,heat pad and lamp (wont use both,will decide on which works best)have some lactol just incase and bottles,steriliser,tags,vet bed,towels ( don't you just love super gym membership with free towels!)rubish bins,lots of kitchen roll,newspapers,baby wipes for pooh's,blankets,ky jelly,head torch.

What type of iodine is safe ? is it all ok? have been looking on hyperdrug as i need to order more wormer etc,but theres lots to chose from.

x x x

Sorry I don't want to read and run but I've never used iodine for whelping so I wouldn't know.

no probs - to be honest Im not sure what i need it for !!!! just that some one said to have it in my kit ! lol

If you bought everything that everybody said, you'd need a new house to keep it in! :)

PS  I've never use puppy pads either..... and I disinfect with Parvocide. :)

hiya, not sure what you'll be using puppy pads for, my idea was to use them for whelping on....... my bitch was having none of it!! she wouldn't go near them. having said that, she decided that the whelping box was not for her either so having foreseen this i made sure her bed of choice was clean ;) consequently my living room has been completely rearranged lol (she has now accepted the whelping box but only in our living room )

the iodine i believe is used for sterilizing scissors etc and umbilical cords.....again there was little time for me to think about using any such things, 1st puppy arrived at 15:30 and 8th (last) puppy arrived at 18:30 so they came very quickly.

I have found iodine difficult to obtain and the closest i found was an iodine tincture.

Iodine would be very messy. :(  I would use surgical spirit to wash scissors, clamps etc.

I use a tarpaulin covered in thick newspaper and vet bed on top for whelping, changing the newspaper as often as necessary for the bitch - some are bloodier whelpers than others. :)

> some are bloodier whelpers than others. :-)

i was incredibly lucky to have a very clean girl :) :)

I've never used iodine either, and I've whelped plenty of bitches.

I clean off scissors with surgical spirit if I actually need to use scissors (very rare) I do tend to tear cords as opposed to cut them.

If I've had a bitch take a cord too short, and it has bled more than I like, I have dabbed with styptic.

> If I've had a bitch take a cord too short, and it has bled more than I like, I have dabbed with styptic.

This is what i was told to use the Iodine for just as a precaution.

Mine doesn't like the whelping box too much either, she has settled for soft bedding.  A particular quit she likes.  Started draping it over the box to get her nearer.  The bed she likes isn't big enough and its a soft bed so not very practical.

I almost need a cupboard for all the things being gathered for the arrivals. 

I've got some clothes set aside by my bed incase its in the middle of the night.  doubt i'd have time to change after that lol.

> Mine doesn't like the whelping box too much either

A problem all too common - they like to choose where to whelp!  :-)

I had one bitch who absolutley insisted in lying under the radiator in the living room, and having strong contractions, got distressed if I tried to move her.

I brought in a pile of bath towels and let her have her way.  Once whelping was over and I put pups in a bowl and carried them to the whelping box, she was more than happy to follow me.  Once in it with pups she was content.  Sometimes you have to adapt!!

> she was more than happy to follow me.  Once in it with pups she was content.

This my reasoning.  She like the middle of the living room, so that's the general plan, lots of bedding towels.  She likes it by the side of my bed as well, which i would get into lol.