Ok Ok - I am prepared to get battered for this one....I have never ever once taken a dogs temp ,not once,never needed to and never even thought of it ...until now!
Help!
I was so worried about it I even tried to buy the pet temp ear thermometer from America for £100 - but it dosent ship for 21 days.I have a bitch in whelp and will have to do the deed ,but am worried about hurting her,my worry is not that i am squeemish - not at all.Its such a silly basic thing too,any advise ? any tricks ? any particular thermometer I should get ?

Thanks,an embarassed Zoe :-)

I do have a thermometer, I bought it from my vet, and only use it if I have reason to think that one of the dogs is off colour.  If there is a raise in temp, then I can whizz off to the vet pronto.

I have never, ever used temperature taking for bitches whelping.  While I fully appreciate that some folk swear by it, it has never been anything I've been into.  Preferring to go on my gut feeling, which is usually best for me.

You might like to wipe the tip with vaseline if you want it to slide in nice and easy.  I normally use obstetric gel on the end of my thermometer.

And don't be embarassed Zoe - lots of breeders don't take temperatures of whelping bitches.

I have taken temps lots of times for bitches due to whelp -and not once found it to be of any use to me (never seen a drop), so I no longer bother. :)

i have took temps with my other girls but didnt bother this time only because my girl hated it so i wasnt putting her though any stress (not botherd when vet does it tho)...if its not done right and you dont know what your looking for you can miss the fall then the rise and fall again before pups are born so if you havnt done it before i wouldnt worry about doing it this time :0) but like jean i will use it at home if 1 of the dogs are off color to see if they have a temp...plus it did help when mist was ill after having pups i have to do it every 6h.
xxxx

Always to it and always will :-)

My freind over the pond insisted she never gets the right readings etc so I talked her through doing it properly this time and the warning sign when you go past the drop too long.  Guess what , it worked perfectly this time.  All puppies delivered live from a section.

Each to their own but the temperature drop for me was a gift from nature.

I've delemered the same as you.  i don't think I'll take it either.  I mightbite the bullet if it on crufts to make sure its safe to leave her. 

If you do, I get the Gel JeaSW recommened.  it came this morning and boy is it slippy lol.  Pups will be torpedoing out.

Don't worry I have never taken a  temperature either.  Tried it got into a more of a mess than just watching and waiting.  Though I must say I have a generally easy whelping breed that rarely go over 63 days so have rarely worried about them taking too long.  Though Inka went two days over for first mating, but was mated over 5 days so not that surprising.

Thanks guys I feel better x

> Tried it got into a more of a mess than just watching and waiting

And that, in my opinion, is an art in itself!  :-)  :-)

I've always found it infallible, not only to know when the pups will arrive but also when to call the Vet for help to unzip.   Luckily never for any of mine but certainly when I've been helping other breeders.
As with all things, there is a right way to do it and interprete the results - it's certainly more skilled that just taking random redings.

Ive always found it to be infallable also.
Diane

And I can't spell !!! :) :) :)

NO I cant!! but I can take temps :)

I like to get my dogs used to having their temperatures taken not just for whelping. I remember inserting a thermometer on a very pregnant bitch, she wagged her tail, the thermometer came out of my hand and smashed on the floor, mercury isn't easy to clear up! I now use the digital ones but still prefer to convert to good ol' fahrenheit from centigrade. My friend's vet uses an ear thermometer.

Is the whelping temp the same with an ear thermometer do you know.  This would be better if it works.

NO I cant!! but I can take temps :-)

LOL :-D

Can't remember how many years ago now Val ( possibly 2003) you taught me how to do it. Done it ever since :-)

Most don't know who Val is these days Blue! ;) :)