hi there,

i have been sorting my whelping kit out and have all that is listed in the botb book, just wondered if anyone could add items not in the book that maybe handy??? (toy breed)
done my shop at hyperdrug, what a fab site, thanks for the link :-)

cheers for the heads up

A good DVD to watch and while away the hours

Loads and loads of blue kitchen roll paper - a must ! and plenty of milton

Ooo yes the blue kitchen roll stuff we got through loads of the stuff good one piratebear

We found a stall doing 6 for £5 - gone through loads during the birth and now we use it whilst we toilet the pups as mum is not to keen - we use that for pee and cotton wool for poops

Lots of flannels or towels - very handy to have a gym membership that gives you towels :-)

comfy chair sitting for hours next to her kettle tea coffee milk sugar on tray hot, water bottles for new born pups to be put on in a box if bitch is very restless and will not stay still sometimes best to get out of the way, oh do not forget refreshments for the both of you and inform your vet of when she is due and if during the day tell them she is whelping

Dont forget to get your sterilising soloution ready a few days before to sterilise your clamps and scissors etc !

thank you everyone.

where do i buy the blue rolls???

3 weeks today will be day 63, but have heard that my breed can whelp early, so getting organised.

3 weeks yesterday will be my day 63 :) will be cool knowing there is someone having them about the same time :)

> but have heard that ******* can whelp early

Yes - be ready from day 56 - but remove the breed please before admin remove it!!

And I would never be without this for whelping difficulties

http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/Obstetric-Gel-550g/productinfo/OBS9006362/

powderpuffgirl, how lovely we will be going through this around the same time, i am excited but nervous, keep in touch, my girl is showing now and had a positive ultrasound, i can hear heartbeats too :-)
it is my girls first litter.

I was told Proplan and Red Bull to keep me going, didn't take the former and didn't like the taste of the latter, adrenalin kept me going for days.

Can we see your list so we can comment.

Don't forget your camera

>> And I would never be without this for whelping difficulties
>
> [url=http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/Obstetric-Gel-550g/productinfo/OBS9006362/" rel=nofollow]http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/Obstetric-Gel-550g/productinfo/OBS9006362/[/url]

That stuff was excellent, one was taking longer to come and not really moving.  it barely touched the sides 9lol) and pup was out.

I used alcohol wipes for wiping down scissors ect.  Don't forget hand gel for you.  Cauloughelum 30 is a must for whelping and Nutridrops.

Its all exciting.

whelping box
vetbed
heat pad
heat lamp (not sure which we will use yet)
newspaper
soft bedding
blanket
torch
disposable gloves
gauze swabs
syringes
clamps (sterile)
scissors (sterile)
disposable pads
ky jelly
towels
book, pen
weighing scales
thermometer
feeding bottles
nutri cal
vet drops
dopram v
bucket
bin bags
milton
i have disposable surgical sheets for delivery

need;
this blue paper towels when i find some
glucose for bitch to put in her water (necessary?)
tums (told to give one to mum when whelping stage?)
bulb aspiraton

so, have i missed anything, everything is new, what is best to clean the whelping area with, it is a new cardboard whelping box we have bought. tilly is going for her hair cutting right back this week, so think we are just about ready. Just bits for me to get :-)

Cauloughelum 30 is a must for whelping and Nutridrops.

hi, thanks for your reply, i have vet drops and nutri-cal, would i need cauloughelum to bring labour on or would i go to the vets, not used this before. thanks

Cleaning gear I'd imagine. Plenty of biological washing up liquid and at least some kind of disinfectant or parvovirucide.  I'm sure those members that have actually had a litter will have more ideas on what kind of disinfectant and any other useful cleaning stuff.

Hi

Yes it helps contractions and it works.

Sounds like you have it covered.  I've been putting Glucose in the water and think it has helped.  She seems to prefere this to plain at the minute.  I think it could help also try and keep eclampsia in ckeck with the calsium????

Forgot, keep some old clothes ready by your bed that you don't mind getting gunk on. 

Have you got any RC baby milk just incase??
torch and low lamp..maybe

> She seems to prefere this to plain at the minute.  I think it could help also try and keep eclampsia in ckeck with the calsium????

Never try to give calcium to a pregnant bitch, as it can be the cause of eclampsia.

If a bitch is fed a quality complete puppy food towards the end of pregnancy, then she has had all the nutrients she needs.

I have never, ever had a bitch with eclampsia in over 40 years, and I have never given calcium.  Most novice breeders would be best racing to the vet and confirming that calcium is needed.  Most vets have seen eclampsia, so leave it to them to give advice on this one.

thank you jean, i was unsure, was told to give a tum when she was in labour to stop the risk of ecalmpsia, but wont give it following your advice, she eats RC puppy food and has extra protein by means of scrambled egg 2-3 times a week, hopefully this will be adequate.

> she eats RC puppy food

:-)  :-)  :-)

Have had pregnant bitches on it many times.  It honestly is complete!

Sorry, meant after having pups.  Would never hive before. 

I'm not sure about the tums thing either.  I would have thought too much chalk which wouldinterfere with stomoch acid.

Tums no longer in the whelping kit.
Where do you buy the glucose from that you add to water please?

Any chemist should sell it.

We had a plastic box with a snugglesafe in it (i heated it when 2nd stage labour kicked in) ready if we needed to keep puppies safe and warm in an emergency.

ps i had all the plastic sheets / puppy pads etc ready to deliver on.....my bitch was having none of it so be very prepared with LOADS of towels as she will whelp wherever she feels comfortable and if thats on your sofa then so be it :-)

> as she will whelp wherever she feels comfortable and if thats on your sofa then so be it :-) <IMG class=qButton title="Quote selected text" alt="Quote selected text" src="/images/mi_quote.gif" width=20 height=10>

Tell em about it. hehe. 

I buy Asda cheap shower curtains, less than £1 to cover anything that may need protecting, can be thrown away afterwards.

Depending on puppy size I use flannels from the £1 stores [8 per pack]to dry the pups, wash them before use and place a pile on top of the radiator and use the bottom one each time, again cheap enough to throw away after use.

I have calciboost in my whelping kit, recommended by several in my breed, it is concentrated so only need a small amount.

Can't think of anything else at the moment.

I forgot about the shower curtain, it now down by the bed.  About 7 flannels for wiping girl down.  Remember to wipe girl down each time she's been outside during labour and afterwards.

Vanilla Ice Cream....I gave it to my girl when she was refusing food or water during whelping :)

> i have disposable surgical sheets for delivery

Ooh - where did you get these please!?  A friend of mine in the States swears by these, but I have no idea where to even start looking for them

have a look on e-bay or www.warwickwhelping.co.uk

Yvonne :)

i get my surgical sheets from work, we use them for surgery and sometimes these are left open and unused so cannot be used for another person so become surplus, i have been collecting, really good for decorating too!

Thanks, I'll have a look.

Hubby's a GP - you'd think he'd have a clue, but while he got me a ton of stuff last time, he just drew a blank on surgical drape.  I've told him he has to go look through his supply catalogue again.