Could I please have your views on whelping beds? Should I get a wooden, plastic or disposible one? Covered or not? Or do you use a crate ( plastic type) Where's the best place to get one and roughly what price are they? Its for a cavalier king charles. Any help would be great.

Hi Jewel
I personally use the "snowsilk" whelping and puppy run, granted they aren't the cheapest on the market, but its on its 8th year birthday this year :-) and still looks like the day I bought it :-)
I have friends that have used the disposible type to and have found them very good and strong.
HTH
Karen
x

I use the snowsilk whelping box and it was worth every penny. Very easy to clean and assemble.

Make our own...6 feet by 4 feet....can't buy anything as good as we make!

We made our own too.

Sweep x

We made our own too 3 feet x 7 feet.
ttfn :)

Hi, I use the ordinary oval "plastic" beds and turn the entrance bit to the wall and line with paper and vet bedding. I use a size so that the bitch can lay flat out on her side so that her nose and bottom are touching each end. The sides are high enough to keep the puppies from falling/climbing out for about three weeks by which time I turn the bed round so they can use the entrance to go in and out. I dont use a bed with rails having had a puppy killed -being squashed against the rail by the bitch the first time I used one. I like these oval beds as they are so easy to clean really thoroughly having no corners and are really easy to wipe out each day. I used the same - but much larger bed when my lab was whelping years ago and they work well with bigger dogs too.

We use a wooden tailor made whelping box which was made for us by a joiner friend. The most important thing to remember is to ensure that it is as clean as possible before, after and during use. I put ours out on the patio and pour a couple of buckets of REALLY hot water and bleach in, then scrub well and dry either naturally outside in the sun (assuming we do ever get a dry day again!!) or stand by a radiator indoors. I use newspaper to line and then vet beds ontop. I do use old sheets etc during and just after whelping to save the good bedding for later.

We have optional pig rails which can be put in to help stop puppies becoming trapped between mum and the box sides - not as necessary with cavaliers as I think they would be with bigger breeds.