Hi everyone.

Just asking for opinions, really. My bitch is on day 57 so 6 days to go (due Friday). We've got the pool set up with her sandpit inside, line with old sheets, then puppy pads, then vet bed (in both the empty sandpit, which is a large plastic one from Argos, and the other half of the pool). She's loosing a little mucus when she pees, and is very large now, with very active puppies in her belly.

I've got everything set up, with the bible, extra puppy pads, whelping kit, gloves, anti-bac gel and wipes, and snacks for me! Heatpad is also ready to be plugged in. Have also got the little crate and a hot water bottle prepped should we all need to ship off to the vets.

What do you do to prep for that whelping date as it grows closer? I'm worried I've missed something!

Have you got a large table that you can stand over or puppy pen panels to go around so you can cover the area to make a den, after the whelping. 

Open tray whelping quarters are not conducive to making the bitch feel secure and for keeping out drafts and warmth and moisture in.

I'm afraid we don't, but we do have a large blanket to cover (the pool is pushed up at one end, creating a den like feel as it covers part of the sand pit) over when she needs it. Luckily the room she's whelping in is very warm and draft free.

How do you prep for the big day? Does someone as experienced as you still get a bit nervous and excited?

I really can't visualise surely the pool sides are no more than about 12 - 15 inches high? 

I am talking about putting something over that will be at least twice that height.  Otherwise there is the danger of the pups being smothered by the blanket.  A dining room table for example.

It's important that the bitch knows where the whelping quarters are but apart from that act as normal just not leaving her unattended at all from now on.

I have my whelping box inside my Croft Freedom Pen, then covered with a blanket over the top and down the sides, so she has a warm cozy den....and this is in my dining room where it's nice and warm, it's just so she feels safe she will feel a lot more relax out of sight.

It's been up for about two weeks now and she sleeps in there during the day, at night she's in bed with us.
What I mean is, one end of the pool is pushed up to 90 degrees against a wooden chest, so that I can drape across a blanket at the highest point and fasten it at the sofa arm on the other end of the pool.

I hope I'm allowed to do this, but here's a picture;

It's a bit higher than that now, it's been pushed up further, but at the other end is a small sofa with high arms that will have the other side of the blanket. My bitch can easily stand up without touching the top of the blanket, so hopefully it's high enough.

I definitely prefer a box with high solid sides for the bitch to push against and a roof for warmth.
I also have thermometer for the room, thermometer for the bitch, heating pad with cover and cable protection, artery clamps, anticoagulant, Dopram and Nutri drops, scissors, surgical spirit, lots of old rough towels, large tube of KY jelly, at least 3 large pieces of Vetbed and a 3' high pile of clean newspapers. 
I wouldn't be using puppy pads or old sheets.

Should I switch to newspaper, WC?

Your picture shows the vet beds etc , very nice , but there is too much . Pups can get caught up in corners , under things , and fall away from mum . You are better to have an old big box cut down at one side(look at pictures of whelping boxes ) and a flat free surface where you can work . When she whelps you need disposable bedding          ( newspaper) , you can roll up and chuck away.It's messy . Your white vet beds come after , when the bitch has finished whelping and settled .I am very worried about what that pool is made of, is it solid ? puppies claws are  like needles at 2-3 wks (any bitch can tell you that ) and they are amazing adept at crawling out of boxes when their eyes are open and they are off exploring.If she sleeps with you at night don't be surprised if she chooses your bed to whelp on !I cut and tie off cords as mum can sometimes not be prepared ,or be too rough and I have strong black cotton added to my list to tie off with .

A bitch of that size (assuming that is the breed) only needs a large strong cardboard box - the kind that might cover a fridge etc.   Then lined with a suitable scrap of vinyl and covered with newspapers for the whelping and vet bed over newspapers for afterwards.    A box twice as big as the bitch would give her and the pups plenty of room and can easily be covered by a fleece or blanket clipped to the top ;)    this makes an ideal den.

We couldn't find a cardboard box last time, but found large cardboard sheets and made a box out of that.  Supported by the walls of our understairs area (which is in our living room) it was perfect :)

As Westcoast for the rest, ditto the vetbeds (cut to fit the whelping box) and newspapers etc.

The pool is made of plastic, but the sandpit she'll whelp in is made of solid plastic. Once the puppies are moving about we'll move them into the puppy pen so that they have more security. Tomorrow I'll start sleeping on the floor beside her in the whelping area so that she can't whelp in bed.
I hadn't thought about being caught up under blankets and such; I'll make sure to keep a close eye!
I thought the vet bed was for the messy part too, so that the liquids can seep through to the paper and pads underneath but puppies still have grip?

I do whelp on Vetbed and keep changing the newspaper underneath as it gets messy.  Then when the last pup is here, a clean piece to settle everyone down on.  That's why I have 3 just for whelping.

Yes I would use newspaper everytime.  I start saving and asking neighbours from the time the bitch is mated.
If you're going to use the sandpit for whelping and the newborn pups, then it needs to have JUST newspaper and Vetbed in it.

I sleep with my bitches 7 days before they're due to whelp and my box is a cube so that they can't get out and to keep the temperature constant.  Puppies can't shiver to keep themselves warm until they're about 10 days old and I was told that more pups die from cold than for any other reason.  A blanket draped over your arrangement is a liability and wouldn't be recommended.

In 30 years, I've never had a bitch unhappy with that arrangement - I wouldn't want the mess of a whelping on MY bed/sofa or whatever! :(

I would prefer to use 4 puppy panels lined with cardboard and another to make a roof than the plastic that you have.

My lot have a nice whelping box lined with newspaper (lots so I can just pull off the top stuff as it gets used) but often prefer my bed - I put an old shower curtain down and then old sheets/duvet covers and again keep whipping them off as they get soiled.  My last litter (small herding breed) were all (6+ 2 still born) born on the bed, with one of my collies persistently sleeping on there also! Once they were all born I moved them to the whelping box - so it was lovely and clean for them, my bed wasn't brilliant, but it all washed!

I have managed a couple of litters in the whelping box - plenty of newspapers and loads of vetbed I thought, but it was warm (June) and the bitches just kicked it out.  I didn't want the pups hurt so swapped for old duvet covers and sheets which they found cooler and at least left in so the pups could get some grip.  You have to play a lot of it by ear and what the bitch wants

That sounds very sensible, I'll do that then. I'll make sure we have an extra clean piece of vet bed for afterwards, too!

Reiterating what others have said but the amount of newspapers needed from whelping until pups leave is incredible.Good luck.

> My lot have a nice whelping box lined with newspaper (lots so I can just pull off the top stuff as it gets used) but often prefer my bed - I put an old shower curtain down and then old sheets/duvet covers and again keep whipping them off as they get soiled.  My last litter (small herding breed) were all (6+ 2 still born) born on the bed, with one of my collies persistently sleeping on there also! Once they were all born I moved them to the whelping box - so it was lovely and clean for them, my bed wasn't brilliant, but it all washed!

That sounds just like my 2nd litter! I also covered the wooden floor with cardboard to protect that, and had older vet bed and towels everywhere. As it turned out most pups where born on my bed (duly covered as yours was with a shower curtain) others on the floor - she did like to move around! Once all pups had arrived they were all transferred to the nice clean whelping box with new vet bed. The room resembled a slaughterhouse but was soon back to some sort of normality.

My 1st litter was very different. She had the pups all in one place, very neat and tidy, but again not in the whelping box. Pups were transferred and she happily settled in the box once everything was finished.

On both occasions I had a separate, high-sided small box with a heat pad in to put the pups in while mum was delivering another pup, so they didn't get wet all over again.

> I would prefer to use 4 puppy panels lined with cardboard and another to make a roof than the plastic that you have.

That's what I use as then it is easy to add more panels to extend.  A piece of thick lino underneath that is bigger than the pen area.

> On both occasions I had a separate, high-sided small box with a heat pad in to put the pups in while mum was delivering another pup, so they didn't get wet all over again.

None of my bitches would tolerate having any of the pups moved away from her ( I manage a quick weigh and tagging, as the next is being washed) so I keep them as much on a heat pad as I can and keep moving them out of the way as each new own is born so they don't get soaked again.

I would agree with Brainless, our bitches get restless if you take the puppies away.

I guess it depends on the individual bitches. If it had upset them in any way I wouldn't have done it. Between births they were happy to have the pups out of the way and equally happy to have them returned after each puppy arrived. I had planned for Esme to have her pups in the whelping box, she however had other plans, so I'd just say be prepared for all eventualities.

I'm a biot stricter, my girls don't get the opportunity to make alternative plans, ;) they know where the whelping box is and are taken to it when in labour. 

I have had them prefer to stay in the kitchen with the others in early labour and literally had to whip them into the box as the first pup is being born, but once one puppy arrives they will stay where I want them quite happily.

I'm afraid I'll be strict about this, as soon as she's showing signs she'll be whipped in there and taken out for toilet breaks.

One of mine had her 3 on a duvet in the lounge whilst continuing to watch the telly (animal planet!) She did move upstairs to the whelping box 2 days later. We reckon she got bored of the repeats.

How has everyone managed to see the picture, I cant even see a linky?

Pics been taken out now Alfie, think a mod removed it. xx

I have a bitch who has delivered every puppy shes had on my lap on thick pad of bath towels.

She refused point blank to do otherwise and each time she got back on my lap she pushed for all her worth.

Rather easier with your breed than some, toolz!!

One of mine whelped on my bed. That was the end of the bed! But it was much easier on my back :)

Ah..... but I didnt say if it was a Cavalier or a Boxer :-) :-)

Yes it was a little un, top brood in the breed :-)

> I'm afraid I'll be strict about this, as soon as she's showing signs she'll be whipped in there and taken out for toilet breaks.

you can be as strict as you like, but the bitch will whelp were she wants to and you will just have to go with what she wants, otherwise you will end up with an extremely stressed bitch which is NOT good for whelping.

you can be as strict as you like, but the bitch will whelp were she wants to and you will just have to go with what she wants, otherwise you will end up with an extremely stressed bitch which is NOT good for whelping.

I disagree. If the bitch won't be happy giving birth in the whelping box that has been part of the furniture for at least a week beforehand, and is so stressed she cannot settle in it even when labour starts in earnest -then that wouldn't be a normal bitch to me. A good breeding bitch (with a good breeder) will trust you so much they will settle and forget all about finding somewhere else once things get going. Like Brainless I don't give them a choice.

She's comfortable in the whelping pool, she sleeps there during the day and has been eating there too for the past week. It's been up for about two weeks now so that she'll be comfortable with it, so I'm hoping she won't mind me plonking her in there when it's time. I've been putting her in there when she tries digging in her crate, too.

My bitch is due a week today and I have

Box to put pups in if trip to vets is needed, hot water bottle towel and blanket
gloves
obstetric gel
lots of hand towels
a fair few large towels
quilt (for me to sit on and snuggle in during the wait)
lots and lots of flannels
lots of blankets, you never know??
up to 10 metres of vet bed but not planning on using the whole lot at whelping
very large heat pad
notebook and pens
scales
glucose for water for all of us, :)
many rolls of kitchen towel
aprons
clock
torch
surgical scissors
thermometer for the bitch and thermometer for the room
baby bottles and teats, you never know if or when they may be needed
puppy bottles and teats if they are too small for baby ones
bin bag for old paper
phone and number of vet, who will be on stand by
hundreds of newspapers
pot of whelpi
nutri drops
dopram v
puppy stim (waiting for arrival today)
Knitting
steriliser
laptop
tv remote
dvd's
endless supply of chocolate

Need to get today
Goats milk
Flax seed oil
crossword puzzle book
more coffee
red bull
dental floss (apparently can come in handy)

I hope I haven't missed anything important?? Although any suggestions for me would be greatly appreciated also :)

As she is day 56 today I shall leave the comfort of my bed bring the spare mattress down to the whelping room and stay with her for the next few weeks!! While our other dog swaps his crate for my bed with my Husband!

i cant think of anything eles apart from ...whelping collars if your pups are same color or markings...all the best not long now :) x

Cauloglemum30 (sp)  (can't be bothered to get the bottle being lazy) to help contractions, i found it wonderful.  I also had one to clean her out after, will try and find the name for you.  You give it for 5 days after, makes sure any debris is expelled.  I gave arnica drops as well to help with any interal bruising.

My girl decided to have her babies in her bed/basket so maybe have it by the whelping box and covered, I had to do a quick make up the move her afterwards.

Didn't see syrunges on the list to put the gel in, you can get them them from most chemists  only a few pemce each, i got several sizes.  Make sure the dental floss is unsented.

Good luck.

> Cauloglemum30 (sp)  (can't be bothered to get the bottle being lazy)

i think you will need to check the spelling as google can't find anything remotely like this. Thanks

Yes will do, just seen how i spelt syringes, daren't check anymore lol

http://www.dorwest.com/Catalogue/Homoeopathic-Remedies/Caulophyllum-30C---100-pillules

Just foound it Caulophyllum30c  Mine were drops and easy to get in.

Frenchfry came to the rescue.

Do you mean homoeopathic arnica?  Herbal arnica would not be safe before delivery as it has anti-inflamatory properties although probably ok after although I would not consider it. 
I think when recommending drugs and treatments it is necessary to be very precise to avoid misunderstandings.

Hi Do you mean homoeopathic arnica?

I did mean post whelp for Arnica, didn't think to specify with saying to help with bruising.  Good pick up thanks.

You still haven't said whether you are suggesting homoeopathic or herbal. 
Herbal arnica may help with bruising being an antiinflamatory but it also thins the blood, not ideal if there have been any tears so, personally, I would not consider it unless prescribed for a specific reason.

Sorry, i used homeopathic Arnica to help.