Can everyone let me have their opinion on disposable whelping boxes or is it best to make your own!???  If so can you messsage me and give me instructions!??? Please

Hi
I purchased a cardboard disposable whelping box for my Bitch in April, we went through the labour without hardly and mess and it was thrown away last week. I used it up until the pups were 5 weeks old when they started to climb out and i found them standing at the top of the stairs looking down at me!!!
It was easy to put up and i just took it to the local tip to dispose of it.I could have actually used it again if my bitch had not had complications and had to be spayed, so I didn't need it again.
Mine came with a plastic sheet for the base, and i purchased vet bed to keep the bed clean.
I would only make a bed if you are planning on using it more than the one time.Hope this helps.

I don't see the point in paying so much for something to be thrown away. My husband just knocks a box together out of plywood (B&Q will cut the pieces to size), we burn it when finished with -it worked out much cheaper. However I'm going to buy a proper whelping box next year as I now have 2 bitches that will be bred from so it will be worth it.

What about the pig rails?  Could you send me instructions?

We used broom handles for pig rails. :) Just simply knocked together 3 taller sides and a lower one at front, a bottom, nothing more complicated than that.

linkabord do a great plastic box like snowsilk but less that 1/3 of the price, can be disenfected and used again...

I have used disposable boxes for 3 litters now and purchased a set of pig rails to go with them.  I find them so convenient and easy to use. I appeciate they are not cheap - but a decent whelping box can cost hundreds and I've heard it said that they shouldn't be re-used which is even more expensive way of doing it!

I made my own from plans from the internet. I ended up using mdf as they didn't have any melamine in the size I needed (large breed), I painted the base and sides with diluted pva to make it water tight and used paper and vet bed on bottom. I also had two different fronts made, one 30cm and the other 45cm to allow for growing puppies!
Worked a treat for 12 pups and ended up being used as shelves in garage after! (Earned my 'green points' as well)
It also worked out a lot cheaper too, I think with ironmongery, mdf and pva glue it came out at about £40 for a 4'x 4' whelping box.

I have used a childs inflatable (3 ring) paddling pool 4 times now. I buy new each time as they're only about a fiver. Twice used for springers and twice for scotties, the scotties are in it until about 4 weeks then into a cage, springers obviously did only about 3 weeks before being moved.

Easy to clean and sides that give if mum leans on them. I wouldn't use anything else now as it has been very successful each time.

Lorri

Think I asked before but how do you prevent it being punctured by mums nails ans puppy teeth?

What about the pig rails in a swimming pool!? 

I have heard of people using those shell plastic swimming pools???

Not sure how, I thought pig rails were needed to protect the pups????

That is a good idea

My husband has just made a whelping box for my bitch and puppies it is 4' x 3' made out of melamine sides (which are easily wiped down) thick ply bottom, hinged lid with wood frame and wire mesh insert and open door at end with mesh inserts it stand 2. high and is in our conservatory we got all the wood from off cuts at B & Q or homebase it cost between £30/40 cheap and very versatile we used broom handles for pig rails and put a piece of wood across the inside of the box and put vet bed in one half and paper in the other with Ivy,s food. 

Neither of my mums have ever punctured the pool its normally the pups teeth at around 4 weeks for the scotties, the springers were just able to climb out at 4 weeks!! Dont use pig rails in it as if a pup gets behind mum the sides are soft and give plus theres always an area under the bottom ring that is left with an air pocket as its not stretched with water as in normal use.

You asked in another thread about moulting.  I have to say that my girls (Pomeranians as my other breed don't moult) only lose their coats after having pups, I've never had one moult a lot whilst pregnant.  I can tell you now that boy do they moult, have even known them to go bald around the neck but the coat soon came back to normal again, thankfull.

Not sure why the other thread got locked so soon!

My girl does seem to be getting more of a teddy bear but she seems to be losing hair too!!Her ears are thick with fur but when I smooth her lots seems to come of in my hand! Even the bridge of her nose is collecting hair!  Suppose like women all bitches are different.............

Her tail is bushier too!

Doubt this could be anything bad

The other thread was locked because you had at one point 4 different threads going

Sorry didnt realise you could only have one thread on the go!

When all the threads are about one subject (ie in this forum, an impending litter) there isn't a need to have more than one thread usually :)

Arh right.....new to this