I have had a bit of a scare tonight. After my girl coming down with mastitis so quickly last time I have been neurotic and religiously taking her temp 3 times a day (12am, 8am, 4pm) and writing it on her chart. Everything was going fine from the whelping on Xmas Eve until tonight. At 4pm her temp was 38.6C (101.4F) and I had to go out at 11pm to drop some supplies off for a friend who had a fading pup and courtesy of this weather and an early whelping didn't have them. (I must remember to make it up to hubby for waking him up for puppy-watch....he wasn't too amused)!!!!!  Anyhoo.....I got home at 1.30am and about 15 mins after getting home I thought that my girl looked a bit rough sat up in the whelping pen so asked her come come over. Usually I have to ask her about 10 times to leave her pups but this time she came instantly. She looked rough and sad. I took her temp and it was 40.3C (104.5F). Good god, talk about panic!!!!!

She wasn't panting and didn't feel disturbingly warm and was walking steadily so I put her outside while I went to get dressed as I had gone to my friends in my PJ's. I told hubby what was going on, got everything ready, (back seat down in car, sat nav installed milk made up for pups while I was out for hubby to use if neccessary). All in all about 15 mins. When I brought her in she looked a lot perkier so I took her temp again and it was down to 39.7C (103.4F). I thought i would leave her in the dining room with the back doors open for another 15 mins and see if it came down any more...and it did, to 39.3C (102.7F).

Now she has never been able to tolerate the heat well and my query now is how do other large breed bitch owners keep their girls comfortable but the whelping pen warm enough for the pups. The general concensus is that the whelping pen should be around 29.C (84F) for the pups but mine is only about 25C (77F) but with 11 pups on her my girl in overheating.

Advice and experiences would be appreciated.

i have always found that with my girls i carnt have it too hot ,thats why i like the heat pads and mum keeps pups warm anyway! and the heat pad when mums goes out to wee ,plus now days theres not many that dont use vet bed which keeps pups warm, IMO the worry i have is drafts from under doors so ive been out and got some of them long draft excluders to put at my 2 doors i have for my room ,if pups are sleeping spaced out then the room could be to hot i had 1 pup that wouldnt settle at all and was moveing around alot he was fine with everything eles so i down the heat and all was graet :-)

Same old advice;

Warm the room to a comfortable temp -not hot- and cover the whelping box by a lid, blanket or as Brainless suggested under a table draped with a blanket to make a cosy cave.

Making the bitch so uncomfortably hot that she is reluctant to be with her puppies is the last thing you want - but will be the usual consequence.

No additional heat will be required.

> The general concensus is that the whelping pen should be around 29.C (84F) for the pups but mine is only about 25C (77F) but with 11 pups on her my girl in overheating.
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I have never had it higher than 75'F in whelping room, and that only for the first 4 or five days.

After that 70'F is absolutely fine.

Mine would roast at 85'F and so would I.

I have just helped whelp a bitch whose owners do nto sue lamps or heat pads and found the 75'F temperature almost unbearable, bitch just about stood ti and pups warm enough to spread out.

At home I make a den of my whelping box, use a heat pad, and keep the room at no more than 70'F.

I'm glad I'm not the only one then! My whelping pen stays nice and warm as its 5ft X 5ft and a quarter of it has a heat pad and it has a huge throw-over covering the sides and roof. The pups always seem warm enough and are thriving which goes to show that you have to tailor-make the guidelines to suit an individual breed/bitch.