Has anyone used Help2whelp or rasberry leaf with their bitches to aid whelping?  if so, did you find it helpful?

I used rasperry leaf tea in my own pregnancies and  had two very short labours, but wondered if anyone found it helpful with their dogs.  Also noticed help2whelp on the Fit&Fertile website and wondered if anyone had found this useful.

I've used raspberry leaf tablets with my bitches, for both minimising phantom pregnancies and easing whelping, and had no problemsl healthy litters with straightforward whelping. Of course I don't know what they'd have been like without the tablets, but they certainly did no harm. :-)

I only tried them once with a GSD and she whelped 7 days early...the vet thought it could have been the tablets. The pups did survive but it was touch and go for a few days.
Aileen

Used Rasberry leaf once and my girl ended up having a C-section in a breed that doesn't routinely have them, wasn't impressed.  Is Help2Whelp the one that F&F do?  Was chatting to Keith about it a few weeks ago, sounded good.

If you use them be carefull with dosage as they can cause problems.

Q: My breeder advocates giving my bitch red raspberry leaves so she will whelp more easily. Is that good advice?
A: No. Although popular with many breeders, no evidence exists that red raspberry leaves are in any way beneficial to
pregnant dogs. In fact, the opposite may be true. Karen Copley RNC BSN, of WhelpWise, a company specializing in canine
fetal monitoring, found much higher fetal mortality rate (33 percent) in bitches given this supplement as opposed to those not
given it (5 to 7 percent). Red raspberry causes the uterus to contract; breeders use it because they believe it aids in
strengthening uterine contractions during whelping. The problem, in part, is that by increasing contractions during
implantations, the eggs may be expelled from the uterus, or they may then have more difficulty implanting firmly, possibly
decreasing nourishment or increasing the chance of becoming detached too early. Contractions during labor can be too
strong or prolonged, restricting the blood and oxygen supply the puppy normally gets between contractions. Simply because
red raspberry leaves are natural does not make them safe.

As with all things there are pro's and con's

I used them when I first started breeding cats, and was always told you must be extremely careful to not start them too early as it could trigger a premature labour. Back in those days I had too many caesareans and I have not used the tablets for many years now. For the bitches, I have never used them at all. I have only had one slightly complicated whelping, that was a toy bitch's first litter where the biggest and first pup was somewhat stuck, vet got it out easily enough, and the rest of the pups and her second litter were born easily. My large breed pups slide out so easily it's almost like turning on a tap!

>My large breed pups slide out so easily it's almost like turning on a tap!

I know just what you mean! But having had all of two litters of toys now, I can certainly see a difference. Of course malpresentations can happen, but it's important, in my view, to try and use self-whelping lines.

As I have never used raspberry leaf for my large breed girls, I decided not to for my toys either. And I was a bit put-off the Fit & Fertile 'help to whelp' product because it contains calcium. So we went without and managed just fine.

> As I have never used raspberry leaf for my large breed girls, I decided not to for my toys either. And I was a bit put-off the Fit & Fertile 'help to whelp' product because it contains calcium. So we went without and managed just fine.

Never use anything for my toys either.  Tried it once in the 70's for a Toy Poodle, had whelping probems, and never used it since.

I had my 1st litter in June,and I used Help 2 Whelp,recommended by the stud dog's owner,my girl had 6 pups very easily.

I have used Raspberry leaf tablets for both my dogs and myself for years and would completely recommend it.  The one time I didn't bother, that poor girl had an awful labour.  She had a litter previously and had an easy time with a quick labour.  Second litter, 18 months later, repeat mating(hoping for a decent bitch), and she had a long, messy labour/whelp without the tablets.
You do need to watch you don't start too early or over-dose but your vet can help with dosage/timings if you ask.