Congratulations! Your canine companion is expecting, and regardless of whether this is her first litter or second, we’re sure that you want to make her whelping experience as comfortable as possible. If you’ve opted for your dog to have a home birth rather than go to the vet, you’ll need to do several things to prepare your home and ensure the delivery goes as smoothly as possible.
You will want to allocate space for your dog to give birth in your living area. It will need to accommodate several supplies, such as a whelping box or puppy heat pad, and ideally free from traffic plus the obvious; good food from a company like Ultimate Pet Nutrition. The birthing area must be set up correctly so that mum and puppies have a stress-free experience; below; we list several things to take into consideration:
Set Up A Birthing (Or Whelping) Box
One of the first things you should do to prepare for the arrival of the puppies is to set up a birthing box. Whelping boxes are often made of a non-porous material that provides warmth, safety, and an easily cleanable location for your dog to have her puppies.
To make the box comfortable for the mother and her pups, ensure that you cover the base with spare towelling, sheets, or newspaper, which can be removed for easy cleaning and help incubate the box.
Regulate The Room’s Temperature
During their first few days, newborn puppies are susceptible to temperature and can become dehydrated quickly, so ensuring that the room’s temperature is regulated is crucial. You can do this with a humidifier or bowls of water to keep them cool and a whelping heat pad for heat.
Unlike heat lamps, a pet heat pad is a much more cost-effective solution for regulating the temperature of the birthing area. Plus, they give out just enough heat for the pups without running the risk of overheating the female.
You can purchase these from providers such as Petnap, which stocks and supplies a range of products for dogs and cats. Consider browsing their Petnap heat pad and other products on their website. Contact a team member directly for specific enquiries and see how their products could help you prepare for your expecting canine today.
Get Them Used To The Birthing Area
A week or two before giving birth, you should slowly start introducing your female to the birthing area and making sure that it is in a place where she feels calm and relaxed. Ensure you keep the site free from other animals and people where possible while she’s in there and monitor her to see if the space is comfortable.
Keep The Area Clean
The birthing area must always be kept clean to minimise the appearance of bacteria or parasites, so it must undergo frequent disinfecting and cleaning. You can also keep the birthing area as clean as possible by limiting the number of people allowed in the area, ensuring that your own personal hygiene is kept to a good standard before entering the site, and washing or brushing the female before allowing her into the space.
