Things You Should Know: Clean the whelping box daily for the first week, clean twice a day for the next 2-3 weeks, and look out for excessive dampness and solid waste ahead of your scheduled cleaning times.
How often should you change newborn puppies bedding?
Change the bedding in the box several times per day, but do not change the paper often (keep it smelling like a toilet and keep the bed smelling like a fresh bed…) The puppies will be paper trained by 3 weeks…. By 4 weeks, you will need to expand their home again to include a play area.
When can I change the bedding after my dog gives birth?
Replace the bedding daily: This should be done multiple times each day. For the first few days, the mother dog may not even leave the box to go to the bathroom, so you should keep an eye on the bedding in case this happens and change it immediately.
The whelping box should be made ready before in hand before the birth of puppies. Once the puppies have born, make it a point to clean it once a day as there are chances of infection. Also as they are still small, they do not produce a lot of waste, so it is okay to clean it once in a day.
What is the best bedding for a dog having puppies?
The best bedding materials for a whelping box are soft, warm, have good traction, and are easily cleaned and disinfected. They should be insect-free, moisture resistant, and not easily ingested by puppies. You should avoid hay, straw, shavings, or stiff particles that can cause eye and skin irritation.
When do puppies outgrow whelping box?
Puppies can often leave the whelping box at 3 weeks old. At this age, puppies can move out of the whelping box as they become more mobile. Puppies can stand up and even climb out of the whelping box nest.
How to keep a litter of puppies area clean
I advise covering poop and pee with a layer of paper during the day and cleaning up each morning, leaving one piece of paper with pee smell.
Where to put puppies after whelping box?
From day 29 to 49 puppies will venture away from the whelp box sleeping area. They will not go far, but they will begin to explore. At this time we expand their area to add a play and eating area in the daytime. This is the time to move them out to the kitchen and family room area, where life is happening in the home.
An ideal whelping box should be the length of your female dog plus an extra foot (at least) in one direction. That is if your female is 50 inches in length from nose to rear, then the box should be around 62 inches in one direction (for example, width of the box).
Should you put a blanket in with newborn puppies?
You can use towels, sheets, and blankets for bedding your puppies when they start moving here and there. Make sure that the bedding material should possess body-heat retention level. The bedding should be such that it can absorb body fluids and urine properly. It is essential to keep the bedding dry.
What to put puppies in after whelping box?
The whelping box needs to be changed at least once a day at this stage, and 2-3 times a day as the puppies begin eating solids and the mother is not cleaning up after them. A large heavy paper may be laid on the bottom, several layers of newspaper over that, and a tightly stretched blanket over the newspaper.
Should I put towels in whelping box?
If there are any particularly dirty areas, you may want to go over them more than once. Place clean towels in the box. Take some clean bath towels (that have been washed with chemical-free detergent) and place them in the bottom of your whelping box. You can now return the puppies to their box.
Why does a whelping box need rails?
Most boxes will include a low railing (termed rails, pig rails, or roll-bars) fixed to the inside perimeter of the box. This is to protect puppies from being crushed or smothered by the mother should she roll over during birthing or while asleep.
According to the AKC, most puppy pads need changing after a maximum of three uses. However, should the puppy pad start giving off a smell, it’s time to swap it out with a new one. Unused puppy pads can stand for a couple of days. Keep in mind that the hydrogel can also absorb various odors.
How can I keep my puppies bedding clean?
Start by vacuuming or lint rolling the pet bed: The best way to do this is to start by lint rolling the bed, and if there’s a lot of hair, vacuuming the bed. Remove as much hair as your can and shake off any excess outdoors.
