Whelping Supply List
By
Good Dog is on a mission to educate the public, support dog breeders, and promote canine health so we can give our dogs the world they deserve.
Good Dog is on a mission to educate the public, support dog breeders, and promote canine health so we can give our dogs the world they deserve.
Good Dog is on a mission to educate the public, support dog breeders, and promote canine health so we can give our dogs the world they deserve.
Q: Looking to put a whelping supply kit together, is there a comprehensive ‘shopping list’ I can use to help?
A: Before I start with my “list” I am going to recommend a couple of great books for you too. Dr. Marty Greer has written a wonderful book – “Canine Reproduction and Neonatology” and there is a set of 3 books you can find on Amazon - “Puppy Intensive Care,” Advanced Canine Reproduction and Puppy Care: The Seminar,” and “Canine Reproduction and Whelping.” You can purchase all of these off books online, and they will be a great addition to your canine library.
My “List” for Whelping – remember you may not have to use everything on the list, but it is better to have it and not need it, versus need it and not having it!
- 1 cc syringe with needle
- Adaptil collar, plug ins, and spray – helps to calm, I keep a collar on for the first 4 weeks
- Basket and warming disk or heating pad – for puppies as needed, or if you need to go to the vet
- Citrical Tablets, Calsorb or OralCal Plus tubes from Revival - helps to strengthen contractions
- Coconut water or pedialyte – electrolytes for a long whelp
- Cotton or exfoliating gloves – for gripping puppy if stuck
- Delee suction catheter – to remove birth fluids from babies (NEVER swing, causes brain issues)
- Dexamethasone – from your vet, assists if puppy is severely congested, dropper 1-2 drops oral administration is off label
- Digital Food Scale – get one that weights to 10-12lbs and can weigh in grams
- Espresso Coffee – some for me! And some if you have a sluggish puppy 2-3 drops on tongue* (Starbucks instant coffee Via single cup servings)
- Eye droppers
- Fading Puppy Formula powder from Nature's Farmacy
- Feeding tubes – depending on your breed you will need 5fr, 8fr or 10fr feeding tubes
- Fenugreek - for milk production if you need to increase it
- Fresh Frozen Plasma (Hemopet)
- Fully Charged BIG flashlight
- Fully charged Cell Phone,
- Garbage bags for all the mess/paper/used towels etc.
- Hemostats – I like to have a dozen, including mosquito hemostats
- Human bed incontinence pads – EZ Whelp also makes them I put them under my fleece to catch moisture
- Ingredients for Whelping Porridge and Mother's Pudding.
- Ingredients to make puppy formula – Use after 12hours NOT before
- Iodine – Betadine – Chlorhexidine – for dipping puppy cords
- IV Fluids – Lactated Ringers from your vet with syringe to administer if needed
- Karo syrup – use on nipples if puppies are sluggish to latch, glucose for energy
- KY or Surgilube
- Liver Juice – you can literally drop this on neonates tongue for extra energy
- LOTS of cotton hand or bath towels for drying puppies
- Medical grade stethoscope
- Muzzle – just in case**
- Non-stick gauze pads, vet wrap, saline solution – if you have a puppy injury, pulled cord or intestines outside you wet with saline solution (you need to keep area moist), put non-stick pads on and wrap to take to the vet.
- Nursemate ASAP, and have "my" pharmacy stocked.
- Nutrical, DYNE or STAT
- Oxygen – to use as blow-by in case it is needed, or for incubator
- Pad and pen – premade chart – for recording whelping, include any issues with each puppy
- Premium Vanilla Ice Cream – good source of glucose
- Puppy collars for ID
- Rescue cleaning products – great veterinary cleaning product
- Room thermometers for the room to check room temp
- Scissors – I like the EMT Trauma Shears 7.5” because of the safety blunt tip
- Snuggle disc or rice socks (white tube sock filled with rice you can heat up)
- Syringes – I like to have a 1cc to use as a dropper, then 12 to 20 cc syringes if I have to tube feed.
- Thermometer -KY
- Vet wrap
- Waxed dental floss
- Whelping mats – after the whelping is done your puppies need traction, Avidog Wonder Fleece or Royal Cabana Whelping Mats are my choice
*Excess caffeine can be toxic to dogs due to their increased sensitivity. Remember we are only talking “DROPS” on the tongue.
**Training your dogs to tolerate a muzzle in case you ever need to use one will decrease stress when you do use one. Be sure to use a muzzle that fits appropriately and will be comfortable.
In addition, I would suggest you write down the time of each pup, the sex, collar color, weight, checking for placenta if delivered/eaten/seen, amount of calcium given between each pup. I write down temps, time panting starts, if they vomit, walked, eaten etc. so that if I need to contact the Vet it's all there for reference. I also fill the car up and face it out the drive and have a basket, towels, scissors and heat pad ready to go in if we need to go. Garbage bags for all the mess/paper/used towels etc.
I have 2 large Sterilite containers, one for whelping linens and the other for my supplies that are in easily accessible clear containers.
