British Dalmatian Club

[Flygirl]

After having had the exciting news yesterday that Rosie is indeed in whelp and is expecting at least 10 puppies, I am starting to think about all the things I will need to have ready in advance. I have ordered my whelping box, but am now wondering about puppy collars. I have found these on Amazon, actually made by the same people who are making my whelping box, but have also seen pictures of the zigzag ones. However have not been able to find these on the internet. Does anyone have any experience/advice about either of these?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Warwick-Whelping-Puppy-bands-Paper/dp/B004JHTIQC/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1320139793&sr=1-1

Thanks in advance, Liz
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Liz, Jack, Rosie, Merlin, Sally and Jazz

www.elizabethsampsonpiano.co.uk
www.dalstorm.co.uk
www.nuadalseurope.co.uk
http://tyrodal-nuagene.blogspot.com/

[Spotalot]

No Sorry, but just wanted to say Congratulations and good luck
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Carol and Daisy X

[Maggi]

No experience I'm afraid - though they look quite good. Personally I've never done this and have always been able to tell my pups apart - even when small. They are surprisingly different you know, even though other people can't tell which is which. My friend here didn't really believe me but was amazed that I could always pick out 'my' puppy (one I picked for someone else) out of his litter of 10 - even when I hadn't seen them for a week or so.

They're not expensive so if I was you I'd give them a go.

The most important thing is to get EVERYONE you know to collect newspaper - the amount you go through especially with a winter litter is amazing. If you actually have a local paper who prints near you see if you can get some unprinted shredded newspaper. It's absolutely marvellous to put in a pen when the pups are a bit bigger and come in wet.
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Maggi, Caper & Poppy (Hon. Spot)- Banjoliers, Faithful Followers and Forum Wanderers.

[Flygirl]

Yes, I have friends collecting all their newspaper for me and I walked off the plane back from Spain with armfuls, much to the amusement of all the other passengers and staff!
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Liz, Jack, Rosie, Merlin, Sally and Jazz

www.elizabethsampsonpiano.co.uk
www.dalstorm.co.uk
www.nuadalseurope.co.uk
http://tyrodal-nuagene.blogspot.com/

[IslandGirl]

Apparently the Financial Times is the most absorbant

[sas1]

[Spotalot]

Actually Sas1 has just jogged my memory and Kacey's litter had those and yes she just bought some in all different colours and sewed a little bit of elastic in to join each one rather than tying them which leaves a bit for all the other pups to chew on
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Carol and Daisy X

[donothing]

Congrats x

I have to say the paper tags were a waste of space, they were too wide so you had to cut them down the middle to make them narrower, then Bailey chewed them off!, plus if your have more than ten pups there are not enough colours to id all the pups seperately. I found ribbon from the market worked best, I made a loop big enough to go over the heads and knotted the ribbon, then melted the ends with a match or lighter to stop them fraying - learnt from experience which knots stayed knotted, and to melt the ends of the ribbon as the ribbon would fray as the pups moved / played.

As the pups got their spots they were very easy to tell apart so if a collar did come off while they played I could put it back on the correct pup. Also as the pups grew I could change the collars but with each pup keeping the same colour (I bought 3 meters of each colour and still have some left)

When people came to look at the pups I had a pile of gold collars that I would add as a second collar so the potential owners knew which they could choose from. I also took a photo of each new owner with there pup when they choose it so that there were no mix-ups later.

Treat yourself to a pair of decent sharp scissors for the pups nails, which will need to be done at least once a week, the first time within days of being born as they will be very sharp. I found baby scissors were great for the first week and that was it, as the pups grew and the nails got stronger I found good, but small kitchen scissors worked best. - if the nails are not done on a regular basis they pups will scratch mum to bits as they massage her with there paws as they feed, something not mentioned in the books.

Good luck

[Flygirl]

Thank you for all the good wishes and advice everyone! I have found a pack of 20 x 1 metre assorted colours of ric rac on one site which I might go with as it seems quite versatile. I have looked at whelping packs, but a lot of the items I don't really need, for instance I already have a stethoscope! I have a feeling it's cheaper to go to Boots and get a thermometer and some terry nappies (I wish I hadn't got rid of all mine!). It seemed at one point as though I had ages to get myself organised but the time is going so fast and Rosie is looking bigger every day.

One more question.....In the Book of the Bitch, it recommends having the whelping box away from other dogs and in a room which can be darkened. Originally we had been going to put it in the lounge, but perhaps we would be better putting it upstairs in one of our large bedrooms which will be much quieter and where Rosie won't be bothered. What do you think?
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Liz, Jack, Rosie, Merlin, Sally and Jazz

www.elizabethsampsonpiano.co.uk
www.dalstorm.co.uk
www.nuadalseurope.co.uk
http://tyrodal-nuagene.blogspot.com/

[donothing]

I will start with the easy one: the whelping box should be somewhere warm and darkish, and quiet - I converted the dining room to a whelping room as it meant less distance for Bailey to go when she wanted a wee, and as the pups got bigger she would lead them to the garden to play etc, and litter train then to the garden - much easier if downstairs. The box needs to be within reach of an electric socket for either the heat lamp or heat blanket as little pups get cold very quickly. I let Phinias wander in when he wanted to, and when the pups were a about four weeks old Bailey left him to play and care for them, whilst she became a modern mother and left him to it

The whelping kit whilst having a lot of things not used the stephascope and recovery kit for a pup did come in use several tims as I could get Steve to listen to the heart whilst I tried CPR - sadly the pup in question only lasted a little while after CPR but I gave it a go, which I would not have been able to do without the instructions in the kit, or the equipment supplied in it. Plus I was able to use the powdered milk supplied with puppy food when they first started weaning. I never used the towels having loads of small towels, and the pads in the pack were just large puppy pads, and child bed pads from the £1 shop worked better. It might be worth printing a list of what is in the kit, then finding out what you cannot be without and pricing up those items - for example syringes, which you will need for worming and, if you give them, children multi vit drops, though if you know anyone in the health service they should be able to get you some: 1ml, 2ml and 5ml for when the pups grow.

Are you going to weigh the pups? if so scales from a car boot sale will be needed - older scales have much better trays for keeping a little pup still, where as new scales tend to be flat, so the pup can wiggle off.