WindWalker Pugs

Whelping List

Pug Whelping Supplies List

This list is quite extensive and you may not need to use every item on it. I've explained my usage of everything. I hope you find it useful.

Whelping Kit

I place all these supplies in trays and in drawers of the puppy care desk in my nursery and whelping supply cart.

1. Digital Fever Thermometer: For checking bitch’s temp.

2. Petroleum Jelly (Vasoline): For lubricating the digital thermometer.

3. Alcohol Wipes: To clean thermometer or other supplies.

4. Bottle of Rubbing Alcohol: I use to soak hemostats and scissors between whelps.

5. Coffee Mug: Pour alcohol in and add hemostats and scissors between whelps.

6. Calcium: In gel form, enters the bloodstream within seconds if put into the girl's mouth. Used to strengthen contractions during second stage of labor.

7. NutriCal: Give some to bitch during labor to keep up her blood sugar level.

8. Can Of Evaporated Milk: Give cold to bitch during labor if she’ll take it to keep up her blood sugar level (Protein & Calcium).

9. Vanilla Ice Cream: Give to bitch, or eat it yourself.

10. Tapioca Pudding: Ditto!

11. Oxytocin: To give per vet’s instructions to help time contractions and/or as a clean out shot. Helps bring in mother’s milk. Use micro doses (i.e. Pugs 0.2 ml/cc) only!!!

12. Oxygen: To deliver oxygen (0.1 -0.5ml.) to a puppy or mother. I get it from a medical rental place with a prescription from my vet. The monthly rental fee includes two full tanks, regulator and tubing. You will need a large wrench to change tanks.

13. Dopram: Give per vet’s instructions if hard to start pups. (i.e. one drop under the tongue)

14. 5 ½” & 6 ½” Straight Locking Hemostats: For clamping umbilical cords before cutting. Leave forceps on for few minutes to minimize bleeding from stump. I use the 6” size to clamp on the cords below the vulva, when the placenta isn’t delivered with the pup. The 5 ½” size to clamp close to the pup. I will cut the cord and leave the small clamp on the pup until I have the puppy going and nice a pink a squealing.

15. Children's Safety Scissors: To cut and trim umbilical cords. These scissors should not be too sharp or they could cause the cord to bleed.

16. Bulb Syringe: For removing amniotic fluid from the puppy's nose and throat. I use the small ones for whelping but get several and the larger size for older pups that choke on their milk. I keep one close at hand whenever pups are nursing.

17. Tincture of Iodine: Helps in drying out umbilical cords. Use twice daily on cords until they fall off and continue to use on umbilical site for one more day. You can get the decolorized kind so it doesn't stain fabric.

18. Latex Gloves: Apply gloves before reaching in to pull out stuck puppies.

19. K-Y Jelly: For general lubrication (gloves) or apply around stuck puppy if birth canal is dry.

20. 12cc Syringe with Size 8 Feeding Tube: Fill with KY and attach feeding tube for using to get a stuck pup out. (insert past pup if possible)

21. Hand Towels: For reviving (rubbing) and drying off newborns.

22. Large Washable Incontinence Pads: I use these pads to whelp on. Because they have waterproof backs, they make cleaning up easier. You can also use them under the fleece in the whelping box after the whelping is over.

23. Cotton Balls/Cosmetic pads: For cleaning puppy bottoms if mom won’t.

24. Baby Oil: For soaking cotton balls and/or cosmetic pads to reduce chaffing on bottoms.

25. Digital Kitchen Scales: To weigh newborns.

26. Nail Polish or pieces of yarn in Six Unique Colors: To uniquely identify pups for weight monitoring.

27. Zip Lock Bags - Small and Large: For storing things.

28. Water Cup/Dish: For momma to have a drink of water or milk.

29. Misc. Fasteners: I keep a bag of snaps, hand clamps (all sizes), blanket pins (diaper pins) and binder clips on hand. I use them to fasten everything from blankets, to paperwork and personal reminders. Start collecting them now --they come in handy.

30. Puppy Warming Box: This is the box you use to place newborns in. I use a Rubbermaid type under bed storage box with a clear lid. Drill holes in the lid, and get the type that has a top that latches on for the most security.

31. Large Heating Pad: Place in between whelping towels to keep them warm.

32. Small Heating Pad: Place on top of a towel under the Puppy Warming Box at one end. I make sure the warming box ready and turned on with a digital thermometer to make sure the temperature is 99 degrees before the whelping. I leave the lid off at one end, and take it off once the pups are all dry. Do not let the still wet pups get chilled in the room air.

33. Old Bath Towels: Placed on the side of the desk where I put the warming box, so I can set the box on a towel and the heating pad.

34. Size 400 Crate Pads: I put one in a Perla Bed and drape with a washable large incontinence pad. When it gets close, I use the large disposable ones over the washable one to try to contain the biggest part of the mess.

35. Small fleece bumper type crate pads: I use these inside the puppy warming box.

36. Hand towels: I use these for all sorts of things after the whelping. I roll them and add them to any space around the outside of the warming box, I drape part of the box top if I need to, like when using oxygen. I also use them as props when tiny pups are nursing.

37. Old IV Bag: I use an IV bag cozy that I make, but you can wrap in a hand towel after warming in the microwave to act as a heat source for the newborns to snuggle up to whenever mom isn't with them. They like to lay on it the first few days. (A water bed of sorts.) The covered warm IV bag is great for preemies, wet newborns, and singletons!

38. Whelping Box: I use a medium size Perla Bed in a 3'X 3' puppy pen, with the floor raised, thoroughly cleaned with disinfectant and hot water.

39. 3’ x 3’ Puppy Pen: I put the pans in top of the wires, add some pieces of 2” x 4” wood, a piece of siding my hubby cut a hole in for the Scott’s whelping Nest.

40. Scott’s Whelping Nest: I put the Whelping Nest in the puppy pen, and run the cord. Set the thermostat and leave it turned off. (NOTE: If you unplug them you need to recalibrate the temperature when you plug it back in.)

41. Flannel Puppy Pen Cozy: I drape the whole thing with a flannel pen cozy I make that covers the bottom and sides of the puppy pen to keep drafts off the newborns.

42. Washable Underpad: I lay a large 3’ x 3’ washable underpad in there.

43. Perla Bed: For whelping, I add a Perla Bed (medium for a Pug).

44. Crate Pad with pillow case: I put a big comfy crate pad inside a pillow case, inside the Perla bed, inside the 3 x 3.

45. Disposable Underpads: I keep a supply of disposable under pads nearby to slip under the bitch as her time nears and between pups.

46. Digital meat thermometer or reptile thermometer: I use the digital reptile one monitor the temp in the warming box, and when needed. The meat one is great for checking the temp of the warm water for making sure temp of formula or mother's milk for tube feeding.

47. Chair: I keep a chair between the puppy pen/whelping box & the desk where I work on the pups.

48. Grooming Apron or Scrubs Smock: I have a nice cotton one that has pockets for bulb syringe, hemostats, baby scissors, NutriCal, etc.

49. Misc. Fleece, Wash Cloths & Receiving Blankets: I keep and use misc. pieces on hand for various uses.