As we wait for Cami to have her puppies I thought I’d share a little about getting ready.
I have a couple of totes where I keep supplies. The bigger one has whelping supplies; instruments, small towels, supplements for mom and babies, etc. The main things I may need during delivery I will lay out on top of the whelping crate. I like to have these ready when I think mom is getting close to starting labor or acting restless. The smaller tote holds all the ribbons and small collars to mark puppies for identification purposes.
I have my clipboard ready with mom and dad’s name for taking notes and recording puppy birth times, weights, genders and markings. Next to the crate is a large dog dish with a small towel and the scale for recording weights.
Our puppies are pretty much always born in our living room. Cami made an exception to that with her last litter. We had gone to California to visit my dad and family. Cami was getting towards the end of her pregnancy so she went along. She ended up having her puppies around three in the morning on the day we were heading back to Washington! So her last litter are actually California puppies born in the little guest house at my brother’s place.
The Puppy Warmer is something we invested in a couple years ago. It was definitely an investment but it has been worth every penny. When we have an extra small puppy or a puppy that had a difficult delivery or a puppy that just needs a little TLC, the Puppy Warmer has been a life saver. It’s a puppy incubator and oxygen concentrator. I like to have it set up and ready before a litter arrives.
We also like to take temperatures on our expectant moms twice a day starting a few days before their due date. A normal dog’s temperature is around 101.5. The week before she is going to deliver it will drop down into the 100.5 range. It might dip into the 99s and low 100s for a few days. What we’re hoping and waiting for is a big drop, usually 98.something which tells us that we should see puppies within the next 24 hours. Not all moms follow this pattern, but on as a whole, it’s a great indicator to predict when puppies will arrive.
Some moms are super quiet and private when they whelp (like Lyric). Other dig and nest for a while before. There may be panting, whining, restlessness etc. Just like people, every dog is a bit different.
She has started digging by the back door when she goes out for potty breaks. It’s getting close and I won’t leave her outside unattended for breaks, just in case.
It can’t be much longer!❤️