How To Make Your Dog Feel Comfortable While Giving Birth at Home
For pet owners with a pregnant female unable to give birth naturally, the average cost for a non-emergency C-section is around £800. So, for those with a female who can give birth naturally, it’s unsurprising that you may decide on having a home birth rather than taking your furry friend to the vet.
If this is the case, you’ll have much preparation to undertake before your house is ready for the arrival of the puppies to ensure that the mother and her babies are as healthy as possible. To do so, you’ll have to prepare a whelping area so the mother remains as calm as possible, and all the pups are delivered safely. We’ve outlined ways to make your dog comfortable during a home birth below:
Purchase A Whelping Box
A whelping box, otherwise known as a nesting box, is a container made of non-porous materials designed to protect puppies during their first few weeks of life by keeping them safely contained, sheltered from extreme temperatures, and protected from the risk of being smothered by the mother.
It should be able to house the mother and her litter easily and made of a material that is easy to clean. Fortunately, there is a range of whelping boxes available for purchase that are cheap and disposable or stylish and reusable, like the Petnap whelping box.
Being specialists in the supply of whelping items, Petnap stocks and supplies various parts of a whelping kit, from a pet heat pad to pet fleece. To learn more about their collection of whelping items, browse their website for their complete offering and how their products could help prepare a comfortable environment in your home for your dog to give birth.
Watch The Temperature Of The Room
When puppies are newborns, they are highly vulnerable to shifts in temperature since they cannot control their body temperature and become dehydrated quickly. Therefore, it is crucial that you monitor the room’s temperature so that the right temperature and humidity are maintained.
You can do this by using humidifiers and bowls of water to keep the temperature down; then, you could use an infrared heat lamp or pet heat pad to increase it. You should also ensure that the whelping box isn’t too stuffy or too spacious that any draughts could get in.
Keep The Room Sterile
Like any hospital monitoring a human birth, the birthing area must be kept as sterile as possible to minimise the risk of any harmful bacteria or parasites causing complications. Keep on top of this by sterilising the site daily with antibacterial cleaning products or disinfectants; it will also help if you keep other animals and humans (within reason) out of the room once it has been cleaned.
Ensure you wash your hands before entering or handling anything in the area. If your dog has a long coat, you should also aim to brush or wash them before allowing them to settle since their fur can carry bacteria or parasites, which could contaminate the area.
