What's on the bottom of your whelping box? HipDys Vs sanitation

[~WelshStump~]

Posted this on another forum, but this one is more active so thought I'd ask here too. This is in regards to the "Corgi cam" which has it's own thread else where if you want to watch it yourself.

So, this discussion came up on The Daily Corgi facebook page, it was in regards to a new "puppy cam" on YouTube where Pem puppies are being highlighted, and the author mentioned how they didn't like the lack of a blanket in the bottom of the area. This is something that I was quite upset with to, you can see the pups strain now at around 3 weeks as they try to walk but can't and just end up sliding, it looks awful. Anyway, after reading this article and from what I've heard from other breeders/owners/vets over the years about how slick floors can worsen hip dysplasia, I see this as a bad situation for the puppies. So, the owner of these dogs reason for not allowing the pups a secure surface to toddle on?

Q: Why don't the puppies have soft blankets to lie down on?
A: Cloth can hold harmful bacteria. At this early stage, the puppies' immune systems aren't fully developed, so a hard clean surface is safe.

So, breeders, puppy raiser, what's on the bottom of you whelping boxes? Why? What are your thoughts on this subject?
And...GO!

[Dizzy]

Considering dogs raise puppies in slums, holes in the ground, during storms, in barns, sheds, comfy houses, posh whelping boxes, grass, mud, ice, snow, sand......

I really wouldn't be all that concerned :/

But I am not a breeder, and that's probably why

[AdrianneIsabel]

Well that's purely because if you do it right your litter will fail, if you're a byb your litter will thrive.

In all seriousness though the breeders I worked for used newspaper and varying height cardboard boxes and shavings. They didn't use fabric from what I remember probably because of the cleaning factor but I could be wrong.

[YodelDogs]

I use a blanket, folded flat not wadded up, while they are very young. The dam cleans the pups so there is no smell and barely any soiling. I change out the blanket daily. Sanitation is no issue.

When the pups are up and walking, they have numerous play sessions daily in my kitchen. The floor is vinyl. The surface is a bit slippery to toddling babies but it has never caused any problems.

[~WelshStump~]

Originally Posted by YodelDogs

I use a blanket, folded flat not wadded up, while they are very young. The dam cleans the pups so there is no smell and barely any soiling. I change out the blanket daily. Sanitation is no issue.

When the pups are up and walking, they have numerous play sessions daily in my kitchen. The floor is vinyl. The surface is a bit slippery to toddling babies but it has never caused any problems.

So they're not on it 24/7 though?

And what of grass and going outside? I was on youtube some time ago and saw a video of 3-4 week old puppies playing outside in the grass, more natural surface if you ask me, but as to the argument of germs, hmm...?

[AdrianneIsabel]

Unless its a public park frequented by dogs I wouldn't worry.

[release the hounds]

i really grow tired of the "Germ" argument for everything. Don't throw your puppies in a pile of ****, don't drink sewer water and don't worry about everything so much. You're not going to avoid germs, ever.

[speedydogs]

We use a washable "whelping pad" when they are very young - absorbent, soft, waterproof on the bottom - good traction for puppies. Then when they get older we use fleece (changed twice daily) with a newspaper layer underneath. Once they're three weeks old or so they're out frequently for playtime in the kitchen (linoleum) or outside in the fenced in yard. By the time they're eight weeks old they spend a good deal of time outside, if the weather's nice enough. I'd never keep them on a hard surface 24/7.

I also dislike the "germ" argument. Obviously you have to be careful about communicable disease, so we have visitors wash hands and take off shoes, wash the older dogs' feet if we take them anywhere, etc. But I think it's a bad idea to raise puppies in a totally sterile environment; just like kids, they need a chance to let their immune systems develop.

[Romy]

Our whelping box has an open bottom. The room had a carpet, so we taped a tarp down.

For bedding I used washable fabric hospital chucks. Exactly like these:

http://www.unhealthinessroom.com/Reu...rproof-bed-pad

Then I changed them out several times a day and washed them. I had enough to always have clean ones. It worked out great. 2x a day I'd put the puppies in a bin and swab off the tarp and inside of the box with bleach water. It was pretty important to me because of Kaia's incision.

ETA: The light blue things are the chucks

[Kat09Tails]

I use towels. Usually 4 a day and then we switch to chips when they go to solids.