# keeping pups warm



## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

A friend of a friend is looking for a safe 'heating' pad for newborn puppies. Anyone know of something to recommend?

thanks


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

zyppi said:


> A friend of a friend is looking for a safe 'heating' pad for newborn puppies. Anyone know of something to recommend?
> 
> thanks


 Unless, the dam is dead, using a heating pad for newborn puppies is likely to do a lot more harm than good. 

Sometimes we do need to use alternative heat sources, like when you live in NE Ohio, and it's winter, and you run out of propane, and it's 25 degrees outside. Then you put your electric radiator or heat lamp in there, and hope it doesn't dry out the puppies -- they become dehydrated and feel ill, and move away from the heat source, and fall asleep away from the heat of their dam or the other pups. When they wake up, they are cold and too weak to move toward the warmth. Their digestive system shuts down, and soon they will die. If they are fed when the digestive system is down, they will die. And this comes from keeping the box too warm.


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## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

Thank you, will forward that on.

I've never had a litter of puppies, and never will tiptoe into that responsibility.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Seriously, it is sometimes more difficult to keep the temperature cool enough to not stress the bitch. Like when you are in NE Ohio and it is August, and 98 degrees outside, and inside, not much cooler, and the sun comes through the windows, and the bitch is a little heater in there. Her temperature can spike just from the heat, and then you are drenching her underside with hose water, and putting a fan on her, or rushing her to the vet to make sure there is no placenta or puppy left behind. While you tote puppies along with in a basket. 

According to my repro-vet, room temperature -- about seventy degrees is sufficient to have the box in, and the dam will do the rest. 

I think it is really hard for us to sit on our hands, but it helps a lot. Puppies can feel warm or cold. If they are cool, they will pile together and then will migrate to the bitch's warm spots where the milk is. If they are warm, they will spread out. It is good to have a thermometer for the whelping box environment.


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## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

true for all breeds, yes? She has a collie


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Hmmm. Not all breeds. Small breeds like Yorkies are particularly vulnerable. Maybe because the dam is only a couple of pounds herself. 

I am not familiar with breeding collies, but I would suspect they would be similar to GSDs in this respect.


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## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

I would think so too, but, what do I know?


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