Whelping Checklist: Everything to Have Ready Before Your Dam Delivers

Whelping — the delivery of a litter — is one of the most critical and potentially dangerous events in a breeding program. Most litters are delivered without major complications, but having the right supplies, knowledge, and emergency contacts ready before delivery begins can be the difference between a healthy litter and a tragedy. This checklist covers everything to have in place at least two weeks before the expected due date.

Two Weeks Before: Setup and Supplies

Whelping box: Large enough for the dam to stretch out fully, with low sides for her to step over but not for puppies to climb out. Pig rails (rails around the inside perimeter 3–4 inches off the floor) prevent the dam from crushing puppies against the sides.

Heat source: Newborn puppies cannot regulate body temperature. One half of the whelping box should be kept at 85–90°F for the first week, reducing to 80°F by week 2. Heating pad set on low (under one end of the box) or a heat lamp positioned overhead — never directly on puppies.

Thermometer: Both a rectal thermometer for the dam (to detect the temperature drop indicating labour within 24 hours) and an ambient thermometer for the whelping box.

Scale: A kitchen scale that measures in grams. Each puppy should be weighed at birth and daily for the first two weeks. Puppies that fail to gain weight (or lose weight) need intervention.

Timing device: Clock or phone for recording time of each puppy's birth.

Whelping Supplies

• Clean towels — many of them — for drying puppies
• Sterile bulb syringe for clearing airways
• Unwaxed dental floss for tying off umbilical cords if needed
• Surgical scissors (blunt-ended) for cutting umbilical cords
• Betadine or chlorhexidine solution for cord care
• Disposable gloves
• Puppy ID collars or nail polish colours to identify individuals
• Clean newspaper or puppy pads for the whelping box floor (absorbent, easy to replace)
• Notebook or whelping log for recording birth times, weights, and observations

Emergency Supplies

• Calcium (Karo syrup or calcium gluconate): For eclampsia risk in small breeds
• Dextrose solution or Karo syrup: For fading puppies
• Puppy milk replacer: In case the dam cannot produce enough milk
• Feeding tube and syringe: For tube feeding weak puppies

Emergency Contacts to Have Ready

• Your primary veterinarian's emergency number
• A 24-hour emergency veterinary clinic near you
• An experienced whelping mentor in your breed community

Signs of Normal Labour

• Temperature drop below 99°F (normal is 101–102.5°F) — labour typically begins within 24 hours
• Nesting behaviour — the dam rearranges bedding
• Restlessness, panting, shivering without obvious cause
• Clear or slightly bloody vaginal discharge
• Visible contractions progressing to puppy delivery

When to Call the Vet

• Strong contractions for 30+ minutes with no puppy delivered
• More than 2 hours between puppies when more are expected
• Green or black discharge before any puppies are born
• A puppy visible or palpable but not delivered after 10–15 minutes of straining
• The dam becomes extremely weak, pale, or non-responsive