Jam in the box

The countdown to puppies is on and today it was time to set up the whelping box.  This is a special box where Jam will whelp her pups and they will live for the first four weeks of their lives.  We bought this Durawhelp brand whelping box a few years ago and are quite happy with how easy it is to clean, critical for the pups, and stores flat when not in use.  There are pig rails, those white bars around the inside perimeter of the box, that keep the pups safe in case the dam rolls into them or pushes them against the side of the box.

We set the box up a week or two before the due date to give Jam a chance to acclimate to the box as she will be spending a lot of time in it with her pups.  As the pups grow, we will insert the door to prevent them from escaping.   The quilt in the box is temporary and just for Jam's comfort.  For the actual whelping, we will use disposable pads and after that, the pups will have a very plush fleece pad to enjoy.

Next on the list, setting up all the supplies for the whelping, the heat lamp and thermometer for the box and reviewing all the whelping books.