First Litter of Gordon Setters? Here's a tip: COLD kills puppies

Scotts Whelping Nest ~ A life saver for puppies

If you're expecting your first litter of Gordon Setters, you need to know this; Keep them warm! Very Warm. Puppies are not able to generate their own body heat until about 14 days old. You will have to do this for them. A heat source is absolutely necessary for a pup to thrive. I've found the best way to insure a consistent temperature and keep puppies warm, is the Scotts Whelping Nest. Available through Scotts Dog Suppy, it is well worth the investment. Simply made, it resembles a shallow, round, teflon pan and is made for AC. It has an adjustable temperature gauge and that will vary depending on the surrounding temperature. An easy way to tell if the puppies are cold, is to simply look at their behavior. If they are whining and are crawling on top of each other, they are too cold. If they are spread out, possibly whining, trying to escape the "nest", they are too hot. Believe it or not, at just hours old, you will see this behavior. Pay attention and adjust the heat level accordingly.

posted by Karen Thomason on Jul 14 6:28 PM