WhelpingBox-faqs
Whelping Box FAQs: Everything You Need to Know
MAGNABOX WHELPING BOX
1. WHAT IS THE PROPER SIZE WHELPING BOX FOR MY DOG?
The best advice on whelping box size comes from talking with other breeders of the same type or size of dog and your veterinarian. The other impact on whelping box size is the available space and how long you plan to keep the puppies in the whelping box.
We typically find that with larger breed dogs, they are climbing out and over the whelping box in 3-4 weeks, so a larger pen arrangement is necessary. With small breed dogs, a whelping box and extension pen can provide containment and a play area for pups 6 to 12 weeks old.
2. WHAT MATERIAL IS THE MAGNABOX MADE FROM?
The MagnaBox is made from High Density Polyethylene also know as HDPE (this is similar material to commercial cutting boards). HDPE is solid throughout and has no voids or crevices.
3. CAN THE DOG DAMAGE THE WHELPING BOX MATERIAL?
The material is dense but not brittle. It will not crack, chip, splinter, or weather check. Dogs can scratch or leave tooth marks in the material but generally cannot break off an edge to chew on. Any surface blemishes can be smoothed over with a file or sand paper to maintain a smooth and sanitary surface.
4. HOW THICK IS THE MAGNABOX MATERIAL?
The HDPE is ½” thick.
5. WHY DOESN'T THE MAGNABOX HAVE A BOTTOM?
When we developed the product, numerous conversations with breeders indicated that everyone had some different type of system to use in the bottom of their whelping boxes. This could be vet bedding, towels, horse mats, and many other options. Designing the whelping box with no bottom meant that breeders could simply place the box on top of the current system of pads, materials, etc. and continue to use what they were familiar with.
Additionally, from a cleaning and sanitation perspective, the best perspective is to have a clean vet bed next to the whelping box and simply move the whelping box and the puppies to the clean bedding and then cleanup the soiled bedding. Lastly, whelping boxes with bottoms tend to have cracks and crevices that collect various types of contamination and bacteria and are very hard to clean and sanitize.
6. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE EXTENSION PEN?
Extension pens allow additional room for growing puppies to move and explore. Some breeders use the extension pen as a play pen and potty area while the whelping box remains the sleeping and feeding area.
7. WHY IS THE FLEECE BIGGER THAN THE WHELPING BOX?
We recommend and provide fleece that is three inches bigger than the whelping box so that the weight of the whelping box holds the fleece in place and prevents the mother from pulling the fleece into the whelping box and potentially burying the puppies.
8. WHY ARE THERE TWO REMOVABLE DOORS?
The idea behind the two-door system is that when the puppies are first born there are no doors used so the mother has easy come and go access. However, as the puppies become larger ,the large and small doors can be added to still allow the mother out while having an increasing height open to keep the puppies in.
9. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE SEAT/WORK PLATFORM?
The seat is movable and can be positioned on any corner of the whelping box, making it able to serve multiple purposes. First as a place to sit while you are working or observing the puppies. It also serves as a hand work surface for notebooks, iPadx, scales, and other puppy supplies. We have even heard that it makes a nice beverage holder for long nights of whelping puppies.
10. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE PUPPY RAILS?
Puppy rails have many names: safety rails, pig rails and puppy rails to name a few. The purpose of the puppy rail is to prevent the mother from laying or leaning against the wall of the whelping box and trapping and injuring a puppy between her body and the wall.
Typically, puppy rails are removed at around three weeks of age when the puppies are more agile. The width and height of the puppy rails varies with the size of the whelping box, but once the puppy rails are removed there is additional space in the whelping box.
11. CAN THE WHELPING BOX BE USED WITHOUT THE PUPPY RAILS?
The whelping box can be used without the puppy rails; however, puppy rails are usually removed around three weeks of age when the puppies are more agile.
12. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE LIGHT STAND?
The light stand provides for a place to clamp a heat lamp. Some customers have also found it a convenient place to mount a web camera. Grab yours here