Cedar bedding .

maker4life

Senior Member
My girl had a litter of pups yesterday and was wondering what folks thought about cedar chips for bedding in the whelping box . I've heard some pro's and cons but wanted to hear from some folks that may have used it .
 

amstaff

Senior Member
Wouldn't use it...

My wife and my mother in law have been in the show dog buisness for about 20 years, The M-I-L tried it at the start and quit using said the chip were to rough on newborn puppies eyes plusthey can inhale dust get pieces in their mouths possibly choking them. I would just use an old blanket that can be washed.
 

Tag-a-long

Senior Member
Our breeder kept blankets/towels in the whelping box until the pups were getting around good and started on soft foods and then she switched to cedar shavings.
 

maker4life

Senior Member
That's what I've been thinking and am doing right now .
 

TripleXBullies

Senior Member
I put my females in pins with cedar bedding and only a blanket of some kind for birthing. Within an hour or so of each birth I ensure each puppy is dry and that the blanket is dry enough to keep them that way. I remove the blanket within about 24 hours. I keep the whelping box open with no bedding for about a week. I've never had it very dirty in that time. Anything that is out of the ordinary I spot clean.

After that I put a VERY fine pine bedding in the whelping box. Once the puppies are out of the box, I generally have about 50/50 pine and cedar in the pen. I like having the cedar for fleas and the smell.
 

southern_pride

Senior Member
My wife and my mother in law have been in the show dog buisness for about 20 years, The M-I-L tried it at the start and quit using said the chip were to rough on newborn puppies eyes plusthey can inhale dust get pieces in their mouths possibly choking them. I would just use an old blanket that can be washed.

Shredded paper works great.

The pups can choke on the chips. Towels/blankets are bad too. The pups can get rolled up/covered up and momma can lay on them and smother them. Use newspaper or nothing at all. The momma dog will keep it clean.

Once they geat about 4 weeks, then you can use the chips, but I still dont like em. They'll eat them and they'll get stuck when they try to poo.
 

wildlands

Senior Member
Shreaded newspapers works best. I have used small hand towels even wash rags. Stuff that is small enough for them not to get rolled up in it. Make sure you have some pig rails around the sides of the box to keep mom from rolling over on them an squashing them.
 

TripleXBullies

Senior Member
I agree that all puppies eat wood! You've just got to find something fine enough that it's not going to stop them up. It's pretty much always a possibility though.
 
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