Whelping box--spot heating or temperature control - Page 1

My girl is going to have pups, now I am sure.

Many articles suggest spot heating in a whelping box, say a heating pad that covers about half of the bottom of the box. The pups can crawl in and out of warm zones to regulate.

For weeks I had wanted to set up a thermostat and use a heater to maintain temperature instead of spot heating, but now I think spot heating has it advantage. I think I am leaning toward spot heating or a combination. May be I would set up temperature control for about 70F and then use spot heating to boost.

I am using heating elements that are meant for 120V but I am feeding rated 24 VDC, actual about 26 VDC when loaded, 33 VDC open circuit. I have tried it already, a "500W 120 V" heating coil is baring too hot to touch for too long. It is definitely not hot enough to ignite cotton.   I have put it on top of dry cotton towel in low humidity for hours. With just one layer of towel I can hold it indefinitely. I plan to wrap it up in several layers of towel, which can be changed often. I think the amount of wet wastes will not cause problem if dealt with daily. This is just a test. I think will use an old style electric warming plate, no electronics to start, 1000-1500 watts, actual about 60-90 watts at 26 VDC. A light dimmer will also serve as finer adjustment, if necessary.

 I tend to think that an electric blanket or cloth pad is rather messy.  It is not designed to be folded up. When it gets messy, what would one do?

I have touched across 26 VDC. Didn't feel a thing at all. Would pups be hurt by 26 VDC?

Any comment or suggestion?

Thanks

A heat lamp would be much easier and safer, many come with a high/low option and you can raise them up and down on a chain.

Thanks

Don't you have to feed 120 V?

If radiation is the means of heat transfer, the lamp can be placed high enough to be safe, but don't pups need daily light cycle for good health? Does having light all day affect the pups one way or another?

Agree with beepy,that is all i ever used.We did have electric heating in our whelping kennel,but more for myself as i slept in it for weelks at a time. liz

i also use a heat lamp; mine has a clamp that allows fixing it at different heights.  i aim it into one corner of the box so the bitch can lay in a cooler place but still be with the pups.  pups easily crawl to the 'milkbar' or into the warmer area.

Heat if you like, a heat lamp can be raised and a thermometer can tell you what the surface temp is.   They can get too hot if not checked with a thermometer, plus they use a lot of electricity.

I have pup's in a dog house, on dirt with some straw, it's been in the 20's overnight and no heat lamp's.  They stay plenty warm and beside's mother's alway's there with them to keep them just right.   The only thing I have ever used a heat light on was baby chick's.  I don't believe dog's would need them unless the mom won't stay with them.

i use a petnap heater its small and I put it in a corner the pups tend not to use it much but Its very good a have a heat lamp just in case it gets really cold but never used it lol another expensive piece of kit that's still in the box, no wonder hubby gets mad when i go on one of my shopping sprees 

vivarium heat mats are ok but it must be water proof and well wrapped up 

i also have a thermometer that has two alarms on it for min and max temp 

the things we do !!! 

i think i have got that obsessive compulsive thing LMAO

If nature is the guide, then 24-hour light may not be good. Pups are born in a den with little light even in the day. Pups eyes are not open, but can their optic nerve sense light even with eyelid closed?

Also, the tiny light element in the bulb is the pups life line. They have rated hours but may fail prematurley due to vibration. So you need two or more for redundancy and so you need a themostat to regulate anyway. I think that when you rely on uniform heating of the box ,you need redundancy and a theromstat.

Spot heating from the bottom in contact with the pups has its distinct advantage, I tend to think. The pups can crawl  around to thermo-regulate. Redundancy is in having two spots of heat.

I think the heating elements in 120V cookware is almost indestructable, especially when fed 24 VDC. I read that the heat source should be close to mom, the source of milk.

Never had a litter yet that did not have overhead heating,nor would i. Never had a puppy overheat either,they will crawl away from heat if it is too warm,all my bitches do the same,move to the cool side of the bed. Since puppies are unable to regulate thier own body tempreature, at first, it  must,imo, be provided,but monitored obviously. I have used the same methods for 40 years breeding and never had any problems yet. liz 

yes we all see light even with eye's closed,    Yes we all need darkness, thats been proven.

Why do you feel your pup's will need outside heat source?