I’m not a big time breeder so when I needed a whelping box for my last litter, I was looking for something that was easy to assemble and clean and could be stored away when not in use. After much research, I decided to buy the Dura Whelp whelping box by Breeder Base.com. I liked that they advertised that it was easy to use, easy to store, and that it was the safest and cleanest boxes available.
The box is made of corrugated plastic and comes with a 3 year guarantee. Included with the box is a puppy rail to ensure safety for the puppies so they don’t get squished against the wall by their mother laying too close to it.
So I placed my order with the company and questioned my own ability to set this thing up. When it comes to putting things together, I confess I am mechanically challenged even if it does have step by step instructions. So I found myself on the telephone with the company asking questions about how to do this and how to do that. They were patient with their advice but I can’t be too sure of what they may have been thinking at the time.
The whelping box ships to your door folded and fitted snuggly inside the shipping box. It’s quite heavy and for one person to remove this well packed product can prove to be a daunting task. There is very little assembly required to set the box up. It comes with 4 screws and the door slides up and out. The whelping box is durable yet flexible.
You can also order a washable rug for the whelping box. Cleaning the box itself is a breeze. Just wash it down with bleach or other disinfectant. The company also sells a
Puppy heating pad and heat lamp. The box is available in 4 different sizes ranging in price from $149.95 - $219.95. The Therma Whelp (heating pad & lamp) is $149.95 or $159.95. The pads (rugs) sell from $29.99 to $39.99.
I only had a two puppy litter and was able to keep both girls in there for several weeks. (See my two girls in the above picture). However, I found that the puppy rail was not as strong as I would have liked it. My one huge girl kept getting stuck under it and then it started to lift. I would question the durability of the box with a large litter. I loved the convenience and ease of keeping this box clean and I liked how easy it was to pick up the rug and put it in the washing machine. I wasn’t crazy about the heating pad and lamp. I found it to be a little cumbersome. The puppies can actually lie on the metal base (pad), but found that you have to watch how warm that gets.
Overall, I liked the Dura-Whelp box, but found it to be quite pricey once you start to add in all the extras and tack on top of that the expense of shipping. It is now packed away back in the shipping box it came in. It’s very easy to store and take out again for the next little bundle of joys!
For more information: www.BreederBase.com
My rating: ease to assemble: (4), easy to clean (4), strength and durability: (3), price and value for the money: (3), customer service: (4)
I have had a DuraWehlp box since 1995. it has held up to many large litters (12,13 pups),I do remove the box around five weeks.
ReplyDeleteI have 2 DuraWhelp boxes. The design changed slightly between the purchase times of the two boxes, and by your description may have changed again. There were no screws in mine. However both have stood up to multiple large litters. The puppy rails can be taped at the corners for more stability. The only problem I've had is with the door--it just doesn't stay up when tons of puppies are jumping on it! Once the puppies are large enough to really chew (4-5 weeks) you will need to take the box out to prevent damage. I don't use that company's heating element, but do use another but place it UNDER the box and not in the box with the puppies. Stores well between litters in the original shipping box.
ReplyDeleteCynthia Binder DVM
Binderhaus Shepherds
After spending nearly 500$ to build a whelping box (that weighed a TON and was NOT moveable) this information is a welcome sight! Our whelping box was lined in formica and could not have been built by a novice. Where was this when I needed it? lol...
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