Digital Thermometer For Dogs

Temperature is one of the few things about a whelping you can actually measure, and it tells you what a dog cannot. A drop in the dam's temperature is often the clearest sign that labour is close, and a chilled newborn will stop feeding long before it looks unwell to the eye.

A digital thermometer gives you that number in seconds. Next to the old glass mercury type there is nothing to shatter in a restless dog, and a clear display with a beep is far easier to trust at three in the morning.

Watching for the Pre-Whelping Drop

Many breeders take the dam's temperature twice daily through the last week of pregnancy, because a noticeable fall below her own established baseline commonly comes shortly before labour starts. The value lies entirely in that baseline, so start early enough to know what normal looks like for this particular bitch, and write every reading down. Your vet is the right person to tell you what range to expect and which readings should worry you.

Newborns and Chilling

Newborn pups run cooler than adult dogs and cannot correct it themselves, which is why a cold pup must be warmed slowly before it is fed rather than after. Read temperature alongside the daily figures from your puppy scales, because a pup losing warmth and weight together needs veterinary attention promptly rather than another night of watching.

Using It Well

Keep a thermometer that is only ever used on the dogs, label it, and wipe it with alcohol before and after every use. A dab of lubricant makes the job quicker and kinder, and a second pair of hands helps more than you would think. Store it with your whelping scissors and cord clamps so the kit lives in one box, and check the battery well before the due date instead of on the night.

Due date getting close? Explore the RPBA collection of digital thermometers for dogs and start your baseline readings early.