what is a good way to give pups water without them dumping it all over the place? I know someone who had a pup die by falling into a bucket, so am leery about that.
Many pet stores have water bottles available that work much like a hampster water bottle but holds more water. I use them for puppies all the time.
Down side is if they keep playing with it, it will keep leaking out and making the area wet so you need to be crafty where to place it.
Great suggestions! The bigger size hamster bottles are rabbit water bottles, never thought of using those, great idea.
For water I use the food dish, the 20'' one with the bump in the middle? I have two, one for food one for water. It holds about 1'' of water so for the first couple of weeks of having water in there it's safe for puppies.
After that I use the smaller stainless bucket snapped to a big U bolt type of screw in one corner.
Depending on their size we used the largest glass pie plates we could find to feed and water them. They are low to the ground and can't flip over, and sseemed to be slick enough that the puts can't get a good grip on the edges. Never had a pup break one.
If you're using an x-pen around the whelping box there are gray crock's available that screw onto the side of the x-pen similar to what is used for a bird's cage. If you attach it right below eye level using more than one on different sides of the box if needed, most pups can not tip or angle it.
I use a couple of cat crock bowls, about 4 inches in diameter and about 3 inches deep. They are heavy and don't tip and they are so low to the ground and small, they cannot drown in them. I only leave it in there from 4 weeks on. Before that, they get to "practice" on drinking water only when I am supervising.
NO BUCKETS OR PAILS!!!!!
If the bitch is still nursing regularly, and if the solid food you are now giving has been thoroughly soaked, why do pups in a whelping box need access to a constant supply of water? I have always figured that it is not until the mother starts slowing down the nursing that you need to give them water they can always access. I might give the pups a big drink a couple times per day during the borderline period.
The day we start the pups on soaked and mashed puppy food we put water in with them, we use a glass pie plate, heavy enough for them to not drag it, shallow enough for them not to get stuck in it and drown, and big enough for the first week or so. As they get bigger, taller and are able to get a drink out of a regular bowl we go to a 2 or 3 qt no tip bowl, we just fill it and clean and put fresh water as needed, usually several times a day. Works well for us.
If you have a pig rail just slide a regular ss dog dish under the rail in the corner and it wont tip.They will drink even though they are still nursing.
I prefer to use a heavy 8" square pyrex dish which fits nicely under the pigrail for added stability. I have never had one tip over and since they are less than 4" deep, a puppy is in no danger.
We're using the 15" round (with the bump in the middle) for both food and water. It's working great.
The puppies have been using them for 2 weeks they are about 5 weeks now.
