We are wondering if anyone has an opinion of the WhelpWise service.

Did you use it? Was it easy to use? Helpful? Would you do it again? Any input would be appreciated.

I have used it for every whelping for the past 10 years. I have found Whelpwise to be a life-safer--literally. Very experienced, trained, and caring people man the phones 24/7. They will work with your vet. If you have more questions, you can email me privately.

Mine was not so good, tried it once on a bitch I anticipated may have a problem. When she did eventually run into trouble they were not all that helpful and it was ultimately me who told them it was time to stop the injections and fetal monitoring and take her to the vet, my bitch was so exhausted by this point she could barely stand and ended up needing an emergency section. So I did not think it was really worth the money spent for the service.

Would not use it again. They had be use oxytocin and almost burst a uterus (flipped because of all the contracting)

Odd. Whelp wise worked with my vet in all cases, recommended contacting my vet when we had more trouble than they could handle, talked me through some really difficult resuscitations, and followed up for several days after everything was going smoothly. The folks who man the phones are usually long time breeders themselves or vets or obstetric nurses. They use micro doses of oxytocin and calcium with monitoring of not only fetal distress but also contractions. I was originally referred to whelp wise by a reproductive specialist and a breeder/vet. After his experiences with Whelpwise, my vet now recommends them.

I used them in the late 90s and had Karen, the founder, and was very happy to have "hand holding" when getting back into breeding after a number of years, when my friends didn't like to stay up with me to whelp. I liked the idea of the doppler to check heartbeats on the puppies. The second litter, they did talk my vet through a stuck puppy and turning it as the pups were not in trouble by doppler. The first three litters on various girls were big litters. Then I ran into problems the 4th time with a litter, and they talked me out of going to the vet for emergency help in a 2 puppy litter before the vet would close. I was VERY clear and reminded them about my trusted vet's timeline that night. An hour after my vet was no longer available, and I was in emergency never never land of midnight, they decreed I needed to go for a section. At that point, with a hit by car and another bitch getting a section there, the emergency vet was backed up. I didn't get warm and fuzzy feelings. I chose my girl over the puppies, and took her home to deliver the puppies dead, as I was fairly certain one was already. I felt I was given false security, and they had me and the girls so frazzled with round the clock monitoring in the days before the expected due date, that by the time whelping day came, I could barely think and my girl was tired too. Then I was so run down and sleep deprived, that watching after the newborn litter in the box was even harder after the puppies were actually born.
Another interesting thing: I felt that the contraction monitor, being made for a woman and rubbing all the nipples on the dam, actually seemed to start some early false labor, as it seemed to happen when having wrapped it tight and started the session, based on my girls' reactions. Reading Myra Savant's Advanced Repro book shows that she, too, felt that, and she hates the dopplers. I still use a doppler, but not as much as Whelpwise pushed me to do. I do think that the microdoses of pit and the use of calcium should be used by those vets who do use oxytocin to stimulate whelping. I am not totally sure that the pit should be used without a vet near ready to section, and Whelpwise can't help with that. I do feel that the over the phone help is as good as the person on the Whelpwise end, and that, in any organization, quality varies. Karen was better than her help.

I might use it to some extent with a high risk litter, but they'd yell at me for not monitoring so much at night these days, in the early days before getting closer to due date.

I should probably talk to some Bulldog people first!

I'm a curious sort so years back I tried them because I wanted to see what it was all about~ I was most intriqued w/ the fetal heart monitor... So much so I purchased one for myself... By using this you know if your whelps are in distress to the point you need immediate attention.

I used it once and that was enough for me~ I will say they were wrong on all accounts as to my girl's contractions, etc. I was told to go to bed, she was a long way out. Decided not to listen and the first whelp came w/in two hours of my being told to get some sleep....

Another very important thing I feel I learned through all this is the protocol of miniscule amts of oxy/injectable cal, the when/why and how of it~

Used it twice and the first time no problems but the bitch had 11 pups in 5 hours with out a hitch, so she did not need any help. The second time was a mess, they were soooo wrong cost me 6 pups and a lot of money and stress on the mom, they gave me my money back, they were really nice to work with and they gave me the refund and I did not ask. I would never use them again. Trust your gut, and if you need help get it right away.

That was the value to me too Sherry, the proper use of TINY doses of oxy.

Make that 3 of us. The very small doses of oxytocin are amazing. So unlike the big doses the vets were taught to administer. Those big doses produced wrenching contractions that crushed many a pup.