Let’s talk Incubators
If you’ve ever had a problem litter you may already be familiar with incubators used for intensive care. While this is what many people think of first, incubators can be a very useful addition to a breeder’s tool-kit as they provide a controlled environment in which to keep puppies and kittens warm. There are several situations where one may want to use an incubator on new puppies or kittens: 1. to help to dry them off or out of the way during a whelp; 2. To keep warm after a c-section while your dam is still a little out of it; 3. To keep newborns with a slow start in a warm and oxygenated environment. 4. To warm babies that have become cold for any reason; 5. For special neonatal care of premature or puppies or kittens that are sick or struggling and in need of additional care.
It is also important to mention to never feed a cold a puppy as they cannot digest colostrum or milk/formula when their body temperature is below 35°C (95°F). The puppy must be warmed up before supplementing.
At The Breeders Cupboard we have two options for incubators. The first is our basic incubator which is designed to be affordable and can be used for most purposes. We also have a larger unit, the Pet Brooder 90 which is a nursery/pet intensive care unit designed to assist in the care of sick or newborn animals but will still fulfill the same general uses as our basic unit. Both units can be used with or without tube-fed oxygen.
When using an incubator it is very important to have the temperature set to appropriately for the age and need of your newborns. Neonate puppies are unable to self-regulate their internal temperatures and need to be in a warm environment. As puppies get older they typically do not need the outside heat source, usually by the time their eyes open.
What Temperature To Start At?
While one may be tempted to increase the room temperature while using an incubator, for proper use they are actually designed to operate in rooms of temps of 20 to 22°C; this is cooler than our recommended room temperature of 24 to 26.5°C for newborn litters. Our digital room thermometer will be helpful at letting you know what the ambient room temperature is adjacent to your incubator.
It is helpful for your incubator to already be warmed up before you put puppies or kittens into it. For newborn or section puppies setting the incubator at 32°C (90°F) is a good starting point, and the incubator can be lowered from there once the puppies are dried off. The ideal nest temperature for neonates is in the range of 29 to 32°C.
As general rule of thumb, a healthy normal sized puppy for its breed will regulate their body temperature to approximately 6°C (~ 10°F) above the ambient room temperature. Puppies that are lower in body fat or premature for gestational age may only be regulating 5-5.5°C (~8°F) above ambient room temp and will need the incubator set closer to 32°C . Those puppies that are larger or have more body-fat may regulate their bodies 8°C degrees F (~13°F) above room temperature so then would need the incubator set lower. While a chilled puppy is a concern, overheating your puppy in the incubator can cause dehydration or other issues. The only way to know with certainty what temperature to set your incubator at is to take rectal temperatures of your puppies. Taking a temperature is very easy to do using a rectal thermometer for even the smallest puppy.
Below is a useful chart showing the expected range in body temperature of puppies and an approximate incubator (nest) temperature range. For more information on temperature check out a prior blog post here.
When And How To Use Oxygen
Both of the incubators available at The Breeders Cupboard come with an internal heat source and temperature monitor, an oxygen concentrator needs to be purchased separately. The Breeders Cupboard is now carrying the Medris Medical grade oxygen concentrator which can produce oxygen at rates of 1 to 7L/min. It is an easy to use instrument and can be run continuously or used for short term post whelp support.
The recommended oxygen concentration within an incubator should be about 35%. The oxygen concentration of air is about 20% so the addition of oxygen to all newborns can benefit from some external oxygen to quickly pink them up. The safe-flow rate for your incubator is 1L/min. To measure oxygen concentration within your incubator you can purchase an oximeter at most pharmacies as too much oxygen can cause harm.
During whelp you can use an oxygen mask or just place the end of oxygen tube to the muzzle of a struggling puppy while helping it to revive. In these cases you can set your flow rate from 1-3L/min depending on how much support this puppy needs. Higher rates should only be for short intervals while you get your puppy going.
If you have more questions on how to use your incubator and using oxygen please reach out to the team at The Breeders Cupboard at 587-988-2406.