"I suggest buying a new supply of white washcloths or hand towels. You will need to have two cloths per puppy". "Against a white cloth, you will be able to see clearly the blood from the cord stump. The first one will get wet and have blood on it quickly and then you will have a second one to stimulate the puppy further and wrap him as he dries. This will help you to assess blood loss, if any, and assess the color of any fluids that you are able to remove with the bulb syringe or DeLee catheter. Empty the syringe on to the white cloth for assessment purposes. Have a few extra cloths in the warming box for emergency use. I keep them under the heating pad just in case I need them.
Wash the new cloths in a regular washing machine with Thieves Laundry Detergent or another safe, non-toxic soap. Rinse them twice and dry. Store them in a zipper-closed plastic bag in the warming box. Once you have plugged in the warming box in preparation for the delivery (at the very first sign of labor), the cloths will warm while you're awaiting delivery. After the whelping is completed, wash the cloths and store them in the warming box until time for the next whelping."
