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Feb 10 2010 Lunas temperture dropped around 5 am on Tuesday morning. I am pretty close to the correct
time because she was sleeping with me on a twin bed in the whelping room when she began to shiver. I took her
temperature three times to make sure I was right before I called her human mom. I know she would be coming over and
waiting with us I usually call her when we reach Phase 1 of labor which is panting and some movement in the puppies.
Lunas mom (shania ) was like a clock with her litters .. temp dropped and within 12 hours progressed to phase 1,phase2, and
puppies. After temp drop the mom can take up to 24 hours before phase 1 labor starts and luna took all 24. She
began to pant at 5 am wednesday. Moms can stay in phase 1 for 12-24 hours before moving to phase 2 which is contractions
and birth. I had already missed 2 days of work watching her progress and at 3:30 pm she had not started having contractions
yet so I decided to leave sarah with her and goto parent/teacher conferences at 4:00pm. I called to check on her at
4:30 and her contractions were happening pretty regularly. I told them to call if she had three good ones in a
row and I would come home. At 4:55 I got the call her water broke and hurried home. I am only 1 1/2 miles from home
and had enough time to get home put on sweats and join luna in the whelping box. I delivered Green at 5:23 pm. Green12oz,
5:23pm; Blue 8.1 oz 5:34; Pink 8.1oz 5:58 pm; Yellow 10.2 oz 6:22pm; Orange 8.5oz 6:56pm; Gold 8.3 oz 8:14 pm; Purple
10.4 oz 9:14pm; Parti 7.8oz 9:37pm The broad was complete. Luna was great through the delivery. She
actually did the funniest thing I have seen from a momma in delivery. Everytime a puppy was ready to crown she picked
up her tail which is normal but it fluttered back and forth very very fast and out came a puppy. Every puppy was singing when
they came out. Two had to have a little suction but the rest were fully announcing their arrival. FEB
11 All has been quiet the last 24 hours as everyone catches up on sleep. Luna is non stop nursing and
sleeping with the babies. All have gained at least a full ounce which is right on track. Actually its great since
usually the first weigh ins can produce a bounce where they lose weight first. Luna is learning to be a mom.
In typical first mom behavior I almost have to drag her from her babies to go potty. Its the fastest I have ever seen
her potty and fly back to the door where her babies are . FEB13 Sarah came back to day and luna
sprinted from the box to great her mom. Good for her to have a break from nursing even if its only 10 minutes.
I know she has become truly vested in being a momma when she didnt care when her human mom left to go home. All puppies
have gained yet another ounce and are growing like weeds. Although they are still little "rats" for lack of
a better term. They fit in my hand although I do as little handling as possible. Their ears/eyes are closed, which
means they cant see or hear. So they play what I call dolphin sonar with their mom. They squeak and circle until
they bump in to her then the y root for a nipple. Most fall asleep on a teet then another sibling bumps them off. Another
Luna funny... She went out to go potty and came back to find her puppies in a perfect "DOG PILE" in the middle of
the box. She sat in the corner and started to whimper/yip at them. Like they do to find her. She kept doing
it louder and leaning her nose closer to them as she did it. Needless to say they cant hear so they didnt find her but
as soon as she laid down and they could smell her they all managed to snuggle over. I had to convince her to lay down
that her barking was going unnoticed by her little ones. FEB 14 HAPPY VALENTINES DAY The puppies
are thriving but I am finding that Luna doesnt like cleaning them. The puppies are unable to go potty without mom stimulating
them , after which she cleans them and consumes what ever they produce. Luna does the stimulation but not the cleaning
so I have had to clean the bedding 2-3 times a day and a few of the puppies. It may be something she learns as she goes
but time will tell. It is interesting for me to watch each new mom and how they learn, how much is instinctual, and
how much is just like human moms trial and error. I have learned with each litter to be more and more of an observer
role instead of a helicopter grandma rescuing the momma/babies. Luna has only sat on them once.. I waited about 25 seconds
before helping her figure out how to get around with puppies on both sides of her body demanding milk. She is getting
better and better which is good because their scooting ability is getting quicker also. All is well and everyone is
resting. Valentines will be the theme of the 1 week pictures. FEB16. The last 24 hours
has been a challenge for the little ones. It started with one getting loose stool then led to all of them having some
level or another of diarrhea. Which is horrible for the puppies. We spent yesterday at the vets and are giving
antibiotics to mom and pups. Its amazing no one can tell you what it is. Its just a bug, milk from the mom, something
mom ate that didnt settle with their tummies, or, or , or... Its not what it is at this point its what to do for them.
Fluids, antibiotics, probiotics and make sure they are nursing and gaining weight which they all are up to this point.
I was up with them all night to make sure everyone got correct milk, fluids, and clean bums before it gets all over everyone.
We have three above a pound and rest are closing in fast. Silver is starting to show through the white on some of them.
They had a rough day yesterday but hanging tough..
FEB17
They are all hanging in there and it
takes three days for the labs to process the fluids that were drawn/collected at the vet on monday so I should know something
by tomorrow. I have given all of them fluids for dehydration because of the loose stool and everyone is gaining weight
which is the mystery to the vets. I spent the day scrubbing all the floors, front porch, and then moved the puppies
out in heated box and did the same with whelping room. Which I did prior to their arrival. My puppy nanny and
I bathed everyone of them plus mom. plus my four. Yes, this is the youngest I have ever groomed a water dog so
they will be very trained for a lifetime of grooming after this. Complete with a hair dryer so they wouldnt get cold.
If it was a virus I have lysoled, cleaned every possible thing in the house, porches, etc... Since mom never got anythingn
or any of my big guys its probabily not the case but I have to do everything to keep them safe/healthy. In all
the years of breeding I have never had this happen. Read about it, heard about it but here we are. The great news.
Every one but Parti boy is above 1 pound which is the big mystery. Usually puppies who are sick dont gain weight or
nurse. This bunch nurses 24/7 if momma luna lets them. Maybe that is why despite loose stool they are doing great.
They are so darn cute and I think in the long run will be more social than any other group I have ever had because usually
the first two weeks AI do as little touching as possible and let momma do her magic but this group has been handled lots and
no longer squak when I pick them up which is normal they immediately look to cuddle next ot my neck and purrrrrrr like kittens
when they are cuddling.
Feb18,2010
Just got the test results from my regular vet and confired with
my Repro/obgyn Vet with results. Puppies have some bacteria. All dogs have it in their intestinal tract and its
very common. Its found in the ground all over the place, stagninent water, eating uncooked meat.. etc which
is where many older dogs get it from (mom). In most cases just a natural part of intestinal tract and our
environment.... BUT when it gets out of balance it can cause diahrrea. Which can be severe because of electrolyte balance
and dehydration. Actually truth be told the vet told us when we left on Monday that the diaharrea would more than likely
kill them before we got the test results back in three days. When he took their temps they litterally blew out to his
clothes 12 inches away. Now having a diagnosis of what it is Dr Brett said I caught it very early since their was no
blood in the stool. Just lots of water... It shook me to the core when he gave me directions of how to bring
a dead puppy back to him for an autopsy. I have spent the last 72 hours giving antibiotics/ sub cue fluids/ probiotics
to get their intestinal tracts back in order. If an adult dog gets this it usually goes a way with 24 hours of loose
stool and no meds. Just extreme because they are so small. The found aNIH article that in one study
of puppy litters 94% have the bacteria. How we are blessed that my long time vet got us in almost immediately, got the right
antibiotic with out knowing the cause, having the ability to give fluids with a big needle on a little crying puppy, and puppy
nanny brittany to hold them, love them after grandma jodi sticks them. Trooper Luna for cleaning poopy bottoms, and
nursing like she too is on a mission. I wont relax until they reached 2 weeks, but my obgyn vet said if they are gaining
weight, nursing and its getting better then stay the course. They should ALL pull through with vigilance. The
other positive is that they have had tests for everything under the sun and are healthy as horses besides the "bug".
Also as my regular vet laughed and said WE are all a tough bunch and have done well to get through this. 7 more days
of antibiotics and hopefully this will just be a story to tell and a reminder that I keep our house on lockdown to protect
them. Always be vigilant because they are fragile the first 2/3 weeks of life. The crew is blessed today..
Feb19,2010
Move over Carls Junior we have the ONE PLUS pounders puppy club instead of the one pound super
burger. Parti was the last one to pass one pound but remember he was the smallest at birth and all have met a milestone
of doubling++++ birth weight in one week... despite having loose stool. I cant imagine how big they would be with
out our round of diharrea. The vet has them on 2 cc of of amoxicillian for the next 7 days. Its human medication..
cherry flavor to be exact. Everyone seems to enjoy the taste. They are also getting yogurt with probiotics mixed
in to put good bacteria back into the intestinal track since antibiotics wipes out all bacteria. I will put up photos
of them eating yogurt its hysterical and would make the best got milk commercial in the world. We had a good night
and I cant wait until tomorrow to sleep and not have to get up at 5:00 to go to work. After getting up at least 5-6
times a night to check babies. Its like having a newborn baby at home times 8. If ones awake eventually they all get
awake and cry. The last several days has made me appreciate the crying ... its a great sign of a hungry puppy looking for
a seat at the lunch counter. Feb 20 Oh boy the troops are marching now.... ok camo crawling
or crabbing is what I like to say. The requirements to being in the crabbing club is to have your belly off the floor
be able to move at least 1 feet with out belly touching the ground. BLUE boy wins the race. He took off across
the box only to bump into mom. A few others are trying but he won the gold medal. Luna was laying with her back
to them last night and green was next to her back screaming. I jumped up to find orange and pink nursing on mom.
They had climbed over her and were latched. I knew poor green would never get his big belly over his mom. They
are thriving and I am so glad to see. The ears are dropped so it wont be long until they open. Eyes are still
sealed shut but 14-20 days is the eye opening time. My little ones (oakley/Glennie) are protesting for more
attention. I have lived in this room with the little ones most of the time. They got my briefcase off the counter
and pulled out the essays from school that I brought home to grade. Oakley brought me one in her mouth and glennie sat
in the middle of them wagging her tail. Gabe/Shania were sitting on the couch with the look of wisdom telling them we
told you that wasnt a good idea. I took the paper from oakley and told her how good she was to bring her treasure to
me because I want her to always bring to my hand anything in her mouth. Then I made them go outside while I talked
to myself and picked them all up. I guess the excuse that my dog ate my homework/essay is true this time. Lots
of happy 7th graders will be getting and A this time around.... :-)))
Feb 22,2010
Sunday was
a great day for the little ones. I keep very accurate records of weight/ growth/ developmental milestones for each litter
and this litter is right there with all the rest. Amazing after the week we had last week. They are all pushing
2lbs. Moving all over the place. In the middle of the night last night I got my first attempt at a bark..
Dont know who it was but they were fighting for a spot at the lunch conter with a sibling. Almost all
ears are down, and they are eating like horses. Actually they are in thier kneading phase.. That is when they knead
the teets with their front feet like a baker would a loaf of bread. Its an adujustment for luna and she is in uber mommy
mode and much more relaxed as a mom. I actually left them for about 45 minutes on saturday to take a stool samples to
the vet. She was asleep in the box with them when I left and the same when I got back. Luna, like her mom, is
a picky eater. Its nice to see that like her mom she got out of it with her first litter also. Luna ate almost
6 cups of food yesterday plus yogurt and a little vanilla ice cream. Hagen das is her favorite... Her normal food
intake is about 1 1/2 cups per day.
In case you dont know at this age they cannot go potty unless mom stimulates
them. She then cleans them up and consumes the excrement. SOOOO its hard to get stool samples when she is getting
quicker at cleaning them. Last night I got our first solid poooooo from 2 of them. The rest have pudding consistency
poo. It may sound gross but you can tell lots about a dogs health by the stool samples. I was very excited and
had to leave sarah a celebratory call that we had solid poo... That means bacteria is gone... They have the cherry
amoxicillian until thursday then we will be putting more probiotics back into their food to get the good bacteria in
the intestinal track again. Unfortunately anitibiotics kills all bacteria not just the bad stuff. Just waiting
for the eyes to start to open. This is a nice group of puppies so far... all I can look at is bone, head pieces , muzzles
and stops. Definately got show quality in the mix...
FEB 24,2010
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Geepers, Peepers,
where you get those eyes.... Yes we have eyes open on... Green, Blue, Pinky, Parti, and yellow boy are wide open and the rest
have winky eyes... They actually open from the inside of the eye, closest to nose, outwards so they get little cracks
then they bust open. This group, excpet blue boy skipped the slits and just opened up. Last night blue boy was
the only one with cracks and then this morning there they were. It so exciting. I put my elbows in the box and
the open eyed ones moved to me, looked up like what is that. They can only see light/dark/movement and it will
take up to 8-9 weeks for them to get full clarity, depth perception. They are all crabbing even green boy with the big
belly. At lunch today Little pinky got her self up to scurry as quick as she could towards what she thought was her
mom. She bonked into the pig rail ( tubing around the whelping box to keep mom from laying on them), fell over and laid
there for a few seconds got up and turned the other way.. Only to plow into the dog pile of brothers and sisters. Its
like watching a baby stare at something with amazement for the first time. They are doing awesome with weight gain everyone
gained 2 ounces over night. Green is over 2 lbs and purple girl is 1/2 ounce under. The train is back on track
and chugging along.
Feb, 26
Wow we are having crab walking races around the whelping box. yesterday
pinky and blue boy both did full laps without mom in the box. They arent walking like dogs yet but they are diligently
working on getting their legs underneath them, balancing and finding their way around with out clear vision.
They are just starting what I call ... "I think I am a dog phase" where they do a very
funny growl bark to summon their mom back to the box. They have learned if they do it long enough, loud enough mom will
come running. Purple and mom had an exchange yesterday. Luna thought purple was talking to her and did a woo woo
right back to her.
The activity level and size are changing daily. They are also moving
away from the pile to go potty when mom isnt there to clean them which is right on tract to start potty training at 3 weeks.
They dont walk well at that age but I still provide them a place to go potty outside the whelping area. I
give them toys, room to explore at three weeks. The changes from 3-5 weeks are the largest growth times for them..
Poo report is awesome.. It s the first time I have been excited to clean up poo this morning. All formed
and correct. They have been off the antibiotics for almost three days now so I am very pleased that is behind
us, as the vets said it would be. Luna is doing most of the work until 3 weeks then I start doing most of the cleaning,
training, etc... The fun parts of breeding, training, learning personalities. etc...
March 3. Happy Three
week birthday...
Its been a week since I wrote anything because things have been hopping at work/home... The dreaded
CSAP testing has begun so life as we know it is out of schedule. Thank goodness Grandma Sarah is able to come over and
be puppy nanny. WEll where to begin... we are all walking, all over 2 lbs, all sitting up, all playing and the cutest
part (except in the middle of the night) they have all figured out they are doggies. Which means they try to bark, howl,
growl bark, at diffferent times of course. At least three of them can hear because when I clap my hands or whistle 3
of them alert and look up. The rest follow suit. They are chow hounds so poor luna is eating 5-6 cups of
food, atleast 100 ounces of water, and warm chicken broth trying to keep up with them. I am sure her human momma sarah
is bringing her goodies during the day when I am at work also..
In the week three pictures you
will see BLUE eyes ... that is what color they are when they open they slowly turn brown. That is the cue to us that
they can see clearly. I am laughing as I write this because this is the funny time... Lack of coordination, trying to
bark, and putting their mouths all over everything, heads, ears, and muzzles. They explore the world with
their mouths. I love putting my upper body in the box with my elbows on the floor. THey all huddle round and try
to nurse my arms. Also a sign that they can see objects but not to clearly. Little gold girl was nursing green
boys foot this morning, and Yellow was nursing his sisters ear (pink). Purple girl came running at me in the box , only
to bonk her head into the pig rail, fall over and growl bark at the wall of the box. I had to laugh out loud at
her. So far I couldnt be more pleased with their temprements. That is why I used Leo again he is rock solid
and produces that in his get. WHAT A GREAT LITTER... They may have started a little slow but they are all
on par if not ahead of momma lunas litter.
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