E Litter Gloria x Duke
Posted by Delores Smith on Wednesday, May 14, 2014
E Litter is on Day 4 and all is well. Last night weigh-ins showed weight gain by all puppies. There are always some greedy ones that gain by leaps and bounds and then there are two where you are just happy they are doing some gaining. I have supplemented Little Ms Red and Mr Green several times and that has made the difference - given them strength to fight for that spot at the milk bar. With only 6 puppies there should be plenty of milk for everyone but the c section and spaying procedure has delayed the bountiful supply. I belong to a few breeder forums on facebook and advice was to give her the supplement fenugreek - a supplement women use when having problems nursing a baby - also safe for puppies. A few capsules sprinkled on her food makes it easy to administer. I started that yesterday afternoon so I should see the effects of it in the next 24 hours. Gloria seems a bit anxious or agitated at times...we don't know what kind of hormonal changes are going through her body....one of the problems could be calcium deficiences so I have been giving her tums several times throughout the day. I'm topping off her food with hard boiled eggs and cottage cheese to encourage her to eat and keep up with the demands of her pups. I also have a pot of chicken broth in the fridge that I serve cold to make sure her liquid intake is enough. Taking a week off when the puppies are here is more about taking care of the new mom than anything.
This litter of pups is a bit different than some of our other litters...different in that they are quite "wriggly" I place them on the scale 1x a day and the amount of moving around is quite interesting...most just lie there and not make a fuss. This was prominent from the first half hour they were born - it was noticeable how they were all trying to "escape" the basket they were in at the vet office. I usually have one escape artist in the bunch - the one that escapes the whelping box to find mom...I've never had 6!
Puppies are born blind and deaf...their sense of smell is keen and this is what navigates them in the whelping box which is 4 x 6....amazing to watch them seek out mom by using their noses. They are also born with bright pink noses and pads of their feet. The pads have turned black already and the noses are starting to turn black. Eyes will open around the 12 day stage. How they sleep is an indication if the room is warm enough...if they are lying in heaps then it's on the cool side...if they are spread out then the temperature is warm...puppies cannot regulate their body temperature until at least 2 weeks old - their shiver mechanism does not work until then. The most important thing I can do is keep the room at 30 degrees. This is quite hot for mom...she would prefer it cooler.
I am having difficulty loading new pictures on my website currently, so for now, please check my GoldSmith Facebook page where I posted pictures today
This litter of pups is a bit different than some of our other litters...different in that they are quite "wriggly" I place them on the scale 1x a day and the amount of moving around is quite interesting...most just lie there and not make a fuss. This was prominent from the first half hour they were born - it was noticeable how they were all trying to "escape" the basket they were in at the vet office. I usually have one escape artist in the bunch - the one that escapes the whelping box to find mom...I've never had 6!
Puppies are born blind and deaf...their sense of smell is keen and this is what navigates them in the whelping box which is 4 x 6....amazing to watch them seek out mom by using their noses. They are also born with bright pink noses and pads of their feet. The pads have turned black already and the noses are starting to turn black. Eyes will open around the 12 day stage. How they sleep is an indication if the room is warm enough...if they are lying in heaps then it's on the cool side...if they are spread out then the temperature is warm...puppies cannot regulate their body temperature until at least 2 weeks old - their shiver mechanism does not work until then. The most important thing I can do is keep the room at 30 degrees. This is quite hot for mom...she would prefer it cooler.
I am having difficulty loading new pictures on my website currently, so for now, please check my GoldSmith Facebook page where I posted pictures today
