Today I switched Izzy to puppy kibble to give her a few more calories. While some books say to dramatically increase the amount of food during the last two weeks of a canine pregnancy, this advice seems to be more relevant to breeds that have large litters. Since ultrasound suggests that Izzy is only carrying two pups, I am keeping the amount of kibble that I am feeding Izzy the same. Feeding too much can lead to puppies too large to pass through the pelvic canel, necessitating an emergency c-section. Izzy's last two litters were "free whelps" (vaginal deliveries) and I hope the same will be true for this one.
Today Izzy began a three-day course of fenbendazole, a dewormer. Normally Izzy's immune system will keep parasites under control. But pregnancy causes a weakened immune system to protect the fetus, which Izzy's immune system would otherwise regard as foreign and attack. So worming Izzy at this stage of pregnancy is recommended. After delivery, Izzy will have another three-day worming treatment two days later and again at two weeks after delivery so that parasites are not passed to the puppies.
First, I had the butler put down a whelping nest on a wooden base that I previously had built. The whelping nest is a bowl-shaped rubber-type device that has a built-in electric heating unit that warms up the nest. You can see the wires used for power and control plugged into the temperature control device. The bricks are there to stop any dogs (or later, puppies) from getting to the wires and chewing on them.
Over the whelping nest, the butler spread a washable pad and then built the whelping box on top. The sides of this whelping box slot together for ease of assembly and disassembly. This will be something that the butler will be doing daily in order to change the washable pad underneath box. Note the old books used as a ramp to the entrance of the whelping box. From experience I know that my dogs can jump in and out of the whelping box, but I like to make things easier for them if I can. Also note the low slots inside the whelping box. They are there to attach slats (sometimes called "pig rails") to prevent a mother from squishing a puppy against a wall. I have never found pig rails to be useful for my dogs. My experience is that if a puppy gets stuck between mommy and a wall, the puppy will cry which causes mommey to get up and look for the puppy. So I did not have the butler attach the pig rails.
After the construction, it was time for Izzy to inspect the whelping box. Izzy evidently remembered the whelping box from her previous two litters, as she went into a corner that she had used in the past. And then I saw Izzy lie down for a nap. I figure that is the seal of approval from Izzy!
Today was devoted to making sure that all my supplies are ready, electronic things work and do not need new batteries, etc. I also took Izzy (and my other dogs) for a long walk in the nearby forest. Because of upcoming appointments before Izzy's due date, this will be her last walk in the forest until after the puppies come.
Izzy will have access to my fenced yard. But I now can not leave Izzy loose, for fear that she will find some place to hide which she might think is safe for having puppies. For the past couple of days, I have found Izzy in various new spots. Today I found Izzy curled up in a box of rags in my barn, which is a place that I have never seen her previously.
The second reason for x-rays is to give information for the important decision: allow Izzy to try to have her puppies naturally ("free whelp") or do a planned cesarean section ("c-section"). The size of the puppies skulls was measured and compared with the size of Izzy's pelvic opening. Planned c-sections are easier on the breeder and safer for the puppies. You hand a pregnant mother over to the surgeons, and they hand you back the puppies. But it is major surgery for the mother; hence riskier and more painful for her. Free whelps are much easier on the mother, but risker for the puppies. You have to be prepared that a puppy may die during a free whelp.
I am not opposed to c-sections if medically necessary, but if possible I want my mothers to whelp naturally. Over my time as a breeder I unfortunately have had more c-sections than free whelps. Some of the c-sections have been planned; others have been emergency c-sections where the mother started to free whelp, but then complications arose. (And I spent the night in the emergency waiting room.) While I have been the breeder for over 25 litters now, I still always feel like Prissy in the movie "Gone With The Wind" - "I don't know nothing about birthin’ no babies".
For Izzy, the arguments in favor of free-whelp are that her x-ray numbers say that Izzy should be able to pass the puppies, plus that her previous two litters were free-whelps. The arguments in favor of a planned c-section are that the x-ray numbers are close and the puppies are still growing, plus ultrasound shows that both puppies are in the same uterine horn. (A dog has a Y-shaped uterus.) According to the attending repro vet, both puppies in the same horn increase the chance of a problem, as normally puppies in different horns take turns coming out. (Note that you can see my reflection in the mirror taking the ultrasound picture.)
I am going to let Izzy try to free whelp. When we got home today, I called and made an appointment with the hotel next to the vet school and their emergency hospital. I live too far away in case of problems to try to let Izzy whelp at home. (Although Izzy had other ideas on her previous two litters, which are interesting tales which you can read about in her puppy diaries.)
According to the textbooks, canine pregnancy starts with a surge of a luteinizing hormorne (the "LH surge") which approximately two days later causes eggs to be released ("ovulation") and after another two days the eggs are mature enough to be fertilized by sperm. If we designate when the LH surge happens as LH+0 and ovulation as LH+2, then according to the textbooks, puppies should be delivered 63 days after ovulation (LH+65). Unfortunately there is not a good way to identify when the LH surge happens. (The only way of which I am aware involves testing the blood every 12 hours. Most people do not want their dog to have blood draws twice a day for several days.) Fortunately around the same time of the LH surge, the hormone progesterone starts to rise. Again a blood draw is necessary to test progesterone, but this needs only be done every other day. From the progesterone values (and other information) reproduction veterinarians can estimate when the LH surge happened. This "breeding management" lets the vets recommend the optimal days to breed, and also predict when the mother will whelp (have her puppies). Because of all the estimation, we end up with an estimatated due date "plus or minus two days").
For both of Izzy's previous two litters, Izzy had per puppies on day LH+63 from when the LH surge was estimated to have happened. Day LH+63 for this litter is tomorrow, hence my urgency to get my other dogs to my petsitter.
So then it was just myself and Izzy at home.
In the afternoon I loaded my car and Izzy and I drove to the hotel next to the NC State vet school and hospital. I got us in our room and feed Izzy dinner. Izzy took a nap while I laid things out in preparation. I will try to keep the room as dark as I can. Other than taking Izzy for potty walks when she requests them, I am just waiting.
Around 9:45 pm I gave Izzy more calcium and glucose, and then as she seemed hungry, I fed Izzy some kibble. This may have been a mistake, as Izzy promptly threw up the kibble ... but then re-ate it. At 10 pm, worried as it had been two hours since the first puppy was born, I again called the emergency number. As soon as the vet called me back, Izzy made that short cry that I recognized as "I am having a strong contraction". I put the girl puppy in my puppy incubator (to keep her warm). Izzy continued to cry out each time she had a strong contraction. I could see and feel a sack coming out of Izzy's vulva. Unfortunately I could not get a grip on the puppy, even with sticking my finger between the sack and her vulva to make sure nothing was stuck. Around 10:30 pm I was getting worried as - in my limited experience with free whelps - this was taking too long from when contractions started to delivery of a puppy. I was also seeing green discharge, which means placental separation from the puppy. Being sufficiently worried, I called the emergency number and said I was taking Izzy over to the emergency room. The resident repro vet said that she would meet me there. I put Izzy and the girl puppy in Izzy's crate and carried them to my car. We arrived and got checked in at the NC State vet hospital emergency room around 10:50. From the sounds I heard, I knew that Izzy was continuing to have strong contractions. We waited in the waiting room for the vet to arrive. Around 11:00 pm during one of my periodic checks of Izzy, I thought I saw a second puppy in the back of the crate. Reaching in, I definitely felt a delivered second puppy. At that point we were taken to an exam room where pads were laid out on the floor. I took the girl puppy out of the crate, but Izzy did not want to come out of the crate. I had to pour Izzy and her second puppy out of the crate. I then understood why Izzy did not want to come out her crate. The second puppy was still attached to Izzy via the umbilical cord; Izzy had not yet delivered the after-birth (the detached placenta). I also saw why Izzy had been having so much difficulty with this delivery. This was a big puppy. From the shape of the skull, I correctly guessed that it was a boy. I started rubbing the boy puppy with a pad to stimulate it to breathe, which he quickly did. Izzy delivered the after-birth and then promptly started eating it. I got my fingers around the umbilical cord and between the puppy and Izzy so that Izzy would not accidently bite the puppy. Izzy ate the entire after-birth and cut the umbilical cord with her teeth. At that point I continued to rub the boy puppy and Izzy was licking him. The resident came in and while she was putting on gloves, Izzy threw up the after-birth, which Izzy wanted to eat again. I covered up the after-birth to prevent Izzy from eating it. It is not a problem if a dog eats the after-birth, but too much can give them diarrhea. Here is Izzy and the girl puppy. The resident carefully examined each puppy, checking that each had good reflexes (would roll over if place on their back), that no one had a cleft palate, and that each had good succle reflexes (by sticking the tip of her pinkie in a puppy's mouth to see if the puppy would try to suck). I got my first picture of the boy puppy while the vet weighed him. He weighed 225 grams. A big boy!
The vet also examined Izzy, took her temperature, and listened to Izzy with a stethascope. We talked about what had happened. The vet explained to me that a green discharge before the first puppy is delivered means a problem. But after the first puppy is delivered, then a green discharge does not indicate an emergency. And that feeding Izzy between puppies had not been a problem if Izzy wanted to eat. (Although I am sure that throwing up did not make Izzy feel good.) The vet complimented me on guessing Izzy's delivery date correctly. I apologized for bringing her into the hospital so late in the evening. She was very kind about having to come in, saying that she was glad that the outcome - two live puppies - was good. Around 11:30, Izzy, her two puppies, and I left the hospital and we returned to the hotel. I quickly packed up and checked out, and at midnight we started on the drive home. When we got home, I got everyone settled in the whelping box, fed Izzy some food, and then I went to bed!
Both puppies gained weight today, which indicates that they have been nursing. Nursing in the first 12 to 24 hours after birth is important to get colostrum, the nutrient-dense first milk produced by mammals. Besides nutrition, colostrum is packed with antibodies. For the first 12 to 24 hours after birth, the puppies' intestines will allow large molecules - like antibodies - to pass into their blood stream. This helps protect the puppies from nasty viruses and bacteria.
When I get a chance I will put yarn collars on the puppies so as to more easily tell them apart, pink for the girl, blue for the boy, and I will refer to the puppies by the call names of Pink and Blue.
Pink joined brother Blue in the 200-gram weight club today.
Izzy stayed with her puppies and did not leave them to go outside to potty for 17 hours. (I timed it.) Then Izzy did a quick dash outside and back. This gave me a chance to put the puppies on my bed and change the mat in the whelping box. It is normal for mothers to have vaginal discharges after giving birth. As long as the discharge is not bright red or foul smelling, it is normal.
Izzy and puppies. (Both puppies are next to each other.) Note that Izzy is panting. Panting is how dogs get rid of excess heat. Izzy is working really hard to produce milk, hence the panting.
I weigh the puppies twice a day - morning and evening - on my postal scale. Both continue to gain weight. Any drop in weight is a cause for concern. Since Pink continues to lag behind Blue in their "weight race" I have been making sure on my periodic trips to check on the puppies that Pink has access to the rear nipples (which always seem to have more milk).
Besides weighing the puppies, I also weigh Izzy once a day to watch her weight. Right now Izzy's body is adjusting to just having given birth. And the puppies are not making much demand for milk. But this will change as the puppies grow and I will need to adjust Izzy's food intake accordingly.
I also flip Izzy over and put my hand on her belly to feel for any abnormally warm areas or hardened nipples. Mastitis, an inflamation of the mammary glands, is always a worry for a nursing mother.
For this first week I am also taking Izzy's temperature to make sure that she does not have any infection. As long as Izzy's temperature stays below 103 degrees Fahrenheit, all is good.
At one point today I found Blue sleeping in the heated whelping nest rather than being tucked up underneath or besides mommy Izzy.
Newborn puppies are very helpless. They can not see, hear, or even generate their own body heat. A cold puppy can not digest food. So keeping the puppies warm in these first few weeks of life is critical. In the past I have tried heating the room (which usually makes the mother too hot) and heat lamps in the whelping box (whose light bothers me if I am trying to sleep). But for those times when mommy is not keeping the puppies warm, the heated whelping nest is the best solution that I have found. Today I saw both Pink and Blue napping in the whelping nest.
I brought my other dogs home from the petsitter today. They all wanted to see what is in the whelping box, but Izzy gave a growl and everyone backed away. Anytime anyone gets too close to the whelping box, Izzy growls and the dogs know to move away.
Blue joined the 300-gram club this evening.
After breakfast I took everyone for a walk in the nearby forest. To my surprise, Izzy came with us. I know that Izzy did at least half of our walk before I lost sight of her. I suspect that Izzy took a shortcut back to the house and the puppies. When we arrived home, Izzy was in the whelping box with the puppies. Izzy is obviously starting to put the puppies on a feeding schedule so that she she can leave the puppies for periods of time. When I pick up the puppies, it is obvious that their bellies are full.
As far as I know Izzy only left the puppies one other time today. My other dogs were outside barking and sounding the alarm about something or other. Izzy rushed outside to join them. I took advantage of Izzy's absence to have the butler change the mat in the whelping box. This necessitated putting the puppies on my bed while this operation was performed.
Since the puppies were born I have been putting food and water right in front of Izzy so that she does not have to leave the whelping box and the puppies. Today at dinner time Izzy obviously heard from my other dogs that the cook was making something good, as Izzy came out and had her dinner in her crate, as she did before the puppies came.
Pink joined the 300-gram club this evening.
At this point in their life the puppies only eat and sleep. People always think that a breeder is very busy at this point. But as long as the mother is taking care of the puppies - as Izzy is - and no one is sick, things are quiet and easy. The real work for me will come later. At this point all I can do is monitor the puppies ... and worry about all the many things that can go wrong. Newborn puppies can easily die from any number of things. I have had newborn puppies die in the past, and it is emotionally very hard.
When checking on the puppies during one of my periodic inspections, I found Izzy out of the whelping box but guarding the puppies by lying between the whelping box and my bed. I got my camera to take a picture ... and my other dogs followed me into the bedroom. As soon as we entered Izzy got up, returned to the whelping box, and growled at everyone saying "keep away".
I was in and out of the house most of the day, running errands. When I got home for good I let everyone out of my fenced yard for a run in the nearby field. Izzy raced out with the others. I immediately went into my bedroom and put up the little gate that blocks the entrance to the whelping box ... just in case any of the other dogs came back first, which is what happened. I went on with what I was doing, keeping an eye out for when Izzy came back. Not seeing Izzy and getting worried, I checked on the puppies. I found Izzy in the whelping box with the puppies. Izzy had evidently slipped back when I was not looking and jumped the gate into the whelping box. I knew from her previous litters that Izzy can jump in (and out of) a closed whelping box, but it is not something that I like her to do.
Izzy and the puppies. Pink is nursing; Blue is napping in the heated whelping nest. The bowl of water is there in case Izzy gets thirsty.
Izzy did the same thing at dinner time, coming out to eat with my other dogs. I guess Izzy wants to be fed with everyone else, which is what she is used to doing.
In the evening the puppies were crying (really squeaks) off and on for a few hours. I think that they have overeaten, and that their bellies hurt. I would pick up a puppy, pat the puppy in case it needed to burp, the puppy would quiet down, I would return the puppy to the whelping box, and then the other one would start making noise. The crying stopped after a few hours, so I do not think anything was seriously wrong.
Izzy is leaving the puppies more frequently now, but often comes back to check on them. Izzy hs made it clear to everyone to stay away from the whelping box. Sometimes when I check on the puppies I find Izzy missing, other times I find her in the whelping box with the puppies or just outside the whelping box but keeping a watchful eye. Here is Izzy just to the left of the whelping box. The dog on the right looking at the camera is JC ("Shaksper Jack Cade"), my "special needs" boy (although he has been neutered). JC was born with a spinal lesion at C2 of unknown origin. JC walks funny, and is urine and fecal incontinent (so no one will ever want him except me). I just mop and pick up after him, and do a thorough mopping every few days. JC has had several MRIs, but the vets do not want to do any surgery for fear of making things worse. JC participated in an experimental stem cell treatment, but it had little effect. There is nothing wrong with JC's mind, and he is a sweet and funny little man.
Note that Pink's nails are clear but are turning black. (Note the right-most nail.) Technically dogs do not have nails, but rather claws. Only primates have nails. Newborn Norwich puppies nails are clear, but turn totally black within a few weeks.
I am always amazed at how well puppies can crawl, right from birth. It is like watching seals crawling over ice sheets. While puppies can not see, they can smell and sense heat which is how they can find mommy. If puppies do not know where mommy is, they crawl in circles and start to cry so that mommy can find them.
The puppies are one-week old today and weigh as follows:
Now that the puppies are one week old, I start worrying less about "puppy lung development disease". Puppy lungs - and human baby lungs - continue to develop after birth. "Puppy lung development disease" is the name breeders have given when this development goes wrong, and a puppy struggles to breath and eventually dies. I have had puppies die of puppy lung development disease and it is horrible to watch. Each time I have contributed the body for research on the problem. Puppy lung development disease is thought to be a genetic condition, and may be related to a human baby condition (alveolar capillary dysplasia). Puppy lung development disease may still happen for Pink or Blue, but it becomes less likely now as they get older.
One two separate occasions today I found Pink and Blue sleeping on their backs:
The little white patch on Pink's chest will all but disappear as Pink grows and her chest expands.
And one time I found where Blue had found an interesting corner in which to nap.
Puppies nursing:
The puppies push against mommy's tummy to encourage the milk to let down into the nippple.
Puppies napping:
Izzy is the unelected leader of my pack of Norwich. Freema ("Shaksper Freema Jones"), who is a second cousin, follows Izzy around like a shadow and it is rare for me to find the two apart. In spite of Freema's desire to come into the whelping box and see the puppies, Izzy will not allow Freema - or any of my other dogs - near the puppies. Today I found Freema waiting outside the whelping box. I am not sure if Freema is more interested in Izzy's puppies (Freema is pregnant), or if Freema misses being with her friend Izzy.
Pink joined the 400-gram club this morning.
Again I found Freema lying down outside of Izzy's whelping box, while Izzy nursed her puppies.
Today was nail day at my house - all my dogs got their nails (really claws) trimmed. Without any trimming, a dog's nail will break off, which can be painful. The puppys' nails were also starting to get long. For the puppies I used a human nail clipper to just take off the tip of each of the puppies nails. My goal really was just to blunt each nail. I also put new yarn collars on the puppies as the original ones were starting to get tight. The puppies have been growing in size as well as gaining weight.
Since I have to travel this weekend, I took all my dogs (including the puppies) to my petsitter. Here are the puppies in a crate ready to go. Underneath the towel in the back there is a hot water bottle to help keep the puppies warm.
Here are the puppies in their new home for the next couple of days. Blue is being held by my petsitter's daughter. You can also see that I brought my spare whelping nest to keep the puppies warm. My petsitter, Ali, and her family have taken care of puppies for me before. (Izzy's first puppy back in 2023 was even born at Ali's house!)
Unless Ali takes some pictures for me, there will be a break in pictures until I return. (Hint, hint Ali!) It seems very strange to come home to my house and find no dogs in it.
