Heidi enjoying a Sunday afternoon by the fire. |
So
far our Heidi seems to be sailing through her pregnancy. Usually around day 28,
pregnant girls tend to go off their food somewhat. This is because growing
puppies are pushing on the stomach creating the feeling of being full, but this
lasts only a few days. Heidi however, hasn’t skipped a beat. Her appetite is
ever increasing and she is showing no signs of slowing down!
Heidi
is more affectionate than ever, which seems impossible because she is such a lover.
We both look forward to our daily cuddle time.
We
believe nutrition is important in canine development and even more so now. Over
the next few weeks the puppies will begin to grow very rapidly.
National Geographic of an embryo at 25 days. |
Can
you see the resemblance to the National Geographic image above?
|
At this stage, the puppies’ eyes and spinal cords have begun
to develop and the face is also forming. Fetuses are approximately 1.3 cm.
This may seem small but they will triple in size in just one week. Between days
29 and 35, their toes, whiskers and claws start to develop. They are now beginning to look like dogs! Interestingly, their
eyes are initially open but their eyelids fuse at around day 35 to protect them
from contamination during development and remain closed until approximately 10
days after birth.
We will continue to pamper
our Heidi and impatiently count down each day ‘till the big event!
Stay tuned ….