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Heidi and Hudson Puppies – Day 37 (pre-parturition)



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 ….

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