Happy Sierra – 48 days (pre-parturition) Hudson and Sierra Litter 2014

Sierra will make a great mom as she loves all puppies!

With just two weeks to go, Sierra continues to relish her food. She is now eating three smaller meals daily consisting of fresh pureed fruits, vegetables, oatmeal, chicken and supplements so she and her pups receive the best nutrition possible. This holiday season, she will be lurking around the dinner table but she needn’t worry - she‘ll receive her own delightful turkey feast!

Sierra has slowed down a bit and as previously mentioned, prefers quieter surroundings. She is usually found lying by the fireplace on her own cozy doggy bed or on our bed. She doesn’t stay outside for very long or venture very far from us. Like the rest of us, Sierra is not big on ice storms, but nothing seems to faze her and she didn’t object to the absence of hydro for four days. Throughout the whole “ordeal”, she emphatically wiggled her rear and cooed with delight at every turn.

It was difficult to tell Sierra was even pregnant as she didn’t really show much until day thirty-seven, when all of a sudden her waistline bulged to 31.5 inches (80 cm).

Golden Retriever puppy fetus

By day thirty, digestive and respiratory glands, muscles, bone, the puppy's circulatory, genital and urinary systems, the skin and hair, the nervous system and all of the puppy's sensory organs--including the eyes, inner ear and peripheral nerves have formed. During weeks four to six of pregnancy, the puppy's organs, bones, eyes and spinal cord begin to fully develop. The fetus starts to actually look like a dog, with whisker buds showing on its developing face, and claws and toes differentiating on the feet. By week six, the puppy skin pigment is formed and you can hear a heartbeat. At this point in their development, the puppies have all their features. Now they will begin to grow rapidly until they are born.

The countdown begins….