Bailey, Day 56 (pre-parturition)

Bailey with just one week to go till the big event!

The final countdown before Bailey has her pups has begun! Bailey is now surveying the yard for the perfect place to have her babies. We still have about a foot of snow but with her persistent excavation, she has managed to dig so far down she has found dirt beneath it! When we called her to come in, she had mud up to her elbows! Needless to say, a footbath was required.

This week, we set the whelping box up for her and we will put down fresh towels and allow her to sleep and lounge in it. We’re hoping she’ll soon abandon her quest to find her own spot and embrace the warm, clean nest we’ve prepared for her.

Bailey continues to have a voracious appetite. We are feeding her three smaller meals daily and it seems if we were to offer her more, she would eat it. Bailey had been doing well throughout her pregnancy and is finally showing signs of slowing down. Her tummy now measures 33.5 inches (90 cm.)

A Golden Retriever puppy fetus almost fully developed.

At this stage, the puppies have a full coat of hair and can be felt moving around in her tummy. We will definitely make Bailey as comfortable as possible in the home stretch. She has always enjoyed cuddling and having her belly rubbed, but she is certainly more demanding these days. And we are more than happy to oblige.

Stay tuned…..

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