Beautiful Bailey at 46 days (pre-parturition)

Strike a pose!

Bailey certainly hasn’t skipped a beat. She continues to be ravenous at mealtime and is enjoying her very nutritious meals consisting of pureed veggies and fruit, chicken, oatmeal, probiotics, prebiotics, digestive enzymes and vitamin C.

Our expectant mom is just beginning to show which probably means she doesn’t have many puppies but Bailey is still playing the “princess” card and prefers to lounge quietly by the fireplace. However, when she is out in the yard, she is as active as ever.

She will soon begin to search for that perfect spot to birth her puppies. Typically, this is outside in the yard and with all the snow out there, she may have to settle for an igloo! While it will likely take some convincing to get Bailey to change her mind, we have a clean, warm whelping box inside that she will be introduced to this week.

Bailey’s abdomen is measuring about 30 inches or 76.2 cm. As she approaches her last 2 weeks of pregnancy, she will begin to slow down a bit and gain a few more inches around her waistline.

Pre-natal period: It is an interesting fact that a dog's tactile perception develops before birth, therefore unborn puppies can detect touch when the mother is petted from the outside of the abdomen. This establishes the basis for puppies to tolerate being touched, when compared to puppies born to mothers that were not petted.

Pregnant dogs that are exposed to stressful events tend to release hormones that can be detected by the fetuses which can negatively influence their future development. This underscores the importance of providing pregnant dogs a stress free and tranquil environment. We don’t think Bailey is stressed at all!

Stay tuned …..