Warmhearted Whitney – Day 45 (pre-parturition)

 

Whitney listening carefully to her babies.

Whitney’s waistline continues to expand this week and is now 79 cm or 31 inches.  Her appetite certainly hasn’t suffered and she continues to polish off her meals and look for more food. She is getting a balanced meal of organic fruits and vegetables along with raw chicken and supplements (folic acid, digestive enzymes, probiotics and raspberry tea). Over the next week we will likely be adding oatmeal as it helps with digestion, is actually high in protein and vitamins plus it tastes good.

These days, our “princess” Whitney prefers to be close to us or lounge on our bed rather than spend time with the rest of the pack. As we head into the home stretch we continue to make her as comfortable as possible. She really loves getting her belly rubbed so we usually spend our evenings with Whitney beside us petting her from head to toe causing her to moan with contentment.

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.

Above is an amazing photo by national Geographic of an embryo at 25 weeks.

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.

The countdown is on as we await the arrival of the little ones.  Judging from Whitney’s relaxed state and loving disposition, we anticipate an adoring little bunch of puppies.

Stay tuned ……