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Heidi, Day 56 (pre-parturition)


Our beautiful Heidi

As we head into the final days of Heidi’s pregnancy, we are certainly seeing her slow down. She is spending most of her time lounging on our back deck and just watching the other dogs frolic and play. When she does venture out, Heidi has been wandering our yard seeking a den in which to whelp her puppies and it would appear that she has excavated a 2’ x 2’ foot hole under the spruce tree. This week we will introduce her to a pristinely clean whelping box in the hope that she will find this acceptable for her pups.

Heidi is shedding the hair on her belly in preparation for the birth and we can actually feel the puppies moving at this time. Since she is eating 3 meals daily and measuring 36 inches (90 cm), we will most likely transition her to 4 meals daily.
 
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. The coat is one of the last organs to develop. It is now very crowded in her uterus, so we will definitely make Heidi as comfortable as possible this final week. She has always been very affectionate; enjoying cuddling and having her belly rubbed but she is certainly more demanding these days. Of course, we are more than happy to oblige her.

Stay tuned…..
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