Regalgoldens Golden Retrievers

Happy-Go-Lucky Mango Our extremely fit Mango is blossoming throughout her pregnancy as her tummy which normally measures usually 70 cm (27.5 “) has expanded to 87 cm (34.25”). As she heads into her final few days of pregnancy, Mango continues to enjoy retrieving her ball, but there is a definite waddle in her walk. She spends her days lounging in a nice shady nook in the yard and cuddling with us in the evenings as she sure doesn’t want to miss out on her belly rubs. Remarkably Mango still can jump on the bed, but we’re wondering just how long that will last. It’s easy to feel the puppies moving in Mango’s tummy now and we witness a little kick now and again. Since she doesn’t have much room left for food in her expanded waistline, Mango is getting five or six smaller meals throughout the day. As of yesterday she’s become a bit picky so we offer her various enhancements to her regular food. Her current favourite is liver and eggs with freeze dried Crump’s liver bits sprinkled on to...

Mango hasn't slowed down much! This is about the time that Mango will embark on her quest for nesting. She will seek out that perfect spot in the yard where she intends her puppies to be born. But not to worry, she’ll actually have them in a nice warm and sterile environment known as the whelping box. Over the next week we will introduce Mango to the whelping box and make all the final preparations for the arrival of her puppies. This will require a certain amount of persuasion because no matter how cozy we think this venue might be for her, Mango believes our bed is much more comfortable! In the evenings, Mango insists on constant belly rubs and we can feel the puppies moving around when she lies on her back. This mother-to-be is now receiving four smaller meals, as there is less room for food given the size of the puppies. Mango is becoming a little picky with her meals so we offer her a “gourmet” selection of nutritious foods that will meet all...

National Geographic  - Embryo at 25 days Mango - Day 36 pre-parturition We had some terrific news this past week: an ultrasound confirmed our sweet, beautiful girl Mango is expecting! This is an exciting time for all of us as it seems like an eternity since we have had puppies in our household! Diet is so important at this stage as the puppies will begin to grow rapidly now. Over the next few weeks as her abdomen expands, Mango will obviously begin to slow down. Above is an amazing photo by National Geographic of an embryo at 25 days of age. This is approximately the time Mango had her ultrasound (day 27). From day 35 on, the embryos are known as fetuses. At this point, the embryonic sacs are a little over 4 cm.  Although several sacs were detected during the ultrasound, it is still difficult to determine exactly how many babies Mango will have. Fetuses are approximately 1.3 cm. which may seem small but they will triple in size in just one week. Between days 29 and 35, the...