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Whitney, Day 50 (pre-parturition)

 
Whitney looking lovely at day 50 pre-parturition

As we head into the home stretch, Whitney is certainly showing signs of slowing down. She has always loved her creature comforts like a warm, cozy sofa or her favourite spot – our bed. Now more then ever, she can be found curled up there. She rolls over as we approach indicating it is “belly-rubbing- time”.

So far Whitney continues to relish her food. Next week we will begin to give her three smaller meals daily as her abdomen expands and the room in her tummy diminishes.

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.

National Geographic image of a Golden Retriever puppy fetus
At this point, the puppies’ coats of fur are fully developed and they will gain in size in preparation for their birth. As mentioned previously, since Whitney loves her belly rubbed, it’s easy to detect movement of the little ones. It seems like they are anxious to get out into the world and meet their forever families!

Stay tuned ...
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