Faith, Day 55 days (pre-parturition)

Faith enjoying a relaxing break after digging a den for her pups.

Faith and Hudson litter

As we enter the final stretch of her pregnancy, Faith continues to be such a happy girl. She is often seen rolling around on her back in the yard or in the house. At this stage, Faith is shedding the hair on her belly in preparation for the birth of her puppies.

This week we will introduce her to a pristinely clean whelping box in the hopes she will accept this for her pups as virtually all moms seek out or begin to dig a hole in the yard which is their idea of a good place to deliver puppies. Faith’s abdomen measures approximately 34 inches or 86.3 cm and she still has a fabulous appetite. She is eating a nutritious and “unprocessed” raw meal of veggies, meat, raw eggs, beef liver, pre and probiotics and vitamins.

By day 45 each fetus experiences rapid growth. Calcification of bones occurs, which means that fetuses are now visible on x-rays, allowing veterinarians to verify the number of puppies in the litter and their positioning in the womb. By day 55 the fetuses are moving so much that they’re visible from the outside as a rippling motion across the momma’s abdomen. We can actually feel the puppies moving at this stage.

National Geographic image of a golden retriever fetus.

Each puppy now has a full coat of hair, nails and paw pads. The coat is one of the last organs to develop. It is now very crowded in her uterus. We will make Faith as comfortable as we possibly can these final 9 days. She has opted to sleep on the carpet or tile floor in our bedroom or on our bed in the hopes of getting cuddled all night long.
This video shows what’s happening in the womb!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsLfWgAFFIE

Stay tuned…..

Comments

Ruly and Tulip Litter - Week 1

Ruly and Tulip Litter - 1 Week Old What a week it's been! The Tulip puppies continue to thrive, gaining weight steadily and remaining fairly quiet. Tulip dotes on her family, rarely straying far from the whelping box. As you can see on the 24/7 camera, she is starting to spend a bit more time outside the box, but she consistently checks on her babies. Tulip currently eats around 4 pounds of food per day, along with calcium and pre-probiotics supplements. As her pups grow, her daily food intake will be gradually increased, reaching 5 - 6 pounds per day by the time the pups are about 7 weeks old. This increased caloric intake is necessary to meet the energy demands of milk production and to maintain Tulip's own body condition. Tulip still believes an outdoor den would be best for her pups, so we are monitoring her closely when she ventures out. The whelping box is lined with padded bedding and clean, white bleached towels on the bottom. The white towels allow us to quickly spot a...

Ruly & Tulip Litter - Week 2

Many viewers of the 24/7 puppy camera have raised questions, such as what are the pipes running alongside the whelping box. These are called "pig rails" and they are designed to protect the puppies from their mother accidentally lying on them, ensuring the puppies' safety. Since the puppies are unable to regulate their own body temperature, we use a heat lamp over the whelping box to keep them warm when Tulip is outside the box. However, we turn the heat lamp off when she is nursing the puppies. By 3 to 4 weeks of age, the puppies can regulate their temperature, which should then be in the normal range of 100.5°F to 102.5°F (38°C to 39.3°C). The most significant event this week is that the puppies' eyes have opened. Mr. Devil's eyes (the one with the red collar) were the first to open. Each puppy followed and within 48 hours they had all opened. The puppies are now weighing almost 3 lbs, and Tulip provides them nourishment at least every 2 hours, often throughou...

Bronson and Tulip Litter – 7 weeks

We're 7 weeks old today! It has been an adventure-filled week! It was the puppies' first-time riding in a car! Introducing them to new experiences begins at this age. Rides in cars, sounds, meeting new people, etc. Our puppies are often taken to Home Depot, Winners, Homesense, Petsmart, and other pet-friendly stores after they receive their next set of vaccinations. While they still ride in the shopping cart, their horizons are broadening. We’ve expanded the puppies play area which is either in our kitchen, outside in the yard or on our porch depending on the weather. They enjoy playing together and are becoming more and more confident. Their play area includes toys an activity center, a crate, and tunnel. Jolly Pets' Jolly Ball was a huge hit today. The puppies seemed to take turns carrying it! All of them weigh between 13 and 15 pounds. Their appetites are good, and momma Tulip occasionally stops by with a vanilla milkshake. Beef, turkey and chicken are among the protein...

Regalgoldens Golden Retrievers

Search This Blog