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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…..
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