Skip to main content

Tulip and Bronson Litter – 1 week old

Tulip's pups are already one week old! 

I can't believe how quickly this week passed by. So far, they have been a quiet litter, which indicates Tulip is feeding them well. As I mentioned previously, they are all strong and healthy puppies. 

It takes a lot of coaxing for Tulip to leave their side for the first few days. As a result of such a long labor, she spends much of her time nursing the puppies and sleeping. I'm certainly glad about that since I could use a nap after being awake for 40 hours!

It wasn't long before Tulip began spending more time outside the whelping box as the week progressed. Digging a den for her pups outside is one of her favourite pastimes. She dug a hole big enough for herself before having her pups under out spruce tree! Still, she is determined to dig a den, so we always keep an eye on her outside. 

Each day, Tulip consumes four meals and approximately four pounds of fresh food. In order to produce milk, her body requires extra nutrition and calcium supplements. 

Tulip developed mastitis, which is now under control. Infections like mastitis can be extremely painful. Resulting from bacteria entering the nipple and traveling up to the mammary gland. Fortunately, it was caught early and has cleared up, but it can recur at any time.


Puppies are now moving around, and by next Monday their eyes will be open. Occasionally, during the day or overnight, I hear a puppy crying, which usually means it's lost its litter mates and cannot find them. As a result, I lift it back along with its siblings and the crying stops. 
Stay tuned.....

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

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...

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...