Regalgoldens Golden Retrievers

Tulip's pregnancy X-ray The X-ray above shows that Tulip has a full belly. She is very in tune with her mealtimes and eats every 4 hours. Tulip's abdomen measures 37 inches and she currently weighs over 80 lbs. Can you guess how many puppies we are expecting? The puppies can be safely born anytime now, as the gestation period is 63 days from the time of ovulation, give or take a day. Tulip is due to give birth this Friday or Saturday. In the evenings, Tulip's puppies are quite active. As part of our nightly routine, we have a calming bedtime snuggle and gently rub Tulip's tummy, which she finds incredibly soothing and never wants it to end. Eventually, she'll jump off the bed and drift off to sleep on the cool tile floor of the ensuite bathroom. Tulip Day 57 (pre-parturition) The puppies are now putting all their energy into growing. Newborn puppies are born blind and deaf, but they can smell extremely well and easily find moms milk bar. Newborns sleep about 90% of ...

Tulip last weekend showing off her baby bump! Tulip's abdomen measures 35 inches as she enters the final week of her pregnancy.  Tulip currently receives three meals per day but are increasing this to four meals as her due date approaches. Smaller, more frequent meals are easier for Tulip to digest. She is also being given folic acid, a form of the B vitamin folate that pregnant human mothers take as a supplement. Folic acid can help reduce the risk of midline birth defects. In the days leading up to the puppies' arrival, we will closely monitor Tulip's temperature. A normal dog temperature is around 101°F (38.3°C). As Tulip's progesterone levels drop in preparation for delivery, her temperature may dip as low as 97°F (36.1°C). This temperature drop signals that the time for delivery is approaching. We can expect Tulip's temperature to fluctuate for about 72 hours, but it will rise back to normal right before she gives birth. By tracking Tulip's temperature drop...

  Tulip (pre-parturition) - 46 days Tulip's appetite remains as voracious as ever. She eagerly devours her twice-daily meals and will soon transition to three meals per day starting this weekend. Tulip has taken to counter surfing, scouring for any treats she can locate. She's well aware that we often leave snacks on the bathroom counter after emptying our pockets - a behaviour that is uncharacteristic for her. Tulip's abdomen now measures approximately 33 inches. For the past couple of weeks, she has had a slight belly bulge. Despite this, Tulip remains as active as ever, playing with the rest of the pack. She particularly enjoys basking in the sunshine outdoors. Soon, she will instinctively search our yard for a suitable birthing spot and start digging a den, which is normal canine behavior. However, we have a different plan - a clean, warm whelping box that we will introduce to her next week in our bedroom. This is where she will give birth, sleep, and nurse her puppies...