She's into her sixth week, the puppies are starting to grow ... it goes so fast from here on out ... well, except for us eager people, but there's a lot going on with Momma Grace and those ... how ever many ... puppies
not to worry, there's plenty in the works
not to worry, there's plenty in the works
the nipples are right on schedule, darkening and enlarging
hmm ... how many did we say?
*********** 6th week ***********Pregnancy is obvious
Puppies become colored (skin pigment develops) the Dams nipples darken and grow, and tummy continues to swell. ''Swelly Belly"
Our update:
Grace and puppies have grown fast since Saturday
this afternoon's snack was little rice, a raw egg, handful of Orijen puppy kibble & a crumbled up NuVet vitamin
she glanced at me ... did you put something healthy in here?! Natural born junk food poodle, she's a kick ... and I've never given her junk food, that's what's so funny. I tell my husband, she has your eating habits!
Suggestions:
--If you haven't yet... start adding cottage cheese and an egg. Continue with multivitamin, but not calcium supplement yet.
--Increase food to max she will eat.
--whelping area and box (see whelping) should be put up in a quiet area (not the kitchen if active) and she should be encouraged to sleep there. For an active kitchen the whelping box can be moved to the kitchen when pups are 3 weeks old. (Large breeds at 2.5 to 3 weeks, and toy breeds at 3.5 to 5 weeks).
(will get our own pictures after this, most breeders use the Dura Whelp system, comes with a whelping box, pad, under heater, overhead lamp, removeable door, etc. Grace and babies will be in the 4x4 large whelping box, just to give them lots of room.)
Whelping box should be big enough for your Dam to stretch out in, and have a door way to go in and out. You do not want your Dam to have to JUMP in and squish a puppy, Whelping Box should have a guard rail to help eliminate suffocation and trapping behind Dam. (see photo of guard rail).
Suggestions:
--If you haven't yet... start adding cottage cheese and an egg. Continue with multivitamin, but not calcium supplement yet.
--Increase food to max she will eat.
--whelping area and box (see whelping) should be put up in a quiet area (not the kitchen if active) and she should be encouraged to sleep there. For an active kitchen the whelping box can be moved to the kitchen when pups are 3 weeks old. (Large breeds at 2.5 to 3 weeks, and toy breeds at 3.5 to 5 weeks).
our update:
I will wait until into the seventh week to put up the whelping box and yes exactly what they have here, I have two sizes of the Dura Whelp whelping box/system. They are great. What we usually do is have the litter whelp in the kiddie pool, after she's done transfer her and the babies into the Dura Whelp, then it's completely clean and they all have a fresh start. There's lots of space for momma and babies. It's in our master bathroom, the first week I'm on my feet with every noise during the night. For the first couple of weeks, Momma Grace sometimes needs to go outside during the night, and up I am seeing what she needs.
hint: sleep deprivation, only way to say it. It truly is like having a baby in the house.
(will get our own pictures after this, most breeders use the Dura Whelp system, comes with a whelping box, pad, under heater, overhead lamp, removeable door, etc. Grace and babies will be in the 4x4 large whelping box, just to give them lots of room.)Whelping box should be big enough for your Dam to stretch out in, and have a door way to go in and out. You do not want your Dam to have to JUMP in and squish a puppy, Whelping Box should have a guard rail to help eliminate suffocation and trapping behind Dam. (see photo of guard rail).
Guard rail inside whelping box - (design MistyTrails Havanese) the Dura Whelp looks exactly like this, beleive it or not, that puppy could be one to two days old, they come out running).
Also, if the whole front of your whelp box, is removable, then this makes whelping, WAY easier. (design MistyTrails Havanese). I like to use the kiddie pool, it's plastic and everything completely gets out away from Momma and babies soon after, you might guess, it's a mess. We let Momma and babies tell us when it's good to move them. I have the whelping box standing on end ready to move in when it's time to transfer them.
Corner of the Whelping Box - (design MistyTrails Havanese).
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
there's a rule of thumb I entertain with each litter we have,
at full term for every inch around the girth of the pregnant dog is one puppy,
I've been looking on her previous puppy blog and I don't have what her girth or a picture of her at five and/or six weeks prego. So here's my historical account for Momma Grace's girth now six weeks gestation.
before pregnancy Grace's girth is usually 22"
Yesterday, September 12th, going into her sixth week, Grace's girth was 24 1/4"
before pregnancy Grace's girth is usually 22"
Yesterday, September 12th, going into her sixth week, Grace's girth was 24 1/4"
Grace's last litter, whelped September 10th, 2010, were ten puppies, she was 32" round at full term, then went down couple of inches as she got ready to go into labor, puppies were moving towards the exit.
that's probably good for now, her morning sickness has gotten a lot less, she's been hungry for at least 1-2 weeks and going through food like ... well ... like she's pregnant!
blessings and peace,
Paula and Jim Wilson
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