Where Are We At With Glory’s Breeding? Part 4

A couple weeks ago I wrote Part 1 of Where Are We At With Glory’s Breeding. If you missed it you can read the full version here. The short version is: I talked about preparing your dog for breeding by doing genetic tests, other tests that can be done, picking a stud dog, the heat cycle of the bitch, breeding and implanting of the eggs. Part 2 I talked about pregnancy confirmation, a app on my phone that you can follow along and read what is happening, the food I was feeding her and milk development. If you want to read the full version here. Part 3 I talked about proper feeding and being able to xray to determine how many puppies might be delivered as well as talked about getting the whelping box out and Glory used to it. If you want to read the full version here.

So where are we at with Glory’s breeding?
As I write this (July 10th) Glory is due to deliver any day. She might of delivered by the time you read this. She is at day 61 of her pregnancy. The whelping box and supplies (list to follow with next Part 5 The Delivery) are ready so all I have to do now is wait.
According to the phone app WhelpHelp on this day it tells me: Whelping can occur any day. Milk may begin to fill the dam’s nipples. The dam might lose her appetite during this period. Her abdomen can be crowded with puppies. 2-3 smaller meals spaced throughout the day will help the dam due to the pressure from the growing puppies. Abdominal movement should be easily detected. She may have a clear discharge from her vagina, which is normal. Any sign of a dark or green coloured discharge should be checked by your veterinarian immediately. When the temperature drops from 100.76F to below 99.32F, the dam should begin delivering within 12-24 hours.
The app is spot on! Glory does have milk in her nipples (she’s had it for just over a week). Today was the first day she lost her appetite, I finally got her to eat some yogurt and canned puppy food. He abdomen is defiantly crowded it has also dropped she has more of a pot belly pig look to her now. I can see and feel the puppies moving around. She does have a clear discharge. Since Thursday night she has been nesting (looking for a place to have the puppies and getting it ready by scratching and tearing things up, she has also been panting more. I left her alone for a brief period of time and she went into the guest bathroom and tried going behind the toilet to find a spot to have her puppies, while doing so she managed to knock all my knick knacks off the lid and they smashed onto the floor.

The rugs and towels were all messed up. She also tore up a blanket I had covering the couch.

She is also having a hard time being comfortable, she is laying down and sitting up and walking around more as well as having small uterine contractions. This is all the first stage of labor. I have been taking her temperature for the past week or so. Yesterday it dropped down to 98.6 and it was still there this morning. So I suspect Friday night she may start to deliver.
In the pictures to come after she delivers you will see white pvc tubing around the inside of the whelping box. This is called a “pig rail” and is used to prevent the mom from rolling on a puppy and smothering it. You will also see a heat lamp and might think why would they need a heat lamp as it is summer in WI. The puppies body temperature is low 96-97F after they are born, so you may need to supply heat usually around 80- 85F degrees to keep them warm. Each week they will raise their body temperature by 1 degree so after 3 weeks you don’t need additional heat. If they get chilled the will huddle together or near mom and then you risk smothering. On another note if they are spread out all over the box then they are hot. This is something I feel you have to play by ear, watch the puppies and mom and adjust accordingly. If crying and huddled together raise the temperature, if spread out and mom is constantly panting lower the heat.

I’m going to stop here as this is long enough already. Stay tuned for Part 5 The Delivery.

As you know Glory did start to deliver Friday night she ended Saturday morning, we have 9 beautiful puppies 6 females and 3 males, all are doing well. So nine little Mischief Makers in the future.

A big thank you to Thunder puppy daddy for his part in making these beautiful little miracles. Thanks to Jim and Linda for allowing me to use Thunder in this breeding. Make sure you stop on over to 2browndawgs and read about the breeding adventure in the Love Shack.

This is a Blog Hop. Thanks to Alfie’s Blog, Snoopy’s Dog Blog , Luna, a Dog’s Life , and My Brown Newfies for setting up this hop. Please go to any of the sponsoring blogs to find out who else has been mischievous.

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