We need a "Zipper" (sorry a bit long).

We sure have had some interesting luck lately (Some good, some bad)!!

This year I knew was going to ‘need’ to be the year of pups. I have several of my girls that are not that young anymore and they either have never gotten pregnant or I have not tried to breed them. Time was not on my side for these breedings so when they come into heat, we have gone ahead and tried to breed them. These girls are very precious to me, I love so many things about them, I love their pedigrees and want a ‘kid’ from them to carry on my next generation. So I really figured one of two things would happen. I would breed the older girls that had not had litters or only had one long ago and NO ONE would get pregnant or second, they would ALL GET PREGNANT! So far I am batting three for three … Candy was bred before (Multiple times) didn’t take (this time we got seven cuties!!), Tailor had a litter young but is getting old enough if I wanted to repeat the last litter (who is doing very well in the ring) now was the time (we have five furballs).

Then there is Gabby, she we have tried to breed earlier as a two year old and my timing must have been ‘off’(even did an AI at the vet’s office). Then I tried again at five years old… nothing. I was pretty sure I was ready to say .. OK she is a pet we won’t ever get this breeding. But this last heat cycle I tried VERY hard to make things happen and low and behold it worked!!
She got HUGE!!


While most of the world was watching Obama take the oath of office to be our 44th president, I was watching Gabby. At the last late turnout on Monday night she came in panting with mild discharge. I thought “OK here we go!!”
By Tues morning … nothing had happened, very little discharge but just some mild panting. OK early labor… we just aren’t there yet. But gosh I don’t like discharge so early and then nothing happening.
A call to the vet (yes I have them on speed dial.. and they know me by voice…). Reassurance that if she is not pushing hard .. she is still early. Watch for a few hours and then call back if needed.
Long story short… she got one tiny stillborn out first and an hour later another healthy big girl out with a bit of help from me. Then it was two long hours and still nothing coming out (she was still huge I knew she was not done).
Yep we run to the vet… third pup is stuck and not coming out. Bless my vets they went to work on her with me there to watch and not have to wonder ‘Gee what is going on with my bitch’. They got the pup out (it took alot) and YEP she was alive (screamed in seconds!)!!
The x-ray revealed at least two more in her … and she was not pushing anymore. We chose in order to try to have live pups instead of dead ones. A c-section was the right thing to do to save her the stress of more stuck pups … and hoped for live babies.
In less than three hours from when we came thru the door, the techs and I were working on rubbing FOUR new babies. Yep she did have more in her .. and had we waited not one of these four pups would have made it into the world alive. One of the four born by section was as stillborn..so I lost just two in the deal. She whelped seven and we have five live babies!!
Gabby was stellar thru it all. The vet and the techs were just amazed at how the worked so hard to dislodge the stuck pup and she never once tried to growl, nip or complain… she is a total lover and she showed them this as well.
She recovered at the vet and they made sure all five of the babies nursed just fine before I took the new family home right before they closed for the day.
I feel blessed to have such a wonderful clinic to deal with and wonderful caring people to help me take care of my fur family.
Gabby is doing great!! She is a very attentive mother and loves her babies dearly. She didn’t want to go outside for the first day and leave them.. but she easily lets us check the babies out whenever we want.
I have taken some quick shots when they arrived home from the vet’s office and when I catch up on all the lost sleep from the night prior to the litter, and the night after the litter (I check new mom’s every hour especially after surgery for the first day or two).

Mom and pups shortly after we arrived home from the vet's office.


Close up of the nursing crew


Blue merle girl #1 (the only one she popped out naturally)


Blue merle girl #2 (she was the one that was stuck)


Blue Merle Girl #3 (she is the smallest but gosh I adore her face markings!!)


Black Tri girl. She was quite a surpirse with all the white. She will only go to a home where she will be spayed. She was my 'rub a puppy job' after they were taken by C-section.


The ONLY boy!! He sure looks like his daddy (I will post an 'at this age' photo of daddy later )
He was over a pound at birth and sure has a chunky head already!!

Life is very fun here ... busy but VERY fun!!!