Not Again

I am sorry it has been so long without an update. Callies pregnancy was going smoothly. She was getting big and we were even able to feel movement. She was getting picky with her food and in true spoiled princess fashion wanted to be hand fed. Shane was more then happy to oblige. I on the other hand would mix her dry food with a bit of canned (filet mignon flavor of course) to entice her and she would gobble it up. She got milk, I set up the whelping box, even made some adjustments to the box to make it better. I replaced any items that were used from the whelping box. We were all ready for puppies. I started taking her temperature twice a day. Then on day 52 things changed. Her stomach suddenly seemed to be getting smaller not bigger. Then at 2:30 in the morning Sunday it happened again. She started having dark green discharge. I knew it meant she had lost a puppy. I was still hopeful to save the rest. I called the vet and he suggested I let her be for a few hours and see if she would go into labor on her own and deliver. At 7 in the morning I called back to inform him that she was not in labor at all. He agreed to meet me at the clinic, in a snow storm just like last time. Once there he did an x-ray and only one skeleton was just barely showing up. Definately not far enough along to survive. He gave her a shot of oxytosin and it really did not do much. So it was time to do another c-section. My daughter and I left to get the vet and his wife/assistant some hot chocolate just as they were taking her into surgery. When we came back they were just finishing stitching her back up. There was only two puppies again and one had died quite sometime before. The other while more formed did not have any hair or nails and could not survive outside the womb. And so I took Callie home with an empty incubator. She is currently on pain meds and antibiotics incase of infection. Once she is all healed she will be spayed. I would love to experience the joy of puppies but I could not bear risking Callie again. I love her dearly and will continue to love her until the day she leaves me. I am looking into every possible reason for this to have happened again and been looking into even more health testing available to use in the future with another female. I can only hope that something good can from this in future health testing. Making the breed even healthier than it is now.

33 Days

The baby bump has arrived!!!


At this time the puppies sex has been determined and they are beginning to look like puppies. Their legs, feet and claws are developing now.

Callie is doing great. Just like last time she is eating more now. She is also sleeping more. She has been stretching out more too. In the photo above she is out cold. I was petting her belly and she just stayed there like that even after I moved. I think she may be carrying more puppies this time too. She seems to be showing more and getting bigger this time then last. Then again that may not mean anything. I know from myself with my first child I did not start wearing maternity clothes until my 8th month. But with my second and third I was wearing them by my 4th month. Once your body does it once I guess it just knows to stretch out and get ready. With all the snow we have had here in Utah and Callies undercarriage has been dragging in it. With her developing nipples this has been not so nice for her. They are very dry and cracking. So I have started putting some Bag Balm on them. Bag Balm is actually made for cow udders but it has been working great for Callie also.

Other then that not really much to report right now. Here are some pictures of Callie and Tux. We had a really nice spring day so we went out to play and I got some pretty good photos. Hope you enjoy!!!