8 Days Tonight
She is a mighty attentive mom. It's nice but she also gets out of the box to cool her belly off on the floor. She's never far. She is in hearing distance always. They have started to squeak for her when they want something. She comes running. What do you need - cleaning, food, snuggles?
They continue to gain weight but today they have slowed down. That will pick back up when they are really mobile. They also seem to want to eat longer vs. gulping it down.
They are held many times a day in a variety of positions and movements to get them used to it.
Right about now they eat, they sleep, the squirm around and they like being warm under the lamp. It's too warm for Jeannie and her hair is drying out so now that she has figured she can sit outside and watch she will be much cooler.
Here are some videos. They are .mov files. They are smaller and too many can't view the .avi files so please read the next message to see how you can view them.
Tomorrow I will try to get closeups of their face as their little eyes have very obvious slits.
File Formats
Can't win. I change them to .avi as someone couldn't figure out how to view and then I got more complaints.
If you are on a mac or an ipad and you want to view .avi files try the VLC player. It is free. On a Mac OS use this link. You can also use VLC on a Windows machine or use Quicktime for Windows or Quicktime for Mac.
A Week Old Tonight WOW!
Here are a few videos taken today:
Jeannie's milk ducts are all nice and soft and supple. Sounds crazy but I celebrate as that hardness means being uncomfie. She never complained one iota though.
They are 7 full days tonight. Wow. Everyone is gaining, eating, squirming and they have slits on their eyes but I have tested them. They can't hear yet. Hearing and eyes open at the same time. They all of a sudden react to sounds when their eyes open. Right now their only senses are smell and touch. They find mom with smell and find the milk bar with smell and touch.
Going on 6 Days Old
Did almost a week go by? It seems like just days ago that I welcomed them into the world. They are eating, sleeping and doing well. I timed them and they actually sleep under just 2 hours between feedings. Jeannie has it easy. At this stage they are usually eating at least every hour. This crew (we have had a few before) get full, move around and the sleep. They are doing well.
Today the 2 darker ones are almost the same size and the more white is an ounce less. See how it varies each day.
Here are a few videos I took.
Sleeping 5 and a Half Days Old
I may have to go back to .mov files as these are too large. Its not the length of the video but the file format that leavest hem so inflated in size.
I am seeing slits on the eyes. Can't wait till they open them but it will be days before then.
Pups are 4.5 Days Old
Tonight they will be 5 days old and their weights are now completely different.
Jeannie has started to revolt. If you place food she doesn't want she pushes it under the table or under the couch. Good news is her milk stations are all soft now. It took awhile but she had a ton of milk before she had pups.
Here are some videos in .avi format. Maybe that will be easier for some? Let me know.
Plus here is a gallery of some photos I snapped this morning. This blanket is one of the others Tanner's mom gave us that he used to use. The pups love it!
Weights - only doing them as they are now starting to work themselves out. The boy is largest but boys are usually larger but really we are talking about an ounce or a tad more which in the scheme of things is not much. They are eating, active and mighty healthy. So far they are the easiest pups to maintain.
Boy
11.05oz
GAIN 24 HOURS: 1.55 oz
More White gal
9.85oz
GAIN 24 HOURS: 1.15oz
White Collar Gal
10.75oz
GAIN 24 HOURS: 1.25oz
Snoozing: More Added
This is a low quality photo taken with our camera that we use to watch Jeannie. I must admit I tune into her many times during the night even though Dennis is watching her. I yearn for a full night sleep but my curiousity gets me everytime. It's nice to see what is going on. This is how she sleeps with them most times and she loves to snuggle them in.
Anne Waters dropped off some blankets. I am amazed at the generosity of people and truly it is most appreciated. These are all Tanners baby blankets that lined his crate. I will be posting a photo later today of one.
Pups are well and gaining each weigh in. Nathan is at the Markham dog show till the afternoon so my blogging won't happen again till late today. Dennis will be snoozing in my office as Jeannie was restless last night. Good news her ducts are softer now but we continue on a course of antibiotics for 7 days.
Here are the weights this morning and this was BEFORE a feeding. After a feeding will give you greater results.
Boy
9.50oz/270g - Birth 6.40oz/182g
24 hour gain: 1.15oz
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More White gal
8.70oz/248g - Birth 6.10oz/173g
24 hour gain: .85oz
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White Collar Gal
9.50oz/269g - Birth 6oz/170g
24 hour gain: 1.15
These are all great gains and tonight the more white gal may be bigger than the rest. They are so close that it fluctuates like that. They are all doing really well. The bottom milkbar slots have the most milk and the quicker flow so the more white one tends to stay off of those. She likes the ones just above. It doesn't help that those were hard and impacted but that will change as they soften up. That has already started. It means the antibiotics are working. Usually they work faster but the pups didn't want to use those slots as much as it is simply harder to get the milk flowing when it is impacted and when they do it comes out squirting like you broke through the dam.
Here are a few videos taken last night.
Here are the pups on Anne Water's blanket this morning.
Dennis tells me he can't sleep as the door has too much action. He will sleep when he crashes, I suppose. Doubt he will make it till Nathan gets back.
Not a clear photo that Dennis took but an ahhh moment - snuggles!
Today's Update Plus Videos
The pups are doing well. Dennis is complaining about lack of sleep. It seems we had unexpected visitors, a roofing guy asking us if we wanted a quote and a neighbor asking to borrow something. So, yeah he didn't get any sleep so now he is back to bed and hoping he does get rest.
Now I am able to do an update. All pups are gaining weight and gaining round tummies as you will see in the photos.
Love the color coming through on this gal. Its as if she put blush on. :-)
They wouldn't stretch out flat but I did this photo to give you an idea just how tiny they are. They are 2.5 days old now heading to 3 tonight.
These blankets I am told is easy to make. I need to learn how and make some. They are no sew blankets tied off on the sides.
In this photo you can see how tiny they are but robust - boy are they!
Now that they are getting older - I know not that much older but now they trust their environment. They are being touched many times a day for weighing, for kisses, snuggles and much more. I have already started the High Achievers exercises.
Here are a few videos taken this morning at 2.5 days old. Yeah I know I need to fix my nail polish but who has time and can't do it in this room. It is what it is. Just a chipped nail job, heh.
I have a busy day today and I want to spend time with the adults. Nathan has been with them playing his heart out. I groomed everyone including Jeannie. Already the pups are making her a mess. Oh well. :-)
Now Three Videos
This photo is what she does when she leaves the xpen to eat or drink or do her duty. She covers them up and tucks them in.
One video is when she was unbrushed and one was after brushing. See you don't just get to see the pretty photos though I feel it is a reflection on me so I do try. There are times to brush and times not to. Its only been less than 2 days since she has had pups. One of the videos was a tad jerky. Looks strange but it is the video camera. We set the camera up so I can still groom and watch. That is important. If at 3am Dennis is watching the pups and I wake up I can sneak a peek but don't tell him that. :-)
I will get better at this - honest. You will notice at the end of one she was bunching up the blankets. When she gets out of the pen to eat or to take a drink she tries to cover them up. This is the instinct of a good mom but I may have to glue the blankets down. hahahaha
Good news Panda is in the pack so she will be going home to her Momma tonight. When gals are in heat they are segregated off from the boys. It's a lot of work to make sure they get the play, the balance but not have any accidental breedings. Panda wanted all boys. She was a riot.
Be sure to check out the 2 earlier blog entries on the pups that include individual photos in a gallery of the pups.
Plus here's a bonus video - an exhausted Jeannie feeding her pups. It seems after being in awe with her beauties she is now dead asleep. I was wondering when she would allow herself to sleep. She's been up more than anything being extra attentive. Guess she now trusts that she can sleep and this human will help if needed.
Weights and Gallery
Here is a gallery of the trio - individual shots. Boy is last. See more photos in the next blog entry taken this morning.
Won't be putting up weights all the time. I take them twice a day when there are no issues. If I am worried I take weights on that one before eating and after feeding.
Here are the weights at birth and at 730am this morning.
Boy
Birth: 6.40oz 182g
Now: 7.55oz 213g
GAIN: 1.15oz .31g
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Girl More White
Birth: 6.10oz 173g
Now: 7.05oz 200g
GAIN: .95oz .27g
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Girl with Collar
Birth: 6.00oz 170g
Now: 7.10 202g
GAIN: 1.10oz .32g
They are all relatively the same size - gaining approx similar. These are great weight gains. It helps that Jeannie had plenty of milk. They usually lose in the first 24 hours as the milk hasn't fully come in. When it doesn't they lose weight but mom doesn't get too much milk. When it is ahead of time especially days ahead it usually means antibiotics to curb mastitis. None of this is a concern. She is not uncomfie. We stay on top of things BEFORE there is an issue and the antibiotics seems to get rid of any impacted milk bars within a day or two. The pups are also strong enough to drink from a milk source that you touch and the milk squirts out. That also reduces the fullness. So she is in a great spot - great mom - no issues and never got to a point where the pups couldn't use all her milk spots.
She is amazing with them.
I may add that right from birth their bowels were working. Healthy - healthy pups! Hope you enjoy the gallery and look below at more photos taken today.