The puppies are so delightful. Im thoroughly enjoying cuddles with them.

The layout of our set up of the whelping box means that Tilly can come and go from the puppies as she pleases, so she is now having a well deserved break from her puppies between feeds. She chooses to sit just outside the box and watches them!!

Tilly will need to continue with the high level of food intake all whilst she is feeding the puppies – she really loves the silver service treatment of having her food delivered to her! Currently she is having 4 meals a day with extras such as cheese, nutriplus gel and goats milk. It is important to ensure the meals are spread out otherwise Tilly would get an upset tummy. If she was feeding more puppies she would need a higher nutritional intake!!

Here are a couple of videos from today for you to enjoy!

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMNdU2Swe/?k=1

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMNdDpgCa/?k=1

I have some photos to upload from Friday (6 days old) I always have problems with data being swallowed up on my various devices which then makes it hard to upload photos as both my laptop and my mobile have very little memory left!!! (I have ordered another external hard drive to cope!!) so watch this space for some photos!

Wilma has been watching over “her” puppies. She actually cannot believe her luck! She is beside herself with joy when she watches them. Wilma keeps bringing them gifts, we have a tally so far of 1 ball, 1 soft toy, a slipper presented twice and 2 deer antler deliveries!

The puppies are doing so well. They are getting faster at wriggling around the whelping box. I always worry that someones perception of them moving about in the pen at this stage means something is wrong, when in fact this is how they start out. Their legs are getting stronger all the time, It wont be long before they are making those first faltering steps, makes me so proud to watch!

BUT… we have the excitement of the eyes opening first ! Adorable. I just cant wait to see those little dreamy eyes!

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMNe3ddTL/?k=1

The puppies are doing so well, they are ahead of their first target! So I am really happy with their progress.

It is expected that puppies should double their birthweight in the space of a week. 4 out of the 6 puppies have surpassed doubling their birthweight with the remaining two not far behind. They will probably meet this target of doubling their weight by this evening.

I am going to have clip their claws in the next day or so otherwise they could end up scratching their mum when they are feeding. This is something I usually do when they are asleep, as it requires a steady hand and patience!

When puppies are born, they can not walk but can only drag themselves about, relying heavily on their noses to work out where they should be ending up!

So as the days go by they are getting stronger and stronger, it is noticeable the physical improvements they make. They are able to push with their legs far more now, pushing upwards with obvious strength as they hold their bodies up! (I do love watching this process of development).

They are all continuing to gain weight which gives me reassurance that everything is going in the right direction.

Here are a few photos from yesterday.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMN1CeY7Y/?k=1

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMN1Cd5CM/?k=1

(Please click on the links to watch some short videos!)

The puppies are all putting on weight really well. I have had to adjust their collars – this is something I have to keep an eye on at least twice a day as they are growing so quickly. They have all lost their little umbilical cords now (most of them fell off yesterday).

They have been “paddling” around the whelping box, building strength in their legs. One of my favourite developmental stages is watching them learn how to walk. Those tottering steps are so special to watch. That I, as their breeder feel immense pride to witness this firsthand, cant wait!

Today we had a development whereby Tilly felt relaxed enough to allow Wilma (the puppies big sister) and Maggie (Nonna) to look at the pups. What strikes me is that Wilma knew her mum was going to be ok about it and was very respectful towards her mum when she sniffed the puppies. (I hope she remains respectful and doesn’t push the boundaries!)

We are always guided by Mum as to whether the other dogs can be around her as she mustn’t get stressed out. Stanley and Melvin so far have not even looked at the whelping box, let alone looking inside it! Lucy, surprisingly has stayed away.

When you are responsible for newborns you have to make various checks, daily, to ensure everything is going well.

So along with checking their weight twice a day, I also monitor their umbilical chords and belly buttons. The umbilical cords dry up and will drop off. It is unusual for them to have problems but you must always keep an eye out for any signs of infection such as oozing serous fluid (clear), pus or redness of the skin.

With any animal in my care I monitor the poos. It is important to know what the poos are like as this gives you valuable information that everything is working ok – I check for colour and consistency. Currently I dont get to see them as Tilly is doing such a great job at keeping the puppies clean, but the moment it becomes my job to clean up then I will be making mental notes as to how they are.

i observe the puppies vital signs – pink gums, what their breathing is like and how healthy their coat appears.

Meanwhile the puppies are just cute little bundles of squeaks. I will be taking some better photos tomorrow!

Tilly has to have a vast amount of food to keep up with the demands made on her for feeding her puppies so she is enjoying 4 meals a day, nutriplus gel and cheese! I think she is rather enjoying the special attention she is getting!

The puppies were due to arrive on Monday, so when Tilly was showing signs of being in labour on Saturday at 4pm, we were a little bit surprised that the first stage labour was for only an hour as it is usually 12 to 24hrs.

Our first puppy arrived at 5.10pm, with the last puppy arriving at 7.30pm. Tilly did incredibly well.

We make sure she is given glucose throughout the labour, fluids and also food. It is so important to ensure the glucose levels are kept up. I do not give any calcium until AFTER the first puppy is born (NEVER ever before).

We have five bitches and one dog puppy. They are all healthy and doing well. They have gained weight over night. I will be monitoring their weight throughout their time with me. In the first three weeks I usually weigh twice a day. By keeping on top of recording their weight gains I can also identify if there is an issue with any of the pups, I will know straightaway if there is a problem that I have to act on promptly.

I will be sleeping next to the whelping box for at least two weeks if not three weeks. I have been known to stay with the pups for four weeks so I will play it by ear!

Orange Collar Girl Puppy – 17.10pm 330g

(33 minutes gap between puppies…)

Pink Collar Girl Puppy – 17.43pm 422g

(29 minutes gap…)

Red Collar Girl Puppy – 18.12pm 346g

(19 minutes gap…)

Purple Collar Girl Puppy – 18.31pm 306g

(28 minutes gap…)

Yellow Collar Girl Puppy – 18.59pm 378g

(33 minute gap…)

Dark Blue Collar Boy Puppy – – 19.32pm 338g

Tilly is now 57 days pregnant.  Her tummy feels very full indeed.  When she is laying down, the sides of her tummy are rather pronounced!  Tilly is very happy, content and wants lots of cuddles (she is quite a weight now!!) She has had the occasional episode of morning sickness – so she now gets ginger biscuits to help with this!

The pups development  at 8 weeks will mean they now have hair and pads on their feet.  They should be approximately 150mm.  They have one week left of growing – so Tilly’s tummy is yet to get bigger! Her tummy has expanded quite dramatically in the last few days. We can see them moving about which is amazing to watch!

Tilly is 52 days pregnant (based on first mating), she is very fit in herself, happy and healthy.

The start of the fascinating journey of a developing pregnancy begins initially at the scan when the pregnancy is confirmed and you see little blobs on the screen, but more significantly now, I can feel the puppies moving. I have been able to feel movement for the past few days. Tilly must be feeling all kinds of squirming going on bless her! When Tilly is laying flat out I can also see some movement too! It is all very exciting!

Development of the unborn puppy.
The pads on their paws will have developed now and they will also have hair growing on their bodies. This is the developmental stage when a puppy would be showing as black or yellow. We know this litter will all be black puppies as the Dad “Rolls” is black dominant.

So my preparations for the arrival of the Tilly Tots is ongoing, the washing machine hasn’t stopped and parcels keep arriving!

Tilly is now 6 weeks pregnant, her tummy is looking plump and a little saggy! Tilly has had a little morning sickness which I have been giving her ginger biscuits for. Other than the occasional morning sickness she is very fit in herself. Tilly’s appetite has increased so I have just started to give her a little extra kibble at bed time.

An insight to the developing puppies.

This stage of her pregnancy is where the puppies develop quite dramatically.  IF we were to xray Tilly’s tummy, we would be able to see the spines quite easily as the calcification of the bones is now taking place!

Between weeks 5 and 6 of pregnancy, the puppies will have developed their eyelids and also the little ear flaps will now be present.  The ear flaps remain closed until after they are born (opening up between 13-17 days old).  The ears look like little buds!  

The eyes also remain closed until after birth, opening up gradually at the age of 10 to 15 days.  (One of my favourite stages of development in a puppy is seeing those gorgeous eyes peeping back at you!). I cant wait!!!

The pups will also have claws growing on their tiny paws. At 6 weeks the digits are formed, although they do not have any pads on their paws. They have not yet developed any hair. You can also determine the sex of the puppy.

At this stage it is hard to guess how big they are but they will be at least 6cm – 7cm.

I now have to organise all of my supplies, get washing all of the bedding and sterilise all of my kit!