Got some weighted stuffed animals (including a 10-pound stuffed chocolate lab) to keep the yellow collar boy company. He is gaining weight rapidly, and seems not to have any problems. See pictures below.
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Took blue collar boy and orange collar boy for euthanasia. Yellow collar boy doing really well. Both eyes open, and he appears to be teething. He is now a "singleton" puppy, as I have lost 11 of my 12 puppies.
The vet has diagnosed the litter as having "fading puppy syndrome." Essentially, they got insufficient colostrum from Thea, which made their immune systems very susceptible to everything that touched them. The blood work on light blue collar boy and pink chenille collar girl indicates their immune systems weren't fighting the infections (low white cell count.)
Pink chenille collar girl to vet for euthanasia. Requested blood work, X-rays, etc. to try to get better answers. Dark blue collar boy starts having seizures, and what may be a stroke. Orange collar boy is very weak. Yellow collar boy (red) seems happy and healthy, and is gaining weight quickly.
Began tubing pink chenille collar girl (black), dark blue collar boy (black) and orange collar boy (red.) None are doing well, and seem too weak to nurse.
Took red collar boy for euthanasia. Light blue collar boy has diarrhea, yelping. Take him to vet, who puts catheter in neck to administer IV fluids and antibiotics. Home with puppy at 5:30, dies at 6:45 PM.
Stopped mineral oil for all. Red collar boy no better. Purple collar boy (black) starts yelping. Pink collar girl vomiting. Some pups with diarrhea. 9:45 PM purple collar boy dies.
Pups all constipated. Red collar boy (black) to vet for mineral oil enema, sub-q fluids and vitamins. All pups started on goat's milk formula (4 oz. condensed goat's milk, 4 oz. bottled water, 1 tsp. vegetable oil, 2-3 eggs), antibiotics (pediatric amoxicillin) and mineral oil.
11:30 AM - White collar boy (black) and pink collar girl (black) to vet for euthanasia.
1:00 PM - Robin arrives to help with feeding and to let me get a little sleep. (Did I mention that she did an absolutely HEROIC job helping with the whelping of the puppies? It helps to have a nurse on hand, and one that has assisted in dozens of whelps is the best kind. I'm SO very blessed to have such friends.)
10:30 AM - My best friend Deborah arrives from Colorado to help with puppies. She is not a breeder, but she loves me, and is here to help. I must have done something right in a past life to deserve a friend like this.
5:30 PM - Pups to vet - 4 get fluids, and start all on Esbilac (commercial formula.) Rainbow girl (red) and blue chenille boy (black) die.
At 3:30 AM Thea spiked a temperature (104.1.) I rushed her to the emergency vet, and they diagnosed mastitis (infection in two of her breasts,) and possibly metritis (infected uterus.) The vet was very definite that the pups could NOT nurse from her, as the infection was systemic. An orphan litter has been a concern since the Caesarean, and this has now happened.
Green collar boy (red) dies. Thea is home about 6:00 PM, with strict instructions to keep her away from the pups (so her milk will dry up.) Hot packs every 4-6 hours.
Well, today has been difficult. The puppies were scheduled to have their tails and dewclaws done, but when we got to the vet's office (Dr. LaBounty in Studio City, CA,) he said they were too dehydrated. He checked Thea, and her milk still hasn't fully come down, probably due to the C-section. So now I'm supplementing with a 50/50 mixture of evaporated goat's milk and unflavored Pedialyte every hour, for at least the next 24 hours. I'm also putting hot packs on her breasts, and expressing milk whenever the puppies aren't eating. I'll keep doing all this until Thea has enough milk for all the babies. And if she loses her milk, I'll bottle-feed the entire litter until they are weaned. It is a tough situation, but we'll pull through. Thea is such a good mother, and it isn't her fault there were so many puppies. This, too, will pass.
Thea is back home. Pictures of mom and the new babies below. Mom and babies are fine, but *I* NEED A NAP! (Click on each picture below to expand.)
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We have PUPPIES! Thea has 12 beautiful babies: 2 black bitches, 1 red bitch, 5 black males and 4 red males! It was a long, drawn-out battle to get them all into the world, and after delivering the first 8 Thea just didn't have anything left. She had a Caesarean section late at night to deliver the last 4 pups.
The puppies all weigh between 10 and 19 ounces. All seem to be healthy, and nursing really well. The feeding rotation is challenging - 6 puppies at a time, then when the other group gets hungry (about 2 hours later,) I switch them out. Not much rest for either of us!
Thea had X-rays today, and there were 13 little skulls and matching spines! Wow! (There may have been a 14th hiding behind her colon, but the doctor couldn't tell for sure.) Thirteen! The "baker's dozen" should be here any day now! Keep checking back as I will keep posting the major activities, as well as photos of the new kids when they arrive.
It's official! Thea is pregnant!
Below are the ultrasound pictures taken December 8. There are 10 (!) puppies in the pictures, but the doctor made another pass at trying to count and there were 12-14! (Click the picture to expand.)
Thea was bred to Reign.
Note: This page was originally intended to be just basic information about the litter, but it seems to have become a bit of a blog (web log.) Don't feel like you have to read it - it is essentially the ramblings of a new "grandmother," and there is probably no real intrinsic value here. Maybe a bit interesting to some, but others may think I'm a bit odd. OK, so maybe a LOT odd, but that isn't the important point. The important point is something profound, but the lack of sleep seems to have caused this very important and possibly earth-shattering tidbit to become misplaced. If I find it, I'll let you know. --t
