F1Bpuppies

Puppy Diary Below ~ Conception to Birth and Beyond!!

July 4th, 2008~ PUPPIES ARRIVED!!! Yes, we have 4th of July puppies! Faith delivered nine beautiful puppies starting at 3:00 a.m. on the 4th! Needless to say it was a very long night! She did great! All the puppies are very healthy and just beautiful! Pictures coming soon~

Week Nine (Days 58-65)

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES

•Growth and Development continues

CHANGES IN THE MOM

•Nesting behavior may be seen

•Bitch may become distressed (panting, pacing, acting uncomfortable)

•Temperature should be around 100.2-100.8 degrees Farenheit

•When temperature drops to around 98-99.4 degrees Farenheit, puppies should be born within 24 hours

•Appetite may disappear as whelping approaches

CARE OF THE MOM

•Start taking temperature three times a day

Week Eight (Days 50-57)

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES

•Fetal movement can be detected when bitch is at rest

•Puppies can safely be born from now on

CHANGES IN THE MOM

•Milk may be squeezed from nipples

•The bitch will be very large.

CARE OF THE MOM

•Add moderate lunch

Week Seven (Days 43-49)

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES

•Growth and development continues

CHANGES IN THE MOM

•Abdomen hair will start shedding

•The bitch will start to look pregnant at this point

CARE OF THE MOM

•Slightly increase both meals

TO DO LIST

•Stop any roughhousing or jumping

•Radiographs (X-rays) possible to determine number and size of puppies

Week Six (Days 36-42)

DEVELOPMENT OF THE MOM

· Development of skin pigment

· Fetuses should weigh around 6 grams and be 45 mm long

· Fetal heartbeats can be heard with stethoscope

CHANGES IN THE MOM

· Nipples darken and enlarge

· Abdomen continues to enlarge

CARE OF THE MOM

· Add cottage cheese or hard boiled egg to food daily

· Increase the amount of food in the extra meal

· Bitch should start sleeping in whelping box

Week Five (Days 29-35)

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES

- Development of toes, whisker buds, and claws

- Fetuses look like dogs

- Gender can be determined

- Eyes (previously open) now close

- Fetuses grow from 18 mm - 30 mm

- Organogenesis ends -- embryos are fairly resistant to interference with development

CHANGES IN MOM

- Swelling becomes noticeable

- Loss of "tuck-up"

- Weight will start to increase

CARE OF THE MOM

- Slightly increase amount of food and switch to puppy kibble. If you feed one meal a day, add an extra meal. If you feed twice a day, slightly increase one of the meals.

- Add daily multi-vitamin

- Palpitation no longer possible due to fluids in uterus

Week Four (Days 22-28)

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES

· Development of eyes and spinal cords

· Faces take shape

· Fetuses grow from 5-10 mm to 14-15 mm

· Organogenesis begins-- Embryos are at their most susceptible to defects

· Days 26 - 32 are the best days to palpitate (i.e.. feel for the puppies)

Week Three (Days 15-21)

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES

· Day 19 -- Implantation of embryos in uterus