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
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Growth and Development continues
CHANGES IN THE MOM
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Nesting behavior may be seen
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Bitch may become distressed (panting, pacing, acting uncomfortable)
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Temperature should be around 100.2-100.8 degrees Farenheit
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When temperature drops to around 98-99.4 degrees Farenheit, puppies should be born within 24 hours
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Appetite may disappear as whelping approaches
CARE OF THE MOM
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Start taking temperature three times a day
Week Eight (Days 50-57)
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES
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Fetal movement can be detected when bitch is at rest
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Puppies can safely be born from now on
CHANGES IN THE MOM
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Milk may be squeezed from nipples
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The bitch will be very large.
CARE OF THE MOM
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Add moderate lunch
Week Seven (Days 43-49)
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES
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Growth and development continues
CHANGES IN THE MOM
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Abdomen hair will start shedding
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The bitch will start to look pregnant at this point
CARE OF THE MOM
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Slightly increase both meals
TO DO LIST
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Stop any roughhousing or jumping
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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
Week Two (Days 8-14)
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES
· Embryo will be 4 cell at start of week and 64 cell by end of week
· Embryo enters the uterus
Week One
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES
· Fertilization occurs
· 2 cell embryos are in the oviduct
· The embryo is fairly resistant to external interference in development
CHANGES IN THE BITCH
· Possible morning sickness
· Possible personality changes