Getting Older: Plus Update

Here is the gallery.

No loss - no gain for Alanza. Rest are gaining well. She will perhaps play catchup by tonight. She is active as you can see in the videos. Be sure to check out the shorts.

Hard to believe it is 8 days already. It's a crazy juggling experience. 

Update on Wednesday, November 22, 2023 at 6:39PM by Darlah

Alanza is gaining today. Her biggest one yet. I will upload a video that Nathan took of her eating.

7 Days Old: Proud Momma

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Sage is such a proud mom. She loves them all. She cleans them and makes sure they are fed and she smiles all the time as you can see in this photo.

When pups have a hard time thriving, sometimes moms reject them. Instead, she has gone into the pen and pushed Alanza up against her trying to get her to feed. At this time, sometimes she does, sometimes not. The rest prime her like they are saying mom, get that milk down. 

All pups are gaining. Some more than others. Alanza is gaining slow but steady. She is similar to one of her siblings now at a similar weight timeframe. So, we are hopeful. I wrap her in a face cloth and she goes nuts looking for the bottle. The 1 hour and 45 min between is a lot of work but if I can get her up to 7 plus ounces, we can extend the time between. 

I am aware that she is taking up so much time so I spend time holding her siblings and kissing them up. They are not missing out. I think I am. 

I am hardly taking any videos during the night as even my bladder won't wake up as I am exhausted. So, not the usul but hopefully you see enough of them in videos. I add to the gallery and videos as I can throughout the day. Be sure to check out the shorts. 

This will all be worth it if she thrives and each day gets better so I think she will. 

Update on Tuesday, November 21, 2023 at 7:19PM by Darlah

Alanza has gained and continues. She had her largest gain today. The rest continue to gain in various increments. They all have bellies now.

6 Days Old

Here is the gallery.

Alanza had her 1st feeding from mom staying latched on the entire time. I do not think it was productive as in taking much mom's milk in but this is progress, imho. 

She is no longer losing. Over night she seems to hold her own and in daytime she shows slight gains.

If you look at the videos, you can see her activity. Be sure to look at the shorts which has Alanza's activity. There are also sequence photos that you can see her movement.

How are the other siblings doing? They find mom on their own. They are gaining. They are active and Sage treats them like they are extra special beings including the little one. 

Sage's back milk stations are finally soft. That took a bit. 

I will continue to post a followup here in this post tonight. It will be at the end of this entry.

The siblings - are great but do push Alanza out of the way huntin g for milk so I have to sit the entire time protecting her.

Update on Monday, November 20, 2023 at 7:25PM by Darlah

I have added more photos and will be adding videos. Everyone gained tonight. Alanza just minimal but the same for one other. At this weight, I checked the other pups gains a bit more than she is now and the weight gain is similar. She did try to eat off mom twice. I had to spend all the time protecting her. One feeding was better than the 2nd. But progress. One day at a time. Bonus - no losing weight.

5 Days Old: Updates are at the End Always

Here is the gallery.

I am trying the little one on 3ml plus .05 and she seems to be gaining slow and steady. This will only be the 3rd time with this amount so we will see what a 24 hour period does.

I apologize for being so late. I may have duplicated videos. I don't know. I am a bit overwhelmed and I apologize. It is difficult to keep this schedule, eat yourself and groom plus videos, galleries and blogging. I'm trying. I keep getting later and later.

All the rest are gaining quite well. 

Here are the videos. Be sure to check out the shorts.

They are true beauties!

Update on Sunday, November 19, 2023 at 7:36PM by Darlah

Alanza has had a decent weight gain today. I added .05 to her regular 3ml of formula and she is gaining - slow and steady. Dennis seems to be very worried so he will feed just 3ml and we probably won't have a gain overnight but hopefully tomorrow during the day. I may get surprised. She does like the formula. All day I try her on mom before and after feedings but she is probably just getting a slight bit. I keep hoping she starts feeding from mom. The concern will be the others will push her out of the way so I imagine I will have to sit with her and protect her when she does start feeding from mom. At the very worse, if she is still gaining and hanging on, at 3 weeks I can start feeding her food. That is still 16 days away. I hope I am alive by then. LOL The other pups find mom and manage to gain weight all on their own. I looked at Alanza and she has such a pretty face. I just know with all that I am putting into this, she best live and thrive. We shall see how the journey goes but right now, gain is a positive and she is lively. She crawls all over at times.

4 Days Old

Here is the gallery.

No weight gain but Nathan registered one earlier this morning. I have not checked. He says slight but a gain.

I tell you it is a consuming process especially mentally. I groom, I feed, I groom, I feed. 

The rest of the pups are really gaining well. You can find Sage trying to feed them sitting up. They are too young but I get why she is doing it. Those bottom milk stations is better but not entirely so we continue and she continues to try to get them eating off those stations.

Let's see how it goes. Updates are late due to grooming. Sorry.

Videos can be found here and shorts here. I am trying to do as many as usual but sometimes life gets in the way.

Just an Update

I am staying up till 11pm so Dennis only has 3 feedings. Pup did gain - only 1/8oz in 12 hours but its a gain and to be expected as that tummy has to expand slow and steady. You can no loger see her ribs. Her siblings are growing well. 

I think this is going to be juggling for a bit. I will have to groom, feed a puppy, groom, feed a puppy etc

But she gained and believe me I celebrate any positive. 

Sage's back milk stations are getting better. She's halfway there and seems to no longer be in pain like she was.

3 Days Old

Here is the gallery.

I woke up to Dennis having issues with a feeding - not charting. This is a new day so we must do what we must do. Despite that, Alanza had the 1st gain since birth (2/8oz). They were all losses to this point. We will continue to supplement her every 2 hours around the clock and keep attempting to get her to feed off mom. Mom feeding is not successful yet. But I will take the bottle gaining any day as a start.

Rest of the pups gained. They find mom for the most part and are good.

Sage on day 2 on antibiotics, the bottom milk stations are softening. It's not there yet - maybe another day or 2 but its working. Pups are feeding off them now. Hooray.

Videos can be found here and shorts here.

Update on Sage and Alanza Plus Bottle Feeding Video

I updated more photos into this mornings gallery and have been adding videos.

Sage has impacted back nipples. She is getting antibiotics. It usually takes a day or 2 to clear up - perhaps by tomorrow night/ Pups won't eat off of those stations when they are so impacted. I am using warm compresses to relief her and expressing a bit to reduce. This is a photo I just took so you can see how happy she is despite the issue.

Alanza since this afternoon was switched to a bottle. She is getting 3ml or has been since this feeding. When you are not using a syringe and you use a bottle, you are amazed at how small that is. She suckles and the milk drips out a wee bit at a time. Instead of 15 minutes, the feeding now takes 10 minutes and she is much happier. She is holding her weight but at 3ml in 24 hours we should start seeing gains. No loss is progress. 

Dennis is in bed and Nathan is watching the adults or I would video a feeding. I am going to look for a stand for my phone and see if that is possible. No promises but I will try. I am less stressed. I will stay up tonight till 1030 to do that feeding and show Dennis then off to bed. 

I do now believe she will make it. We shall see. 

Update on Thursday, November 16, 2023 at 9:12PM by Darlah

I did a very poor quality video of feeding Alanza with a bottle but at least you can see. It was way hard by myself. It should be up in a few. As it is large, Youtube is taking its time.

2 Days Old

Here is the gallery.

Okay everyone gained but Alanza - the little one. The rest are doing well. Our vet has me feeding every 2 hours 2.5 ml and we will see if she gains. That means 15 minutes before you warm up the formula and it takes 15 minutes to feed. It is a process then 2 hours from the START of the last feeding, you do it again. This is stressfilled and time consuming but will be worth it with a positive end result. The goal is to get enough weight so she can feed off mom exclusively. We shall see how the day goes.

I am not even finding time to eat or anything else. I will get used to it.

Check out the videos here. But be sure to check out the shorts as well.

Update on Thursday, November 16, 2023 at 3:34PM by Darlah

I have a bottle that is made for baby squirrels. It drips out milk as they mouth it so next feeding, we are going to try that and see how it goes. 

Update: 2 Blogs for just this

The little gal is down to 4-3/8oz. She has really consistently lost weight and wouldn't latch on but for seconds. I woke up this morning to her losing more weight. I was beside myself.

Well, tonight she latched on to mom and ate a full meal. She didn't lose - she didn't gain so I topped her off with supplementing her. I will see if next feeding she latches on again. If so, progress. As I said earlier, she had a massive poo session earlier today. It was firm but I never saw so much come out of a little thing. It did have her lose but as I said she hasn't lost since. I feel hopeful. She is a fighter. She was never lethargic.

So - I am very hopeful. I am going to name her temporarily Alanza - which means "ready for battle"

On another note, the rest of the pups have started gaining. 

I will upload a video of her feeding where she was latched on.

Sage is amazing and while I am supplementing Alanza, she licks any dribbles off and kisses her. It is endearing.

PS: Alanza latched on and ate from mom her second time in a row.