Oh That Feeling

I look like I feel. No eating for me - morning sickness has arrived. It's a little early but tiny meals for me. I turned my nose up at steak.

Pregnancy Calendar

Canine Pregnancy Calendar

Pregnancy Calendar for Dogs
Date:	Sun 8 Apr 2018
Sire:	Truffie
Dam:	Ella
Breeder:	Talemaker Havanese
Wed 6 Apr 2018	Day 1 First day of mating. Sperm travel searching for a mature ripened eggs.
Thu 7 Apr 2018 - Wed 13 Apr 2018	Week 1 Fertilization occurs. 2 cell embryos are in the oviduct.
Thu 14 Apr 2018 - Wed 20 Apr 2018	Week 2 Embryo will be 4 cell at start of week and 64 cell by end of week. Embryo enters the uterus. Feeding small amounts of high protein supplements, such as eggs, lean muscle meats (not pork) or liver is a good practice.
Thu 21 Apr 2018 - Wed 27 Apr 2018	Week 3 Embryos implants along uterus wall. During the next two weeks the important organs will develop. Her nipples begin to turn pink and enlarge. May lose appetite during this week. Morning sickness may occur.
Thu 28 Apr 2018 - Tue 3 May 2018	Week 4 Morning sickness should go away and appetite return. One of the early signs of pregnancy is for the dam to 'adopt' a toy. Development of eyes and spinal cord and faces take shape. The fur on the belly and around the nipples thins.
Wed 4 May 2018 - Tue 10 May 2018	Week 5 The doctor may be able to detect pregnancy (85% accuracy) by feeling the abdomen. Diagnosis by x-rays is usually possible after 45 days (95% accuracy for determining the number of puppies). You may be able to feel the little puppies they would be the small bumps in the abdomen. Development of toes, whisker buds, and claws. Eyes now close and gender can be determined. The puppies are now considered fully developed miniature dogs. She may be showing... She may also gain a little weight particularly if she is going to birth more than 1-2 puppies..
Wed 11 May 2018 - Tue 17 May 2018	Week 6 During the last several weeks, your dog's nutritional needs nearly double. Feed small meals several times a day. Increase water. Enlargement of mammary glands as nipples darken and enlarge.
Wed 18 May 2018 - Tue 24 May 2018	Week 7 She may shred papers, blankets or bedding in an attempt at "nest building" in the last weeks. Most times this only happens when she goes into labor. Moderate exercise is the proper approach. Neither forced rest nor strenuous exercise is a good idea. Short periods of gentle play and short walks are good. You may feel the puppies now but counting them may be a bit more difficult. Definite abdominal enlargement. Abdomen hair will start shedding.
Wed 25 May 2018 - Tue 31 May 2018	Week 8 Dam begins to spend a lot more time grooming herself. Her breasts become swollen as her milk forms. Nesting begins as she looks for a place to have her puppies. Make sure you have her box or spot ready. The dam may not have as big of an appetite during this period. Her abdomen can be crowded with puppies. You can feel the puppies move now. See if you can get her used to her whelping box
Wed 1 Jun 2018 - Wed 8 Jun 2018	Week 9 Nipples and vulva should be gently cleaned with warm water, you might want to trim the hairs surrounding the nipples, to allow easier access for the puppies to suck. She may express milk from her nipples. Watch for her temperature to drop. You may take it rectally if you want but she's just plain old cool to the touch compared to what she has been the last 8 weeks. She may also become restless, seek seclusion and in the last few days, soil the house. She will be 'nesting' 12-24 hours before the birth
Thu 9 Jun 2018	Expected Date of Whelp. Expected date of whelp. Average is 62 days but may take place from the 58th to the 68th day. Keep watching for that cool to the touch. If you're actually taking the temp, it does drop from 101 to 98 degrees. Appetite will disappear as whelping approaches. May see a clear discharge from the vulva. At onset of labor may pace, dig, shiver, pant and/or vomit. First fetus will be delivered within 12 hours of the onset of labor.

Last Time

Ella had another connection at the vets today. As this was her prime time and her eggs are ripe and well Truffie's sperm is in great shape, we are confident this is it.

The things we do to get a pregnancy. Ella was never able to have a connection and we didn't know why. She is tiny where one makes a connection but after a pregnancy that area will be larger. We are glad she had no strictures or any other issues that would say no to breeding and this is easy to correct. So, I am glad we persisted this time. These 2 girls are going to have gorgeous pups and it will be 2 first time moms - same day or a day apart. Exciting times in 2 months.

Good Old Ella

We did progesterone on Ella. Truffie just couldn't connect despite it was time to breed her. Yesterday we found out that today and tomorrow we need to breed for pups or no pregnancy. Ella's progesterone was 30, Cinnamon was 28. It was time and if it didn't happen today and tomorrow, it wasn't going to happen for either.

We talked to our vet and instead of going to Pacific Mall with Sherry we made the trek to the vet with Ella and Truffie. 

Ella is a small gal in features but weighs 12lbs - which surprised me. She's gained weight. Truffie is 8.4lb as he has not been eating due to the girls in heat. He will be fed steak and otherwise to get him back up to par after the girls go out. He won't eat now. Maybe he will tonight. This happens with frustrated boys except Stone who eats through anything.

We went through a whole litany that maybe Truffie at 7 was no longer viable and didn't have enough drive. Maybe she had a stricture and would need a c-section if we did an artificial insemination. 

Don't ask me how we did it but Truffie has strong semen - no issue. It seems Ella was swollen but not greatly and our vet says it happens at times. She does not have a stricture and feels after this pregnancy she won't have an issue with breeding. The issue was with Ella being small making it hard for Truffie to get a connection. 

Tomorrow Nathan makes another trek with Truffie and Ella to do it again and no doubt she will be pregnant if not already. The eggs are receptive. The sperm is strong and viable. Looks like June 5th or 6th or possible 7th we will have Ella and Truffie pups. I may be wrong. It is 61 days from today or tomorrow so do the math and tell me. I am just so pleased we got this figured out. 

Ella Has Her Own Blog

Ella is in heat and we are doing progesterone. It is only 1.5 today so it's not time. Can you imagine Ella puppies?

No connection with Ella - sigh