10 Beautiful Babies

So this afternoon my girlfriend from Roy showed up and as we were sitting in the living room catching up on things, Ruth noticed that Ivie had a discharge.  I took her back to the whelping room and she didn't want to leave her box.  We both decided that the time was near - give or take a few hours.  So I called Dr. Wagner and told her what was going on and she and I both agreed that if we were going to do a c-section, doing one at 5pm rather than 2am was a good thing.  She called in her troops for the vet clinic and I called in mine - all meeting at the clinic about the same time.

Three hours later, lots of bloody towels and working hard to revive puppies we have 10 beautiful babies.  7 girls and 3 boys.  All are healthy and strong with beautiful markings.  The biggest is a boy at 1.5 pounds and the smallest is a girl at 1.04 most are between 1.24 and 1.36 so it is a very consistant litter.  I am not concerned about any of them thriving which is much better than the last two litters of many sleepless nights and crying and praying to god that they all survive.  These puppies are good and strong and have healthy lungs.

Ivie had a hard time with this c section.  Her blood pressure dropped and they had to put in an extra tube to get fluids into her and it took her a long time to recover.  She is now at home with her babies and seems to be doing much better.   She hadn't eaten all day and they have a big tube down their throat for the anesthesia so I like to start her off with some vanilla ice cream.  That was a huge hit she perked right up after spoon feeding her some.   Then I had some chicken that I was saving for her and she just about ate my hand trying to get it...poor girl is starving.  She polished it all down with some raw food and some pain pills wrapped up in turkey.

The pain pills are starting to kick in and she is sleeping with her puppies nursing on her  She doesn't have a lot of milk yet, but I am sure it will be coming in soon.  Right now it is important for the pups to suckle on her to get the production moving along.

I have the night shift and Ruth has gone to bed and will relieve me in the morning.  Then we will take some pictures of everyone and I will post them so you can see them.  All in all I am very pleased with these pups.