Iida the terrier's maternity diary

[Finsky]

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Take care with the milk powder, remember they are getting plenty of milk from their mum, they don't need any more, neither do you don't want to cause a runny tummy. The raw chicken alone with a little water to help make it slimy is just fine. At this stage you will be able to offer a different meat type every couple of days or whatever suits you. They take to raw products easily without problems (as you have just discovered). The more they learn to like before they leave mum, the better, you don't want to get stuck on one type only and find them difficult to accept another flavour.
Meaty chicken bones or wings can start at 4 to 5 weeks. The sooner they know how to manage bones the better, don't chop bones up small, you don't want them swallowed before they know what they are doing with them!

Oh such great fun
.

Thank you for the good advise! I shall let them to experience plenty of different 'flavours' After few little tasting sessions some of them are already shaking with excitement when I bring my teeny feeding bowl on front of them and attacking the meet 'slurry' like they've not been fed for a week! Few are still bit slower and taking it all in more careful manner. But boy it is messy progress
At least most of them have now instinct to go to wee into one area in the box, which comes handy. I keep paper there so I don't have to clean the bedding quite so often anymore.
But it is still early days with the new feeding..they are not quite yet 3 weeks old yet so at this point they are still in the tasting stage.
But every day I can see visible and behavioural changes them..they do grow up so fast that is amazing to witness. You just don't realize it if you haven't been involved with pups from the very start.
Every few days I have loosen their velcro collars and give some more room to grow!! Nails need clipping often too! Now they are starting to show little 'toothless shark' behaviour As soon as I get my hand close to one, the mouth open and the pups start 'tasting' and testing the skin. And the speed they can crawl...!!! And they have radar to notice as soon as mum or I come near the box...at least one of the will stir up and wake the lot and the crawl for the food source will start immediately. It can be quite hard at times for Iida to free spot to lie down for feeding without fearing to crush the pups. When those little piranhas are swarming, Iida has learned to just sit/stand and wait so I will come for assistance and move some pups away to give her a chance for get comfortable...and she has to be quick too...they are just coming from all directions!!
It is quite fun really....but I don't envy her work load at the moment.=

 

[Finsky]

Take care with the milk powder, remember they are getting plenty of milk from their mum, they don't need any more, neither do you don't want to cause a runny tummy. The raw chicken alone with a little water to help make it slimy is just fine. At this stage you will be able to offer a different meat type every couple of days or whatever suits you. They take to raw products easily without problems (as you have just discovered). The more they learn to like before they leave mum, the better, you don't want to get stuck on one type only and find them difficult to accept another flavour.
Meaty chicken bones or wings can start at 4 to 5 weeks. The sooner they know how to manage bones the better, don't chop bones up small, you don't want them swallowed before they know what they are doing with them!

Oh such great fun
.

Iida just finished feeding the pups so as I was pottering about in a kitchen...I noticed there was quite a bit of meat juices on the dish from the thawing beef block. With your encouragement 'to let the pups experience different meats'...I finished their meal by letting the pups lap up some the red meat juices. Each one of them were very keen for the new experience So later on today I might give them little more of it with some blended meat as well. As they are still so 'small' pups...not quite 3 weeks old yet...I will still keep the milk as their main source of nourishment and these little additions as a tasting sessions, not to replace any feeds yet. That's what my 'gut' is telling me that they will benefit with..

 

[Finsky]

Ok....I feel like there is something paranormal going on with these pups I do visit to handle and care for the pups often during the day...never mind popping my head around the corner just to do quick check everything is ok. So they had big lunch around 1 and then settled to sleep with full tummies...and all was quiet....and again when when I checked them....and as they didn't start to stir up for their next meal I nudge Iida to check her pups herself. She put her head into box and turned away...'nope...they don't need me'....but by this time pup radar had woken the hungry beasts up. But the pups I had seen feeding couple of hours earlier and gone to 'bed' looked different to these little growling and yapping creatures that were now able to stand on their 4 feet...looking no more like wrinkly fat little lumps but I was seeing more of dog like features with alert focusing eyes!! Surely they are not supposed to change all of the sudden...surely!?
Iida refused to go into box to feed them...even when I tried to give her little nudge for her back side...nope, she put breaks on and we both looked in wonder the riot in the box But her teats were dripping milk and the little ones were HUNGRY.
So I decided to get Eva in....she haven't met Iida pups nose to nose yet....maybe iida would feel spot of protectiveness coming on and would go into box for pup's security??
NOPE....she just left us to it and I watched Eva and pups sniffing each others nose to nose...pups calmed down when scenting strange dog about. But even our 'spirited' Eva was quiet and looked these little monsters in silence

By now I started to think that maybe this is it...Iida is now decided no more milk for them and it is now down to me
So if that was the case, in preparation for things to come I decided to empty the puppy pen from Iida's day bed and other bits and bobs....spread loads of news paper on the floor and got everything ready for pups to 'spill out' out of box (one has only couple of days ago managed to climb out).
Luckily all this removal action got Iida curious and interested what was going on...pups calmed down too so she finally found enough courage to go into box and is there now feeding them..getting those 'jugs' empty
And all is now peaceful again...pups are in sleep and Iida has done her duties....it was first taste of things to come....

 

[Hemlock]

It's the tiny teeth that are putting her off, I suspect.

What I do isn't the only way, but worked for me. I would remove the dam and put two shallow plates of meat out (no milk or cereal) for the pups. After they had all waded through the food and eaten some of it, I'd let the dam back into the room. She'd mop up all the leftovers and pups would top up with milk, but as they weren't completely empty, they wouldn't be so hard on her with their little shark teeth and claws.

And yeah - those eyes work very well by 3 weeks.

 

[Finsky]

It's the tiny teeth that are putting her off, I suspect.

What I do isn't the only way, but worked for me. I would remove the dam and put two shallow plates of meat out (no milk or cereal) for the pups. After they had all waded through the food and eaten some of it, I'd let the dam back into the room. She'd mop up all the leftovers and pups would top up with milk, but as they weren't completely empty, they wouldn't be so hard on her with their little shark teeth and claws.

And yeah - those eyes work very well by 3 weeks.

Thank you...all advice is welcome. Actually I just had look into couple of mouths and there was signs of only the first two teeth just about come trough...but yes, even they might be already pinching her well used and bruised nipples. I've kept their nails clipped to reduce the damage..

 

[JudyN]

Even though it must have been over 4 decades ago, I can still remember the look on our Yorkie's face as she jumped in with her pups, saw all those teeth and claws bearing down on her, and jumped straight out again

I had blisters on my nipples with DS2. Iida has my sympathies.

 

[Finsky]

Even though it must have been over 4 decades ago, I can still remember the look on our Yorkie's face as she jumped in with her pups, saw all those teeth and claws bearing down on her, and jumped straight out again

I had blisters on my nipples with DS2. Iida has my sympathies.

That sound just about what I witnessed yesterday...though they soon calmed down as well. It must have been a practice round for things to come
Blisters! Now that does sound horrid.

 

[Finsky]

The fun have now started...

 

[niamh123]

Ida's puppies are beautiful ,she is doing a great job rearing these beautiful little bundles

 

[Rinkydinkydo]

I'm just looking forward to when they turn in to little snapping turtles. It's a great sound when terrier pups are in full flow. I can't help myself when they are nailing each other or a toy .... go on get in ... go on.

 

[Finsky]

I'm just looking forward to when they turn in to little snapping turtles. It's a great sound when terrier pups are in full flow. I can't help myself when they are nailing each other or a toy .... go on get in ... go on.

LOL...'good' terrier flurry does sound brilliant and very scary when you don't know what it is all about. These pups of ours are already practicing it...not out of 'diapers' yet and they are at it. Funny how vocal so little things can be...I'm sure I've heard some swearing going on too! 'wobble wobble...falling over...grrr'..

 

[Finsky]

They are 4 weeks old and getting BIG. Still the main food is mum's milk..meat 'porrige' is only offered as a little snack once a day but soon I will start bring it more on to get weaning work slowly started.

 

[niamh123]

I can't believe how quickly these puppies have grown,they are all so beautiful

 

[JudyN]

Wow, they're so chunky! Iida is doing a fantastic job - is she eating twice as much as usual?

 

[Finsky]

I can't believe how quickly these puppies have grown,they are all so beautiful

Me neither! They all weight well over a Kg now and still gaining 30-40g of weight every day Yesterday I sat down with all the weighing numbers and played with the figures on paper. No wonder I thought I was seeing puppies growing as I was watching.

 

[Finsky]

Wow, they're so chunky! Iida is doing a fantastic job - is she eating twice as much as usual?

Oh she is eating more than that. She gets 3 times more than normal herself should be getting per day, and that is energy rich working dog mince as well...AND on top of that she gets few chicken wings and if I don't take care, she'll hoover everything up before our Eva the 'gannet' has had a chance to even steal a piece from their dinner plate...usually it is other way round. AND she gets every other day some yogurt with added egg yolk....AND she still has her 1/3 of DIPPED rich tea biscuit in the morning...AND a chew/treat at the night. And yet she is not putting any weight. It is like all that food is 'bypassed' to her teats and the pups are eating it all
It is so weird feeling that usually very picky eater or one that do not generally clear her plate is now constantly ready to eat almost anything and everything She is practically saying to me : "bring it on...anymore where that is coming from?"

 

[Hemlock]

She looks in terrific fettle - well done for your care.
And the pups - 4-6 weeks is the best age IMO.

I am so enjoying these puppy posts and pics.

 

[Finsky]

I am so enjoying these puppy posts and pics.

Oh good...I'll post some more then!

and there is more to come.....

 

[Finsky]

Cunning plan in the progress with 'Team Black & Tan'

Practising all this licking business...

Yaaaawn....

 

[Josie]

Gorgeous puppies!!