Iida the terrier's maternity diary

[Finsky]

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Are you planning to keep one of the pups, Finsky?

Yep....that is main purpose for this whole thing...one for us and another for a particular friend.

 

[Finsky]

Day 52....

We've got proper boobies!
Yesterday Iida had vet check up....mainly it was to give myself peace of mind that things are progressing ok and there is nothing obvious I have missed that would be a concern....and of course good opportunity to give the vet heads up for what is soon to happen. We had good chat and I got all the necessary phone numbers in case birthing doesn't go smoothly. So far so good and her weight gain in expected range as well.

 

[Finsky]

Whelping box is sorted...and as usual for my 'style'..I've gone over board with my crafting again. At first I made the box HUGE..far too big to even house two bitches with litters....never mind just one ! So after tinkering with it and cutting it down for something little more sensible size..it is now complete..but the size is still on the 'generous side'...'oh well'.
It will do now and as the pups start moving about, I can then swap it for smaller and sensible size, giving more room for the pups to move around in the pen.

I have hidden heated mat in the box...and all the area has rubber flooring so the little paws do not slip, it is also little warmer surface and easily cleanable too.
I have only spent two 1/2 hour sessions in the pen with Iida...to get her used to the new things and she seem to have taken to it all just fine. In fact she has now gone into the box herself to have sleep while we've been in elsewhere in the house. She seem to understand what it is all for....and although Eva is curious about it, she has only been inside the pen but not gone into the whelping box...it is like she too understand it is not for her.

I think we've got everything now pretty much done as far as it goes for preparation.

Now I have a chance little 'me time' with crafts before the 'hell breaks loose' and get some rest while I can!
The starting set up for the pups and Iida is not anything fancy, but it should do just fine. At least is clean and safe and workable for me too.

 

[Hemlock]

I can't see from your pics, but have you got bitch rails in the whelping box?

 

[Finsky]

I can't see from your pics, but have you got bitch rails in the whelping box?

Yep...there is, but they've just covered by blankets at the moment....Iida has been digging there..

 

[Hemlock]

I thought you'd have that organised - just had to ask in case!

 

[Finsky]

I thought you'd have that organised - just had to ask in case!

Thank you...that is appreciated. I will soon have another sit in the pen with the girl...I'll read a book while she have a snooze. That's our quiet quality time ..

 

[Finsky]

I have already thoughts and plans for the future ahead with the pups...

When I got Iida, her breeder had prepared us a little 'puppy hamper/pack' to come home with and found that really nice touch. So to pass on similar feelings I got from their gift, I will make up something similar to give with each of iida's pups too; I'm sewing some puppy blankets (with Iida's familiar scent on them), a toy, small supply of food, few photos and paperwork etc.
Today I received trial pack of Honey's raw dogfood to see our girls would eat it and let me have some time off from food preparation for them, it would make life little easier while pups are around. Honey's kindly gifted me with few of their raw feeding guide books to include in some of the puppy packs. As I intend to feed the pups with raw food too and I'll be recommending it being carried on in their new homes as well. I suppose that is as far as I can provide help/influence with their up bringing...

 

[excuseme]

Do make sure that mum can move away from the puppies while laying down with them and not to confine or box in her too tightly with them. She may sometimes want to use a cooler part of her whelping bed, the puppies will shuffle around to follow her warmth. An over hot mum can get quiet "stressy" and unsettled.

How many more sleeps are you expecting to D day?

Double excited now!!

 

[excuseme]

With Sika's litter I bought the Honeys books from Amazon for 1p each plus the delivery. I also gave one to each of the new parents

Maybe once the puppies have arrived, If you contact Honey's they will top you up to the correct amount of books. Fingers crossed.
.

.

 

[JudyN]

Could you compile a 'What to expect from your new pup' handout/booklet for potential owners new to puppyhood? You know, the sort of things first-time owners coming to the forum asking for help would have been better knowing beforehand (settling pups at night, +ve reinforcement, housetraining, puppy biting, zoomies.....). Or are you planning on grilling them before letting them have one of your pups anyway?

 

[Finsky]

Could you compile a 'What to expect from your new pup' handout/booklet for potential owners new to puppyhood? You know, the sort of things first-time owners coming to the forum asking for help would have been better knowing beforehand (settling pups at night, +ve reinforcement, housetraining, puppy biting, zoomies.....). Or are you planning on grilling them before letting them have one of your pups anyway?

Oh yes....there will be grilling!! I have been thinking of making some sort of leaflet together...but hopefully I can get all pups homed with experienced dog owners/friends. If that is the case, I feel it would be bit like teaching some how to suck eggs. So I'm not jumping to write anything quite yet and I'll see what kind of taking for the pups is going to be at first.

 

[Finsky]

With Sika's litter I bought the Honeys books from Amazon for 1p each plus the delivery. I also gave one to each of the new parents

Maybe once the puppies have arrived, If you contact Honey's they will top you up to the correct amount of books. Fingers crossed.
.

.

Aha....you clever one, 'been there and done that'. Oh good idea to have a look at Amazon for some more though Honey's did say should I need more they are more than happy to sell me some more. I was very very pleased that they decided give me quite a few already, so I would not dare to push their generosity any further.
I did thaw one of their meats already to see what it is like....looks good and dogs did had little to taste as well

 

[Finsky]

Do make sure that mum can move away from the puppies while laying down with them and not to confine or box in her too tightly with them. She may sometimes want to use a cooler part of her whelping bed, the puppies will shuffle around to follow her warmth. An over hot mum can get quiet "stressy" and unsettled.

How many more sleeps are you expecting to D day?

Double excited now!!

Thank you, I will watch her like a hawk. Because the whelping box is so big and the thermal pad is small and fits one corner nicely leaving big area without extra warmth, mum should be fine. Our kitchen is quite cool anyway and that was one reason I did get the heating pad to make sure there is enough warmth going on in case Iida will come up with surprise litter of 'dozens' of pups
The counted 63th day is 9th of November...so no real 'D day' expectations other than she will surely surprise me..one way or other! I have niggling feeling that she might be ready before then...maybe. Everything with her so far is been case of 'few days before what the book says should happen'
I'm constantly looking at her tummy mound to see if I can spot any movement...but nothing yet and she is not uncomfortable at all neither. Vet said her tummy haven't dropped yet and her boobies are still 'dry', so we still have got some what further to go...I think...hope so.

 

[JoanneF]

Could you compile a 'What to expect from your new pup' handout/booklet for potential owners new to puppyhood?

Just give them the forum details - they get all of our support, we get puppy updates.

Everybody wins, no?

 

[Finsky]

Just give them the forum details - they get all of our support, we get puppy updates.

Everybody wins, no?

Indeed...we already have lots of good info combined here. So it is something I WILL do in a hope that some will follow and entertain us with some stories...horror or funny ones

 

[JoanneF]

Indeed...we already have lots of good info combined here. So it is something I WILL do in a hope that some will follow and entertain us with some stories...horror or funny ones

I sort of meant it to be tongue in cheek, but I reckon they could do worse

 

[Finsky]

I sort of meant it to be tongue in cheek, but I reckon they could do worse

Eh....don't sell yourself/us 'cheap', tongue in cheek or not...I reckon we've got some brilliant people here and combined years amount of knowledge to help with many issues. Surely this forum is able to give run for any 'expert's money'. There is no such a book neither that could have all written down that could be found here!

 

[Hemlock]

You've probably already done this too - but a removable frame high up for the water bowl will avoid tiny whelps falling in it, while still offering Mamadog water close by.

 

[Finsky]

You've probably already done this too - but a removable frame high up for the water bowl will avoid tiny whelps falling in it, while still offering Mamadog water close by.

Morning!
Nope...not done that and thought of it neither. I think I will leave any further DIY jobs...small or big to alter anything for now. As the whelping and puppy area is set in kitchen, I'm never far from the tap...or dog from her bowl. I can see me having some panic set moments, so it might be best not to add any liquid sources anywhere near for the already 'to-be-messy-bedding or we'll be swimming!
If she is not able to move and should she need to wet her mouth....I can always offer a sip from her bottle we use when out and about Once the puppies are out....I will leave bowl for her in the pen and I'm sure that will be changed again once the pups start to be mobile.