CANCZECHDOGS PUPPY BLOG: December 12, 2012 or 12-12-12 puppies!!!

Hi All,

Today we get to switch up gears. Ocean, our Miniature Pincher, delivered our 54th official litter!!!! This does not include all the surrogate litters we have delivered for others. This is our third 'B' litter. This is however, the first time I have had a litter deliver unexpectedly at 57 days gestation! Premie puppies can be a challenge at the best of time but to be born 118 - 130 grams is really tiny.

Ocean was a trooper and delivered all 5 pups naturally, albeit on the living room couch! She showed no signs of labour or distress and just popped them out. Fortunately, both Tony and I were home that afternoon when she called out and popped out the first one!! All hands on deck!! Blankets, towels, scale, dental floss, scissors, etc all not yet out for the delivery were quickly at hand. Within 4 hours we had all 5 puppies on the ground and breathing.

Ocean was so interested in cleaning the little ones it was difficult to get them to latch on the teat. So for the first 36 hours, I bottle fed and re-introduced them to the notion that they should nurse. Finally, one at a time, they developed their rooting drives and began to nurse. I still am watching them like a hawk because, if you know Min Pins, they like to nest under the blankets. This would put the new born pups at risk because she could inadvertently lie on one or they could become lost in the blankets and unable to nurse. So sleep for me is a thing of the past.

For those of you that know me, I plan. I had my days organized prior to the due date of Dec 18 to the minute. With Christmas just around the corner and puppies due it was important for me to get everything prepared prior to the puppies arrival. I just needed to get through those last few shifts of work and then vacation time to get these puppies started. Well, as you can imaging, being a week early did not bode well with my organization of the minutes prior to delivery. I had contingency plans for the puppies to arrive as early as Saturday but Wednesday!!! Not such luck!!!

Needless to say, Mothers always raise to the occasion and make what ever is thrown at them doable. With this litter there was no exception. I did get to work. Tony did pick up more nursery hours than he is comfortable with and the kids have made it to day 3.