Sad News re Peri

Mother's Day was not a good one here for Peri. She had to have a c-section after her first two pups were stillborn. In total, there were 5 puppies, which is pretty much what I was expecting, but tonight only 2 are surviving and they are not doing well. Peri had a really rough time throwing off the anesthesia and the pups also seemed overly affected by it. I checked with my vet today (the c-section had to be done at the emergency clinic) and was assured the drug used was the "latest thing" and was well thought of, especially by younger vets. As most people know, not everything works well in every situation. When it comes time to breed Peri again, I'll have to consider everything that has happened this time around.

Right now, I am feeding the pups every 60-90 minutes but this afternoon, with Peri finally awake and fairly sure on her feet again, I did put the two survivors with her. Before that, she heard the pups when they whimpered and absolutely KNEW they were hers. Since she was upset being away from them, I figured it was best if they were all together. She has settled down and they have been quiet. Their nursing prowess leaves a lot to be desired... they are rooting in the right area, but just don't have the hang of grabbing on a nipple and sucking... so I am continuing to feed them. The last time, neither of them was particularly interested in what I was offering, so they may be getting enough without my help.

So, another waiting game around here.

I understand that I generally have better luck with breeding, whelping and raising puppies than anybody I know, far better than anyone has a right to expect. So ocassionally, I have some bad "joss" just to remind me of how long things have been good.