Great Day!

First, another two hours at the vet this morning with Cotton BUT she is much improved from yesterday. She is able to stand and is even walking, very staggery at first but steadier as the day wore on. Still hasn't eaten and is drinking minimally. Temp is fluctuating between 102 and 103.5. Blood count is good except for platelets which are low... not dangerous as yet, but dropping by about 50,000 each day. This sample is also going to the veterinary lab for hand counting. Her attitude is much better... alert and even mildly interested in what is going on around her. However, she is still clearly not a healthy dog and this could be the calm before the storm... it IS coming up on the weekend. The vet is open half a day tomorrow, so if she's not doing okay in the morning, she can go back. There is a good emergency clinic in the area... a private practice that specializes in emergency treatment (open daily after regular veterinary hours, weekends and holidays.) The problem is, if I need to use it, they won't have access to any of the testing that's already been done. Jane is still thinking this could be tick related but MY feeling is it has to do with the pregnancy. Either way is not good. Fingers crossed, please!

On the other hand...
Keogh IS pregnant! The ultrasound showed puppies. Buddy (one of the other vets with Jane and Bill) said he doesn't try to count them but there were good beating hearts and one pup waved at him. Buddy did NOT tell me what sex it was or the color. I've tried for the last four years to get Ke bred, seriously (as in putting lots of money into it) for the last two and she's been on thyroid for just over a year. Ost is the daddy-to-be so I'm expecting there will be parti-colors (spotted.) Yea!

Still Can't Say about Cotton

I know many of you are frustrated with the Cotton situation. SHE is about the only one who seems perfectly comfortable right now. Just so you know I haven't forgotten about it, she has some MINOR mammary swelling but hasn't gained an ounce! IF she is pregnant, it's just a pup or two.

Update on Emy's babies
Looks like there are 2 males and 1 female still available in the Emy/Sparky litter. Picks have not been made as yet, although several people have indicated an initial preference. Just a reminder... picks are made in the order deposits were received.

Dora has an explorer brother... Marco Polo, the lightest blond (with the back dewclaw.) ALL weekend long I've had to go retrieve him from where he'd gotten lost in the nest. The pups are in a blow-up swimming pool (my favorite whelping box, although I never let moms actually whelp in them as they tear them to shreds.) The blown up sides act as a pig rail (which gives the pups some escape room, preventing them from being smashed by their mom... well, it buys them enough time to scream their heads off and I go to the rescue!) and the lack of corners means a lost puppy will eventually make it all the way around and back to the litter. That's the theory anyway. Haven't seen that happen... maybe I don't wait long enough! The "I've wandered away and can't get back" cries are too much for me to handle, especially in the middle of the night. Sometimes, Emy gets tired of listening to it before I do and retrieves the rover, but they're getting bigger... most over a pound now... and I really don't want her picking them up. She scoops them INTO her mouth... I've never seen a mom carry a pup by the scruff of the neck... as far as I can tell, that's a cat thing. By the way, pups can't back up; they can only go forward. Which makes hard sides, especially with corners, rather trying for them. I expect, now that the eyes are beginning to open, more and more babies will be wandering around.

A couple others have gotten nicknames this weekend... as they've gotten larger and stronger, their suction powers have increased. When I go in and ask Em if she'd like a potty break, she bounces up. She used to shed pups when she rose, but now three of them hang on for dear life and she'll make it almost out of the nest before they all finally let go. SO they are Molasses (the darkest red boy,) Spider (as in web... ever try to get one of those off you?) and Lolly (pop, an all day sucker!) The last two are Dora's sisters. I don't usually name pups unless I'm planning to keep them so it just shows you there is a lot of personality in this litter!

Cotton Sends Her Love, But...

I know I didn't post yesterday and I apologise to those of you waiting with baited breath (what the heck does that mean, anyway?) However, I'm not getting much sleep... there is newspaper in the puppy pen (whelping is really messy) and every time Cotton moves, it rustles, waking me up, so I'm tired and grouchy. And still puppy-less. I appreciate all the email but rather than try to keep up with individual replies, here is what I sent to Pam (Patch's mom) yesterday:
I almost gave in and took Cotton to the vet today even though I
know it would be a waste of time and money. She is as big as a house! And she's really getting ALL the signs of eminent delivery... she's bagging up, she looks "pointed" (like she's swallowed a football sideways which means the pups have moved down the horns and are congregating in the middle ready to go,) she's doing nothing much except sleeping... although she's got more energy today and went BOUNCING outside (another good sign) and she's not eating much. She ISN'T overly soft in the rear yet and she's not "nesting." I'm about ready to scream. But that is the problem with breeding for a week... you don't have a clear idea of when the girl "took." Big sigh! Guess I'll just have to be patient.
I will try to post every morning until the big day arrives. And remember, this is NOT something that happens in a split second... whelping takes a few hours normally, so if I post at noon and a baby shows up at 10 PM, I'll have time to post something quick. Pictures probably won't be until the next day....

We're Still Waiting Here!

Cotton still has a belly full of puppies. I thought we might be a go a little while ago as she stopped eating and just lay around all day Sunday and part of Monday. But Monday afternoon she got hungry and really chowed down. She's now in my bedroom and has gotten comfortable living there with a different group that she's normally with. I have her puppy pen all set up and READY (except for the "nest" which I won't bring out until I'm pretty sure she's done whelping,) but she hasn't taken the hint. Maybe she understands she's going to be changed forever after the big event.... On the other hand, my first prediction for a whelping date was May 15th, so maybe she's just trying to NOT make a liar out of me!

Patch Crabtree checks in
Pam sent me this picture of Patch taking a break from keeping the 4 kids in line:

He is such a beautiful boy! And a big success in Alabama!

Preakness
Haven't looked up who is entered in this Saturday's Preakness... I think pole positions are drawn tomorrow... so I'm standing by my prediction that Mine That Bird will not finish first. I would LOVE to be wrong!