Merlin 2 Days Old

Melody 2 Days Old

Marigold 2 Days Old

Maddie 2 Days Old

May 2 Days Old

day 1 post care of molly after cesarean

It's been a very hot day today, temperatures peaking around 24 degrees Celsius, this has made it more difficult to keep molly comfortable as well as the puppies, and keep her hydrated as well we have had a window open, but have kept a little blank over the puppies to keep drafts at bay. 

Since brinking molly home yesterday we have kept her in her whelping box with pups, i have been hand feeding her ever 2 hours and using a water bottle with some whelpy milk for mum too, as its a large litter when others are feeding i pick one to feed for mum with a syringe of whelpy milk, and rotating around. As molly has had major surgery i want her to rest today but i also wanted to get her moving, she also didn't want to leave her puppies either, but we had to toilet her in the garden by carrying her to the grass.

27 hours after surgery i wanted to get her moving about to help her heal and feel stronger, shes a bit wobbly which i think is due to sore and pulling from her stitches. i removed her bandage which had mostly fallen off anyway, to clean and inspect her would and took her to the garden. After a bit of encouragement and a few wobbles we got a few laps around the gargen wee and poos! and then she walked back to her puppies. I was very proud her. She will soon be that agile fit and healthy molly again soon.

Molly had an antibiobit tablet this evening and will have one every evening for about 10 days to help fight infection. As well i have changed her towel 3 times today and giving her a bottom wash. Molly's tail was very dirty from her bleeding in the night, bleeding after birth can continue for a few days upto a few weeks, i bathed her tail being careful not to get the puppy's wet and brushed it out gently. Now shes clean and smelling fresh at least for a few hours!

1 day old, weights and activity update

Meadow, 7.9oz

May, 7.2oz

Maddie, 7.4oz

Marigold, 7.4oz

Melody, 8oz

Merlin, 7.8oz

Miles, 8.4oz

see how tiny they are

It's normal for puppies to loose weight on the first day or even first 2 days, we have seen just that today, but all puppy's are in excellent health, they are all feeding very well and doing their "tummy swimming" around the whelping box, having a grand time with mummy.

video clip 4 hours old puppy's feeding

Lhasa Apso Molly with her new born puppys after her cesarean section

molly was a bit unsure about feeding obviously sore for surgery but she got the hang of it

the vets gave the tags with their weights on pink for girls and blue for boys

their fur is dark here but as it grows it will lighten and we we will see more ginger than brown

cuddles with mummy

heres molly in her whelping box i made for her

gonna be a busy mum with 7 pups, we will be helping at feeding times with a bottle feeding of lactol to help mum out

puppy 7

Miles, 8.6oz

Fat male puppy

Add caption

puppy 6

Merlin, 8oz

Cute male puppy

puppy 5

Melody, 8.3

Fat female puppy!

puppy 4

Marigold, 7.8oz

Fluffy female puppy

puppy 3

Maddie, 7.8oz

gorgeous female puppy

puppy 2

May, 7.7oz

Beautiful female puppy

puppy 1

Meadow, 8oz

cutie female puppy

eyes closes, will they be blue or brown? 

Puppy Names

My friends and family have been helping me come up with puppy names and themes for weeks for the 2 litters we have been expecting, we eventually decided to help with distinguishing the puppies Molly's would all be given names beginning with M and Penny's with, you guested it P!

Mollys Puppys Born Today

Molly's Story

Molly's labour and delivery have not been a straight forward one, but like most breeders we were prepared for anything.
It started 2 days ago on Wednesday where molly was very sick, as a pregnant bitch at 57 days into gestation she was vomiting her stomach contents, not normally a sign of labour but it can be.
The following day (yesterday) she would not get up in the morning even for a wee! but was eating and drinking. Then at around 12noon she began to cry then an hour later we saw a little mucus discharge. Now we knew she was in labour. After a few more cry's of pain I thought delivery was imminent and prepared the birthing kit and warm bed for the puppies.
My friends were visiting from Hailsham a 272mile mile journey to us in Huddersfield, UK, so we was very much hoping she would delivery while they was there and could assist and see the birth. No such luck aye Katie!
Molly decided she didn't want to push and just went to sleep, i woke her to feed and drink, and she wet her bed several time, not uncommon in dogs in labour, but she had no more pain or contractions until today Friday 16th May 2014. 9am. She cry's and woke me sleeping beside her she had wet her bed a quick bed change and a wash down, some food and water, then back to sleep she went. I began to feel this wasn't going to happen, then at 10am we saw her waters break a small about of fluid on her mat. Absorbent mats a great for during labour for monitoring fluid loss. Then at about 12.30 she had the membrane sack of the puppy and was pushing. I was relieved to see some action but it didn't last she soon stopped and went back to sleep.
Molly didn't have any contractions, without the urge to push the puppy that was in the birth canal would die. I waited 2 hours and nothing, after 2 hours of no action and now over 24 hours since her first labour pains it was time to see the vet. I uses a gloved finger and lubrication to stimulate the contraction and t feel if the puppy was there, so i could gently pull it out but there was nothing to grab on to, and if I broke the sack pulling that the puppy would surly die or be open to serious infection.
I was torn about what to do, I wanted molly to have a natural birth, she was ok in her self but was obviously very tired I didn't think she had the strength, likely caused by her bout of sickness the day before. Going to the vet would be a costly caesarean section, would I wait and see if her contractions pick up or if I wait to long risk molly life and her puppies.
I called the vet hospital and told them we was on our way.
I carried her in a baby bath with a puppy sack still hanging out her behind! put her on the back seat and got there quick.
They gave us two choices, try a drug to stimulate contractions but first a scan to check the size if the puppy in the canal. the vet checked as I did and could feel the puppy high up in the canal. Second an emergency c section.
I decided to skip the scan and drugs and while I wanted a natural birth for molly she clearly didn't have the strength to do it so why try the drugs. She was whisked away after we was told the risks, I tried not to think about it, and sent home to wait for a call.
At a cost of £900 without a nights stay a c section is a very expensive end result of a dog pregnancy, not one we had hoped for but one we was prepared for, just in case!
The puppies were born at about 3.30pm 5 girls and 2 boys, all survived.
Molly is doing well back home and feeding her puppies she is growling at them when they get near her scar which is between her milk ducts so is obviously uncomfortable, we are giving her antibiotics and watching for her pain levels.
Crisis over!

getting ready for birth

Over the past weeks I have been busy building penny and Molly's whelping boxes. These can be bought online or you can make one your self. Once these are in position, I lay the mats and vet fleece ready for the birth day, and beside the box get all the bits I need.
Wipes for cleaning the bitch after each delivery.
Flannel 1 for each pup for cleaning after birth.
Gloves apron and hand sanitizer
Puppy bed with head pad or hot water bottles blanket and towel once puppies are cleaned I place  then on the heated towel and under the blanket in a little puppy bed until mum is ready to feed
Spare towels and puppy pads
Birth record sheet and pen and scales to record and weigh each puppy and to track the birth timings
Medical kit, kidney dish, sterile scissor, sterile clamps, sterile forceps, alcohol wipes, iodine, mat, lubricant, thermometer, bulb aspirations, sterilizing tablets, stethoscope, dressings and pads in case of emergency.
Torch battery
Phone and emergency vet number.

All this is ready to go next to the whelping box, most can be ordered online or obtained through your vet.

2 weeks from birth due I take then too be groomed keeping their coat short but not too short helps with hygiene issues.

building trust

You may already have a loving relationship with your female but during pregnancy and whelping your bond is even more important. A happy mum means happy pups which make happy pets. Everything is important to mum and pups from what they eat to what they listen to, and how much attention they receive is just as important.
By 3 weeks till due I have the whelping box set up where I plan for her to give birth and spend the first few nights at least, for me this is in the bedroom next to my bed a  whelping normally happens at night and I like to keep ans eye on their feeding for the first week night an  day.
To help help her become acquainted with her box I place her in it give a treat and lots of tummy rubs one every day until they are born. This helps the box to smell.like home, for feel familiar, builds trust and security and helps her get used to you being near the box so she trusts you with her puppies when they arrive and she is more calm an relaxed.

2 pregnant Bitches

When we decided to breed both at the same time it was as we wanted  to produce puppies from them as penny's puppies have been so successful at becoming loving pets and because Molly is th  perfect pet and specimen of a lhasa also, who is also strikingly beautiful.

Last time penny had a litter Molly and Penny did not get along due to the difference in their hormone levels and penny's need to protect her litter. After a discussion with my vet who breeds his two females at the same time he suggested that while this is more work for me and we will need to find more homes it is leas stressful and more beneficial on a way to the girls as they will be in the same place. However this can easily make no difference and they can still become aggressive for a period while their puppies are you'd and dependant on them. 

So far we have prepared different areas for them to whelp in so they feel safe and will not need to have contact with each other, but so far they have been more loving to each other than ever. Snuggling together cleaning each other and keeping each other warm. I like to think penny has been coaching Molly on what to expect. So hopefully this calm during pregnancy will last through whelping and even with the behaviour changes that I expect not change their relationship with each other.

penny is pregnant

Right on queue about 5 weeks pregnant I can now tell for certain she is pregnant. If you had asked me 2 days ago I could.not have said for sure there were signs, but now the swelling under the ribs and those little bumps can be cylinder the skin are unmistakable.

The first sign of pregnancy is around 2 weeks some morning sickness and an increased appetite. By 3 weeks she will be eating a ton and show slightly enlarged nipples. By week 4 there is a little weight gain but not enough to really notice it. The puppies developed up close to the ribs and by week 5 the weight of the growing puppies drop the murderous down wards and you see she is wide on the side.

This is where penny is now by week 6 she will develope her milk and in the last 2 weeks the puppies do extensive growing and moving and penny will become uncomfortable, need lots of protein, love and care, and rest. She and Molly will continue to exercise to keep strong and healthy for Labour but with shorter walks as they now tire quickly. It is also important to remember to leave extra water down a  they drink a lot more in these final few weeks.

By May calculations Molly is due on the 20th of May and Penny on the 26th 2014. I am so excited. We have been very busy getting ready for the new arrivals.

molly is pregnant

It is funny with dogs playing the waiting game to see if they are pregnant. This past week Molly has been getting fatter and has her teats enlarges a bit about double the size. Then today half way through her pregnancy her tummy just drops a bit and I can now feel the little ball like puppies under her skin. They are  mot kicking yet and are about golf ball size.
I am so happy to finally know for sure. I have been very busy getting ready just in case, building her and enjoy their whelping boxes, preparing a whelping kit, and getting old towels and channels ready for the birth.

Just waiting for penny to show signs she is pregnant to. In the mean time I have now moved on to building a puppy pen to house and entertain both litters once they are weaned.
Pictures of all equipment plus its purpose will be posted up soon.