YAAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!

I'M PREGNANT!!!!!!
A scan lastnight confirmed 5 beautiful babies, although this isnt cast in stone, it could be theres a surprise one lurking in there. How beautiful are they...look

I had my maternity trim today and I am ready to go, well not quite another 29 days if we go by Mummy's dates and 31 by the scans dates.
My nipples are darkening and very large now and from here I may develop a clear discharge this is NORMAL but should it blood stained, green or smelly I should see a vet straight away. I am still a little quiet but eating well, lots of chicken and rice and this week Mummy has started me on some puppy food as this is high in calories. I still like a walk and its important I get one, but I dictate how far and fast we go. The others are being very good with me and dont rough play like they used to, its like they know without even being told whats happening, not sure how Ginge will feel about being a big brother!

PUPPIES:

Should be making pregnancy obvious now with a little bump in an average sized litter. Eyes and Ears have developed and the toes have seperated.

Day 28....scan fast approaching :)

Hello Mums not feeling too great so Nana asked me to write this week. I'm Ginge, Mummy had me last year. I think she maybe having brothers and sisters for me to play with :) Mums been acting a bit odd to say the least, she kept being sick and didnt really wanna play :( she didnt even tell me off when I ran around the garden with a frog! Its like she doesnt have the energy. Mum hasnt eaten much and if Nana goes out of the room she gets well upset, crying and whining until she comes back in. She used to sleep with us but doesnt now, Nana fusses over her and she gets to sleep on the bed!!!

Not that much is going on on the outside but on the inside LOTS is happening...puppies would have implanted in the uterus and will be developing fast. Usually you dont see any signs that Mummies are pregnant before 35 days. Nana is convinced Mummy has a bump...what do you think?

In the second picture you can see Mummy has started to lose a bit of hair from around the nipple, which is handy coz us pups get REALLY hungry and the last thing we need to be doing is spitting out hair while having our dinner! Mummy has a scan next Tuesday, Nana is nervous and excited all at the same time! It could be Mummy is having a false pregnancy, some Mummy's suffer badly with them some even think they are in labour and produce milk. So until the scan we shall just have to wait and see. There is a hormone test that the vet can do which would detect pregnancy but its a blood test and very invasive, Nana prefers as little intervention as possible, a scan is ideal, it cant tell you exactly how many puppies an xray would do that and Mummy could have one at 45 days at the vets. Mummy wont though unless the vet suggests that she needs one.

PUPPIES:
Will look a bit like this....

Babies are around an inch long. Around 30 days the eyes that were open till now will close and you can see if they are boys like me or girls. All the organs of the body are fast forming.

Because of the scan next weeks blog will undoubtedly be early if Mummy is pregnant....

Lots of Love and Licks

Ginge x

21 days and an Ante Natal visit......

I am 21 days today :) I have shown some signs of pregnancy this week. I dont like to jump up on the bed or bounce about for a fuss like I would usually. I'm eating far less this week, it could be because of the heat though. I am eating chicken and rice and some Eukanuba. I pick rather than eat it in one go like I would usually.
Mummy took me to see the dreamy vet, he fusses me sooooo much and I love it! There was another dog waiting there too and I got all excited and yappy, wagging my tail, I dont usually. I am very good when we walk and see other doggies but I feel all out of sorts, which is normal in pregnancy.
The vet checked me over and said he was very happy with my condition, my weight is ideal and he gave me the all clear. Its a little to early to feel if there are any puppies yet, usually its 27 days, its so important that you let a experienced person palpate, if you dont know what you are doing you could hurt the puppies and harm their development.

From this week strenuous activity should be refrained from, no jumping about or long walks. Some breeders will give cottage cheese or scrambled egg from this week, but no calcium supplements.

PUPPIES:
My babies  grow from being 5-10mm to 14-16mm, the faces start to take shape, eyes and the spinal cord are developed, its hard to believe that just a couple of weeks ago there was just a bunch of cells floating about, now they are full on tiny tiny babies :)

See you next week when Mummy will have listened in with a doppler and the countdown for my scan picks up pace....13 days <3 Keep safe and cool doggies :) 

Mileys Progress - Day 15

 This is me at what we hope is my 11th day of pregnancy, it was a beautiful weekend and I got to go to the car boot with Mum and Dad.
 As we write this I am 15 days pregnant, we assume that I am even before the scan. There are several reasons for this, the main one being for the sake of my health, its important that my diet remains the same, that I don't receive live vaccinations throughout the duration of my pregnancy. Flea and worm treatments should also be avoided but there are some that are safe to use in pregnancy, ALWAYS do it under veterinary supervision, luckily for me this was a planned mating with Bailey Boy, I was vet checked before I was mated to further ensure I was healthy. My vaccinations are up to date and I was wormed and had a flea prevention treatment PRIOR to mating. No extra vitamins are needed at this stage and even though I have tried telling them that a N.I.C.E biscuit is essential for my developing puppies, they are having none of it ;) I am continuing to have my walks so my muscles will be in tip top condition for labour. If I were to be exposed to anything nasty, like infection or toxins it would affect my babies, so Mummy is very careful.
There are some signs that I maybe pregnant, as with humans we doggies also suffer with morning sickness from time to time, not everyone does. Last night I was very restless, I just couldn't settle, this morning I awoke and refused breakfast up until now I have eaten everything in sight. It is normal for us ladies to go off our food and as long as we eat little and often we will be fine, this is the only time Mummy will hand feed me! I was sick too this morning, I have brightened up as the day as gone on.
Another sign is behaviour changes...I adore my Mummy anyway but recently if I cant see her I get quite upset, it soothes me to have her near, my body is going through so many changes right now I am a bit confused by it all. Some ladies go the opposite way and want to be left alone, but I want a fuss from EVERYONE!
My vulva has stayed a little swollen and I finished my heat earlier than I would usually, this is often a good sign that the mating has been successful. My nipples are also enlarged and turning a darker pink....we attached a picture, Mummy had this same obsession  last time! so apologies for her behaviour, thank goodness she didn't go lower!

*paw over eyes* How embarrassing!
PUPPIES:
My babies have now entered the uterus and are in the process of implanting. This is a very delicate time for the babies an its thought that if I am left open to any toxins it would be at this point my babies would develop abnormally.

Our care remains the same and wont change until next...I'll explain more then :) So I'm off for a nap on Mummy's bed....because being pregnant is the only time I get away with it ;) See you next week :)

10 days in.....

I dont look like I have changed much do I? On the outside no but with any amount of luck lots of changes are taking place inside.
I have become a bit lazier and quiet. I still go mad when I see Mummy in the mornings, but I dont jump up as much as I used to. I will see a vet in another 10 days and she will feel my tummy and see if my uterus is swollen, she may even be able to feel the outline of my growing babies, they will feel like marbles. On day 28 we will have a scan to confirm pregnancy and possibly give us an idea of how many I will have.
Right now the cells have seperated going from 4 to 64, they are entering the uterus as we speak and in the next 10 days will implant in the uterus.
Am I showing signs I might be? yes...along with being slightly lazier than usual, my heat has ended a little earlier than it would normally. I am still a bit swollen in the lady area. These are subtle signs that I maybe. Mummy is making sure my diet is exactly right and today I ate scrambled egg, I usually hate it, I dont know who was more surprised me or Mummy when I produced a clean bowl!!! I might start to have a bit of morning sickness, I did last time and that means just one thing RICE & CHICKEN! Get in! I love the stuff. My food doesnt need to be increased just yet we have a while to wait. At the moment I am just lapping up the fuss.....

Love is in the air......

Bailey & Miley

 

 

 

Meet Bailey and Miley. Beautiful aren't they, I would say he has been a gentleman and wined and dined her before mating with her, but he hasnt ;) straight down to the job in hand and a pigs ear after and they are both happy. We don't take breeding lightly, it's only for the strong and determined. You have to develop a very thick skin and learn to ignore peoples blind attitudes. I dont breed for money, I breed for the love of the breed. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are the most loving dogs, loyal and gentle, ideal family pets. If it was because you make lots of money everyone would be doing it. Sadly there are people who look at the adverts and go, "Wow look at how much each puppy is worth! times that by 5 they must be making a killing! Lets give it ago" Not the case, if your doing it properly.....theres a pre breeding check (for both the Dam and the Sire), an ante natal, a scan, a 24 hour after whelping check and a 8 week check at the VERY least! Not enough people look into it and research it, they take no notice of the temperment of the dog and very often have little or no whelping and heating facilities. Set your self up for heart break too, that way you'll be over the moon if all goes well. Expect to lose a puppy, prepare yourself you may even lose the Mum. Hand rearing are you able to cope with that, two hourly feeds DAY AND NIGHT! stimulation is time consuming if hand rearing, you need to stimulate to wee and poo. As they get older open them up to new sounds, experiences, toys and people. Puppy Farmers will often breed back to back deliberately, they may be lept in kennels or they may even try to disguise the pound signs by saying "we have ours indoors with us", usually kept in dirty conditions, with little or no stimulation. They dont care about the dog, "yeah its got a hernia but thats alright" give us the cash and take the dog, because to the farmer thats what its about....the cash. A genuine breeder will give you a full history on the dog and put right anything found after. For instance, if I had a puppy born with a hernia, I would deduct the cost of the operation at the very least, and have it written into the contract that the dog shouldnt be bred from, if I find it has I'll come and take puppy back! The contracts are legally binding despite others claiming otherwise. People often dont research breeding, the genetics even when breeding for pets are so important, you wouldnt want to bring into the world a puppy who could pass down a genetic disease or defect. You dont just stand and watch and off they go. You need to make sure you can give your girl the very best nutrition and a calm environment, I wont leave the house after day 56, puppies could be born at anytime after that. Usually day 63. Miley had 8 last year and she delivered on day 61. I've seen puppies advertised where the name of the breed or the colour cant be spelt correctly, why on earth breed if you cant research first!  I could rant all day but I wont bore you....I'll just tell you the exciting events of the last few days...

Bailey came to stay, Miley was on Day 10 of her season and showing signs of wanting to mate, now supervising a mate was a first for us, we had never done it before on our own, assisted in other mates and seen them so we knew what to do. Luckily Bailey is an experienced boy and knows what he needs to do. The first mate was successful and resulted in 15 minute tie. During this time Miley was a little fidgety but its important to ensure she stays as still as possible. Her last mate will be tomorrow and then 28 days from there she will be scanned to see if we have any puppies on the way, we're all very excited.....I have the whelping kit ready which is quite complex, it includes Dopram V to stimulate the puppies should they need help breathing. Nutri drops to help puppies struggling to gain weight and Liquid Life to aid re hydration. Two Heat Pads, one has an adaptor to use in the car, should we have to dash to the vet mid delivery. Forceps to tie off the cords, these along with the scissors, cotton wool balls and gauze are sterile packed. Gloves, KY Jelly. Thermometer, torch the list is endless. Needless to say we are covered for every eventuality.....I will post the progress of Mileys hoped for pregnancy and pictures as it progresses, hopefully from Day 25 we may be able to hear little heart beats through a doppler..

Remember a GOOD breeder has a good knowledge of the breed they are producing, an extensive whelping kit, and hide NOTHING! Their puppies are well socialised and happy and playful.....ALWAYS insist on seeing the Mother with the puppies.

Keeping Cool when its HOT...HOT...HOT

Man its hard in this heat when you cant take your coat off!
There are lots of ways to help us keep cool in this heat. We pant to regulate our temperatures and sweat a little from our paw pads. In this weather though we can easily get heat stroke and once our temperature reads over 106 our bodies can go into shock, the damage can be pernament and we could die! As a dog I do advocate over use of the thermometer, we all know where it goes...
Obviously the humans use fans, which is fine for lazying around in, but its not all that fun is it!

We love it when Mum puts ice cubes in the water...Tianna loves taking them out and tossing them around the kitchen, its even funnier when a human steps on one, they jump on one leg (it's strange enough they walk on two!) they do this funny song too :) and we adore the garden hose game...Mum or Dad hold the hose and sprinkle it about the garden, its so much fun we run in and out of the spray getting soaked. They love it when we shake all over them...well perhaps they dont,  but we love it! We also love the shade, its cooler there and we try not to run around too much.

So you humans do all that but we still seem hot, panting heavily, unable to get up. We have dark gums and our saliva is thick. Perhaps we seem dizzy too, all this points to heat stroke and needs to be dealt with quickly. Move us out of the sun and into the shade, cool us down by placing cool cloths or towels on us especially the paws. Please dont give us iced water or very cold water if you suspect heatstroke as it can cause us to go into hypothermia. We do need to see a vet to because the internal effects of heatstroke might not always be apparent straight away.

Its cooling off now so we're off for some tea and a play....see you soon and stay safe :)