Seven Den Kreepers
Finally, yesterday (at 0230), Kate whelped the litter I've been expecting the last 5 days. Her first litter, and it kept me off center for the better part of 10 hours.
Kate started displaying nesting behavior on Thursday, spending less time w/me in the chair and trying out alternate nesting locations, rearranging bedding material. Somewhere about 9 p.m. on the 17th she was obviously very restless and agitated. Came midnight, she was clearly in labor, just wouldn't stay in any one place more than 5 minutes +/-. Eventually she wandered outside, when I considered she might crawl under the deck or into a gtg tunnel, I went out too. She wouldn't come when I called, so I went out into the yard where was sitting. Carrying her into the house, I observed she had partially pushed out a dark colored fluid sack, glancing at the clock, it was 0135.
I assumed she might want to be left alone and undisturbed, so I put Kate in her nest box, but the baby gate across the entry way to the room, and checked things at 10 to 15 minute intervals. I was running all the bad possibilities through my mind while I waited and checked. No change and it was 0215. I reluctantly concluded it was time to call the vet. I gathered up a crate and a few towels to transport Kate and mentally calculated how the 3 a.m. visit and potential c-section would affect my dismal bank balance. I heard Kate cry in pain once, then twice, as I started the call to the vets emergency number.
Kate pushed out the first girl pup as I got into the room to check her, she went immediately to removing the sack and cleaning the pup. It was 0235. I relaxed, everything was ok now. I recorded the pups marking and weight, a half mask and 4.4 oz. I stayed with Kate and her pup, expecting the rest to begin arriving at regular intervals, I noticed the clock displayed 0321 as I dozed off.
My eyes popped open and I read 0413 on the clock, checking, there was still only one pup and nothing was happening. Why wasn't there another pup? My concern quickly returned and the "what ifs" were loose again. I was seriously debating how long I could wait before I needed to call the vet when Kate pushed out the second female pup, a white one, about 0440. Three more pups quickly arrived at regular intervals, girl - boy - girl, and by 0645, I concluded she should be done.
I was wrong. I changed the bedding in the nest box, recorded the markings and weight of each pup, then stepped away to feed Moose and Lorelei, and make a fresh pot of coffee. I returned to Kate and her pups about 0730, there was a fifth female pup, and she was pushing out the last pup, the second boy, and only split face.
0930, no more surprises, everything seemed ok, I called the vet. I needed an appointment to get seven tails docked and fourteen dew claws removed.
Seven Den Kreeper pups: Weight 3.3. oz to 4.95 oz.; 5 female, 2 white, 2 w/patch or half mask on the right side, 1 with patch/mask on left w/ right ear colored; 2 males, one marked on the left and one split face.
Kate started displaying nesting behavior on Thursday, spending less time w/me in the chair and trying out alternate nesting locations, rearranging bedding material. Somewhere about 9 p.m. on the 17th she was obviously very restless and agitated. Came midnight, she was clearly in labor, just wouldn't stay in any one place more than 5 minutes +/-. Eventually she wandered outside, when I considered she might crawl under the deck or into a gtg tunnel, I went out too. She wouldn't come when I called, so I went out into the yard where was sitting. Carrying her into the house, I observed she had partially pushed out a dark colored fluid sack, glancing at the clock, it was 0135.
I assumed she might want to be left alone and undisturbed, so I put Kate in her nest box, but the baby gate across the entry way to the room, and checked things at 10 to 15 minute intervals. I was running all the bad possibilities through my mind while I waited and checked. No change and it was 0215. I reluctantly concluded it was time to call the vet. I gathered up a crate and a few towels to transport Kate and mentally calculated how the 3 a.m. visit and potential c-section would affect my dismal bank balance. I heard Kate cry in pain once, then twice, as I started the call to the vets emergency number.
Kate pushed out the first girl pup as I got into the room to check her, she went immediately to removing the sack and cleaning the pup. It was 0235. I relaxed, everything was ok now. I recorded the pups marking and weight, a half mask and 4.4 oz. I stayed with Kate and her pup, expecting the rest to begin arriving at regular intervals, I noticed the clock displayed 0321 as I dozed off.
My eyes popped open and I read 0413 on the clock, checking, there was still only one pup and nothing was happening. Why wasn't there another pup? My concern quickly returned and the "what ifs" were loose again. I was seriously debating how long I could wait before I needed to call the vet when Kate pushed out the second female pup, a white one, about 0440. Three more pups quickly arrived at regular intervals, girl - boy - girl, and by 0645, I concluded she should be done.
I was wrong. I changed the bedding in the nest box, recorded the markings and weight of each pup, then stepped away to feed Moose and Lorelei, and make a fresh pot of coffee. I returned to Kate and her pups about 0730, there was a fifth female pup, and she was pushing out the last pup, the second boy, and only split face.
0930, no more surprises, everything seemed ok, I called the vet. I needed an appointment to get seven tails docked and fourteen dew claws removed.
Seven Den Kreeper pups: Weight 3.3. oz to 4.95 oz.; 5 female, 2 white, 2 w/patch or half mask on the right side, 1 with patch/mask on left w/ right ear colored; 2 males, one marked on the left and one split face.
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