good report

I took the pups into the vet today.  I had him listen to their heart and lungs.  They are 15 days old today,fat and vigorous.  He gave them a clean report saying there wasn't anything there and they seemed like very healthy puppies.  I almost started to cry I was so relieved.  I would not allow myself or Hannah to become attached.  So, now I can enjoy them fully!

pup in a dish

LOL!  I fed Nibbles in the box, went back in to check and this is what I found.  I burst out laughing.

That is just TOO cute!  The look on Nibbles face is " what?!"

Relief!

I believe we are over the hump.  4th day on antibiotics, which I have to tube feed to them.  They hate it and hate me because they know what is coming.  The one who was pretty bad is especially mad about it.  I'm sure the tube feeding makes breathing more difficult.  Not only does the tube cause some breathing blockage when it is in place, it also fill up the tummy and a full tummy also make it difficult to breath.  I put warmed up supplement in with the cold liquid antibiotic.  It is also hard to nurse when you can't breath.  You can tell by looking at them which was the one with the worst case of pneumonia.

I will now tell a little more of the details regarding the scary (after hours- it's ALWAYS after hours!) c-section.  My vet was out of town, my second choice vet was out of town and I could either go to another local vet or one of the two big city emergency clinics.  Both Huntsville and Birmingham emergency clinics would be about an hour and a half trip.  I chose the 'other' local vet.  I had met this other vet before and really don't like him.  He is terribly gruff and egocentic!  But, I swallowed my pride and dealt.  I insisted on an IV line since I was concerned about the size of her belly and the size of her normal body.  She is regularly only a 27 pound bitch and she weighed 45.5 going in to the c-section.  I did not want her going into shock and/or cardiac arrest.  Well, you can probably see that poor Nibbles has shaved areas all over!  He never was able to get one single vein!  Gee, I was so stressed watching and listening to him not getting it over and over...poor Nibbs...he even did a "cut down" on BOTH sides of her neck!  The reason was obvious after she was opened up...her body was already getting shocky...twisted uterine horn and a tear...and a water puppy (Anascara) which was about 2 1/2 times the size of a normal pup.  This was a first for me.  So was the pneumonia in pups.  I'm sure it did not help that this vet clinic is poorly prepared...they didn't even have oxygen when I asked to put the pups on it...so no, they didn't have bulp syringes to suck out nasal mucous...I have 2 at home. But sure didn't think about possibly needing them!

Look at poor Nibbles HUGE scar(and it has already shrunk with healing).  Over the last 20 years, I got accustomed to very small scars and a MUCH different c-section team of experienced people. I figured being in a small town in the country would mean a different class of vets and less professional care than I have been accustomed.  I feel that the vet I had the planned c-section with and trust is one of the best around and he would have done a MUCH better job at the whole emergency c-section.  Certainly he has the oxygen.  He genuinely is a good and caring person who graduated from one of the best vet schools (Auburn), and seems to be quite intelligent, in control and takes what he does seriously.

He is the one that has been caring for my pups with the pneumonia.

OK- well, I shared a lot.  I guess I felt it would be helpful and informative.

OH, and I removed the dew claws today- finally, on day 8...I was too stressed and I felt that they did not need any more physical stress before now.  It went very smoothly.

Again, dog breeding is not for the faint of heart! 

sad report/strength

First I want to thank all of you!  Your support has given me strength.  Sadly I lost both girls yesterday.

I can't tell you how much peace God has given me and how much strength I have gained in this.  Something like this is always painful but I have to examine my place in life...where my heart is...ask God questions, talk to Him ...and in the end remember that HE knows what I am going through and He knows all that goes on...so, God's plan will over rule...I cannot change what is...I can only do everything I know how to do for the puppies and accept what happens.  And realize I am to praise God in my trials because it is in my trials where I am strengthened.

Now, other info has come into play as well.  I let the vet do an autopsy, he requested doing so.  He found an abnormality, he believes genetic.  So, I have other information to consider, which is actually helpful in the big picture.

Maybe the boys will be ok, maybe not.  Dog breeding is not for the faint of heart!!!  It's not the first disaster I've had in breeding and if I stay in long enough, it won't be the last.

pneumonia

Unfortunetly all 4 pups have pneumonia.  It has been a very long 4 days.  The one I fell in love with immediately is, of course, the one who is doing the worst.  She was at the vet all day on oxygen but as soon as she was off the oxygen declined.  I'm not expecting her to make it and feel pretty down.  Life has dealt me difficult blows over and over this whole year!
Prayers Welcome!

Also~  Please know that I appreciate all of you.  I try and try to post responses to you but it will not go through.

Thankful/Nibbles Puppies

This is a centerpiece I put together.  It is my ceramic turkey platter, gourds given to me by a neighbor, a 'Thanks' carved plaque from Beall's store,  a vase given as a moving away gift and 3 plant decor pieces from various places.  This is the first year I will not have a turkey dinner for my family.  David and Samuel will be in FL.  Hannah and I will share a turkey thanksgiving meal with a group of family 'misfits' at a neighbor's home.  

And now for the story about our litter.  It has been a year and 2 months since I've had any puppies born. Poor Nibbles was extremely uncomfortable and I was worried...turns out righlty so...emergency c-section last night...I had a planned c-section set up(sigh)...all in all it is a very good ending.  I have Nibbles and 4 puppies.  We had a twisted uterine horn and a tear...Nibbles is now spayed and we lost 3 puppies.  There was NO movement in any pup when they were brought out of the horns...so we are so very fortunate to have these 4.  All blues, 2 male, 2 female. 

They all look nice and healthy.  No mismarks in any from the whole litter.  Here are the first photos before they are even 24 hours old.