Puppy Album - Click on Photo

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Since I have been receiving so many calls on how's Chatty doing, I wanted to post what we have been noticing and to let folks be able to just come onto the site and see what's happening.   Naturally, I have to be a poor sappy slob about things - but after all - Chatty is "the baby" you know!   Hope you enjoy what we put together and yes, we will be posting photo's and more updates too!   Check - back when you can!

I also would like to express my deepest gratitude to those folks who have helped me and currently (thank god) are still tolerating me!   Thank you all so much (in alphabetical order).

Jean Boyd, Nancy Coombs, Catherine de la Cruz, Sariena Foley, Michael Jourdan, Janet Ingram, Joy McCarron, Cindy Miccio, Dale Skiba, Joan Ziehl and folks on the Pyr-L List, and Rawbreeder List - you guys are great!

 Thank you all so much!

To my husband Joe, thank you for moving mountains for me - you are wonderful!

 

Week One 7/14/03 Chatty and I come from Maryland where she went to be bred.  We see first signs of behavior change - She HATES Gunner.   This is her pal so it is very different for her.   We notice that she plays very gently with Weenie (our mix) who otherwise she treats like a rag doll.

Week Two 7/21/03 Chatty is out of season and we give her a bath - she looks fantastic!   Has gained some weight since May (10 lbs)  She usually eats up a storm right before going into season so this is where I suspect the weight has come from during preseason she ate tons and tons of fish.    Chatty appearing to want to eat a lot of cheese / dairy products - we naturally indulge her.

Below my niece Jennifer and her boyfriend Lou with Chatty.    The first time she met Lou was last year when he and my niece stayed for a few days.   This is the first time she sees him again - she obviously remembers he's one of her Biggest Fans!

"I'm so cute - don't you want to rub my belly?"

"Just a little more to the right"

"I luv you!"
     

"My "Public"

Chatty still hates Gunner - still gentle with Weenie.   Not too much changing happening.  

Week Three 7/28/03 Chatty is starting to put on some weight - looking a bit "fuller" -  This week she seems to want to eat only beef - doesn't want any dairy at all.   Of course she gets what she wants.

Nancy sends "special whelping instructions", towels, vet wrap tape for tail!   Chatty's first "puppy shower gift"   Good Lord!

 Still hates Gunner, still gentle with Weenie.

Week Four 08/05/03 Chatty's nipples start to enlarge, she has Ultrasound - Vet sees babies.   He's sees an abundance of the little puppers but does have concern with so many she may reabsorb them.   We schedule to come back in ten days to check for heartbeats. Chatty gets "morning sickness" and is becoming real "picky" about her food.    Chatty also starts to have a "clear" discharge - so off to the Vet we go.   This is normal but I insist on a whole blood work up panel to be done.

Have no clue - and the reproduction didn't come out too well, but this is the first Ultrasound.

Everything comes back fine (mom just a worry wart) - Temp good and she is gaining as she should and is looking just fabulous.

Today we open the front door and yet another package for Chatty!   Jean and Cindy send her - her first Puppy Scale!   I cried - how sweet.  

Still hates Gunner - still gentle with Weenie.
Week Five 08/12/03 Chatty's tummy is getting bigger - she wiggles when she walks and her nipples are very large and milk swell are apparent.   Has two more bouts with "morning sickness" - still picky about her food is demanding a lot of offal - liver, hearts, gizzards, brains, kidneys and again we oblige her.    She starts to become a bit clingy to Joe and I - not too much but just enough to notice.   She is eating a bit more and frequently.   Urinating more too - but she is not feeling fat but full.      Whelping Box Arrives!    We just look at "oooh ahhhh" pathetic!

 Still hates Gunner - still gentle with Weenie.
Week Six 08/19/03 Ok this week we go in for our follow-up ultrasound - Chatty has gained good weight - muscle tone is excellent not fat all (baby weight).   Vet astounded at the growth and size of the puppies we can see - 6 - woo hooie!   We even see one move real fast.   Vet feels more though we cannot see them and remarks these are some big puppies.    Suggests that a few days prior to whelping when it is safe to X-ray to do so and get a count.   This will help tremendously when she starts to have her puppies and should she quit labor and not all are accounted for we need to be quick to get her over and a prior x-ray will save time.    We get two photos from the Ultrasound :-))
 

As we leave, naturally she must stop and be adored by everyone in the Vet's - girl's behind the counter let her stay with them for bit and talk about her being a "Momma" (real cute).

Food - Food and more Food.    Eats two Cornish hens, 2 lbs ground turkey, and a bunch of other food through-out the day.    She also on one day eats an oven stuffer roaster.  But I panic - is she missing something?   Try all different types of kibble puppy food to add to her meal (this has been highly suggested).   Chatty picks a few kibbles here and there and finally I stop buying these foods as for she spit a kibble across the room "hey mom don't you get it I don't want this stuff".   OK - Chatty continues to crunch and suck out the marrow of the raw meaty bones I give her.   So off to the store I go and buy sliced marrow bones - she waits for the blood to rise out of them and then sucks out the marrow.   Quite happy - with leftovers too.   Husband wondering why I am cooking 12 pork chops for two people and our food bill has doubled! 

Still hates Gunner - still gentle with Weenie.
Week Seven All rightly now - we are in week 7 with two more after this.....nerve wracking!   Chatty getting quite large and it seems like daily.   Her walking seems to be slowing down a bit.   Chatty has been a ball of fire since she was born and is starting to feel the extra weight.   So we walk but just at a slower pace.  She's into eggs this week - took her for a car ride got her a couple of egg Mc Muffins - only ate the egg, cheese and ham - spit the muffins across the room (such a sweetie) - let Weenie down he eats the muffins on the floor (those little mutt's are great for that).   This week she's also taking to wanting veal and ground turkey.   So off to the store to get some more of that.   Had some goat's milk - ok but prefers Light cream - so more of that too.   Gets leftover veggies which she picks and chooses which ones she wants - loves asparagus (yep more of that too).   Still doesn't want the veggie mush though - so the rest of the dogs get it. 

Well we are not over week seven yet - a few more days to go.   The rest of her Whelping supplies arrived yesterday.   Will update later...

Winding down this week - Chatty's meals are now broken into 5 smaller ones - there's not enough room for the pups and a lot of food!   She no longer will do the longer stairway and it's her way of keeping safe.   So, we just move around a bit differently.   She's being very very picky this week - though part of me thinks she just enjoys watching me jump through hoops for her - oh what a doll she is!  

She is scheduled for her X-ray on Tuesday, September 2nd and naturally we'll update - keep your fingers crossed for her!   She'll also get her pre-whelp bath - she's not quite white with all her digging she's been doing and we want her nice and clean for when her babes arrive.   Will post some pictures soon!

Poor Chumba! 

She gets plenty of belly rubs!

These pups are very very active - no wonder she looks so tired.   She still has more growing to do.... 

One of her favorites early on in her pregnancy Six Eggs, Low Salt Ham, Sour Cream and Cheese.  

BTW that's a Dinner Plate!

And for the record;   Still hates Gunner - still gentle with Weenie
Week Eight

9/01/03

 Ok - had the X-Ray - saw clearly 5 and what could be 2 more.   Puppies look to be very large and the Vet said it's difficult with these big dogs - they can be carrying more where the X-ray can't get.   They all are heading downwards (but they can turn) however, the Vet laughed and said they are all in formation downward - like an assembly line.   

Whelping box day - Chaatty loves it!  Thank God!   She's enjoying being in with us very much and evidently my husband, Joe likes the box too.   Don't know if you can see clear (flash wasn't on - DUH!), but he's 6'8 and this is one big box.

Daddy's Girl

Ahhh what a "darling" - the Vet tech didn't think so!   She gave Chatty a Pet-Tab - Chatty refused - so the tech said "I know she won't resist this" as she puts Nutri Stat on it...heheh.....The tech puts it in the side of Chatty's mouth and Chatty just as sweet as she can be - SPITS it across the room.   Poor tech, as we just watch the Pet Tab get stuck for a moment on the wall (Nutri Stat is sticky) and then we just watched it slide down the wall.   Oh my Chumba - knows how to make a mom proud!

Well - NEWS FLASH - no not puppies....BUT Chatty likes Gunner today!   He's so happy she wagged her tail at him and he is just elated - acted so silly "talking" and looking up at me "she likes me - she likes me".   He is lying in the doorway (half in hall -  half in our room) and she knows he's there and seems at ease with him being there - Of course he is not facing her area - don't think he wants to push his luck, but seriously think that he's just keeping an eye that nothing comes down the hallway to disturb her!    

She's snoring  quite a bit - oh brother maybe she's taking after her "Grandma Rosie", who let me tell you, can saw some pretty good wood.   At this year's National she was rooming with some folks who said "she kept us up all night snoring" (such whiners LOL - only kidding ladies) - so poor Rosie had to share a room with her daughter and two grandkids.  That's it for now!

Week Nine Well - on 9/06/03 Chatty broke her water at 10:30pm - and.......her first Boy arrived at 2:41 am, weighing in at 1 lb - all white.   I just about lost it and made the call to my friend Dale who came over to help us out and keep us calm - Thank you Dale!  Then about an hour later, another Boy weighing in at 1 lb 12 oz - all white! Next hour brought our First Girl - weight 1 lb 3 oz - marked, then came our next Boy - weight 1 lb 7 oz - all white.   Some time in between and our 5th puppy came along and with great encouragement from us came along backend first another Boy - weight 1 lb 9oz and heavily marked.   Chatty made a grunt on that one - poor thing, but nursed each puppy happily.   Then a few hours past and Chatty being tired was trying to pass another.   I believe she would have but was worried for her and since we had one afterbirth not accounted for we called the Vet to bring her over to get a "pit" shot to help her along.   We arrived home, got her in the whelping box and she gave birth to her sixth puppy - a Girl - weight 1 lb 4oz - and marked!

Today 9/10/03 - all appear well and are gaining great weight.  Chatty is tired but is being a good mom.   Yesterday afternoon she was not feeling so well, her uterus is still swollen and we shaved her down to keep her clean and comfortable.    She's was much better after that.   She's been eating since Monday morning with no problems - eating a tremendous amount which she needs.   She was all puppy weight and those little puppers took a lot out of her, and though she did not have "tons" of puppies, she had very VOCAL and big healthy puppies.   For her first litter and ours - 6 is a good number. 

We are tired....and here are two photos of the pups and Chatty, in a few days we will have the Future Page updated and will be posting the progress of each pup.   For now though - we are just going to enjoy the bundle and make sure Chatty has all that she needs.

We would like to say "special" thanks to Dale Skiba for being there and keeping us together, Sariena Foley for her Canadian encouragement eh? and Cindy Miccio, who stood on the phone for hours with me keeping me going!   All is so very much appreciated!

Hours old with Mama Chatty - what a "beauty"

9/8/03 - not yet a day old - Group Shot!

Ok - haven't had time to create a "Puppy Page" but here are some shots of the pups growing! Weights on day show all pups well over two pounds so they are gaining which is what one hopes for.    We have a home Vet visit on Wednesday and hopefully will get some photos!
 
 
  Above - Chatty and her babies two days old.
  We had a Vet check o 9/16/03 and the pups are all doing well.   Weights at 9 days old are as follows:

Little Jack (marked boy) weighed in at 3 lbs, Little Kendall weighed in at 3 lbs, Little Regis is 2 lbs 15 oz, Jump Start (first born boy) 2 lbs 13.5 oz, Little Chatty 2 lbs 14.5oz and Little Witchie Bitch 2 lbs 9.5 oz.  Vet is very pleased at size and weight gain since birth.

 

Here are some photos of the babies at 6 days old.
 

 

       
 

Here is a picture 8 Days Old
  It appears that Chatty is really enjoying her role as being a Mom.

We hope to be able to have a "chronicle" of development of the puppies but right now we are just very busy loving them up ;-)

I would also like to say that I may not be as quick to email folks right back and ask that you please be patient.   I am getting very little sleep right now and hope that will all change by week 3.

The puppies eyes are starting to crease and any day now they should be opening.   This is of course very exciting.
   
     
  OK - so only one new picture....

Hubby watching Football ;-0

This is "Little Jack"  2 weeks old - 4 lbs 9.5 oz
  We here at Blue Steel would like to say Congratulations to Chad & Susan Dunn and their girl "Cauya" who delivered her beautiful babies just 2 days after Chatty!
 

PHOTO ALBUM - CLICK ON PUPPIES