Whelping Suprise

Well in 13 years of breeding it finally happened to me. I had always prided myself on the fact that it hadn't happened, but now I can't do that anymore. Yes we have an unplanned pregnancy.


Our sweet little girl Quackers surprised us with this package. At first I thought she was just getting fat from decreased winter activity so I decreased the amount of food she was eating. Then I started to joke with my husband that if she kept on gaining we would need to check her thyroid levels. Then I thought false pregnancy. Then I thought I've never seen a false pregnancy get this big so off to the vet for x rays. Sorry my x ray photos didn't turn out well. But if you blow them up you can see some back bones and skulls. The official count was 9 but with them packed in there so tight it can be hard to tell.

So off to the pet store for puppy food I went feeling guilty I had put her on a diet. We did the worlds fastest food switch, luckily with no diarrhea. Doesn't she look miserable. I am not sure I have much sympathy since she was out having unprotected sex without our consent. No just kidding I hate to see her like this. She is so uncomfortable, and very gassy.

Tonight Quackers woke me up around 1:30 am. She got out of her pen and came upstairs and layed down next to the bed. I got up and took her back downstairs. She had had an accident so I cleaned that up and let her out then put her back in her pen. Then 5 minutes later she was out and back at my bedside. So I grabbed my pillow and headed downstairs to sleep on the couch near her; knowing puppies were coming soon, but hoping she could wait till morning. It wasn't fifteen minutes later I hear her pushing so I was up and at her side in a flash. Then she decided she liked our bedroom a lot so she picked up her pup and took it upstairs next to the bed, twice. I thought it was cute, but labrador births are very messy and on my bedroom carpet is not the place to whelp puppies. So I made her go back to her box. After the second pup was born there were to many to carry at once so she gave up and resigned herself to the box.

Here is some video of her pushing a little. You can see her bear down slightly, and notice the hunched posture of her and her tail. Then she goes into a digging fit. This is sometimes called nesting and it can start days before the pups arrive. It is a response to pain cause by uterine contractions. Before we started the news paper was placed neatly on the floor of the box to cover it. I think she has done a fine job of nesting don't you. The next film is of a birth but it is kind of hard to see, but you can really see her pushing.

Here is a pretty good video of a birth of one of the pups. I love how she picks them up and moves them around. She did a good job I only had to assist with breaking the bags on the first 2 pups and she has done the rest herself. She likes to keep them cuddled up between her front legs for the first few days if possible, but it is hard to keep track of that many kids. After we are done I will have to give her a bath cause her back end will be covered in gross fluids. I will disinfect the box put down clean paper and a nice warm blanket. It won't stay clean for long cause Quackers will have discharge for several days following the births' so there will be multiple bedding changes per day. I will also have a major cleaning of my kitchen floor. The pressure of the contractions make her need to go pee a lot, but since it is 10 degrees outside and there is always the possibility of a puppy being born outside I didn't let her out she just went in the floor. If a pup was born out in these temperatures it would surely die. Did I mention this is not how I like to do my litters. I usually plan matings months in advance and baby my girls while pregnant and I try for warmer weather so they can be born in the garage were the mess doesn't bother me as bad. I have complained the whole time about having to have the mess in the house, but it is vinyl floor so it does clean up easy thank goodness. This was supposed to be a cycle were she wasn't bred, but I guess plans change. Well we are done in a reasonable amount of time from 2am to 9am, not bad. The puppy count was 9, but the last pup was still born. I also have two that have cleft palates so they will not make it. So that leaves us with 6 black puppies. 3 girls and 3 boys a perfect amount.

Well here we are all clean up. The box has been disinfected and new bedding put in and mom has had a much needed bath. Pups are nursing and mom is resting. Aren't they perfect.