Copyright 2008-2010. Paul and Sandra Smith. All rights reserved.
SPRING 2010 Breeding
July 18, 2010
Their eyes are mostly open now. They are starting to get up on their feet a little bit.
July 7, 2010
The puppies are all doing well and gaining weight. I started trimming their nails for the first time today. They pretty much eat,
sleep, and poo so there is not a whole lot to report at this time....
July 5, 2010
Puppies are all doing well. They are gaining weight and for having eight of them they are pretty easy.
July 3, 2010
The puppies went through the night easily. All of them are good nursers and Lexi is being a great Mom.
July 2, 2010
The morning started off with Lexi's temp drop. She then started to heavily nest. I drove her to the vet and the puppies were
delivered just after noon. Lexi had weighed 67.2#'s. HUGE!!!!! She delivered 5 girls and 3 boys.
July 1, 2010
Lexi's eating started to slow a bit so I have been mixing some wet food in with her dry and that is enough to get her to eat. I
measured her belly today and it was at 35 1/2".
June 30, 2010
Lexi is starting to hoard her toys in her bed now. Her temp is still holding though so no puppies early at this point . You can
visually see the puppies kicking in Lexi's belly now. Only a couple more days!
June 28, 2010 Lexi is growing fast. Her belly measured at 35" this evening. She is gaining about a half inch to an inch every
day.
June 28, 2010
Lexi's belly measured at 34 1/2" today. We have started taking temps twice daily.
June 27, 2010
Lexi's belly measured at 34" around today. I can feel the babies kicking very clearly now.
June 24, 2010
Starting to be able to feel the babies move inside Lexi's belly.
June 23, 2010
Belly measured at 32 3/4" today. Lexi is less active and carrying the baby belly is starting to slow her down.
June 21, 2010
Lexi's belly measured in at 32 1/2" today. Getting bigger every day!
June 20, 2010
Lexi's belly is now measuring at 32" around. She is getting very big. Only two weeks to go until delivery!!!!
June 18, 2010
Well the excitement is starting to get to me. It is 12:16 am on the 18th while I write this post. I am getting so excited I
cannot sleep. You may have noticed I completely revamped my web site. (I have a lot of time on my hands these days
just waiting) I may adjust it a few more times yet. If you have comments or suggestions on the site please feel free to
share. Lexi measured at 31 1/2" around today.
June 11, 2010
We are starting to see that belly bump. We measured her belly about a week ago and it was 28 1/2" around just after the ribs.
Tonight I measured again and it is 30". We generally see the most growth that last week or so. I will be checking it more
then.
June 6, 2010
We are just starting to get everything out and ready for puppies. We are making sure the incubator is in working order and
ready to go. Only 27 days left..... :)
June 3, 2010
I took Lexi to the vet today for a blood draw to confirm pregnancy.... Guess what? Two lines is prego!
Now the excitement really builds and the waiting begins again.
May 22, 2010
Well, the excitement is starting to build. I figured there is only 43 days left until puppy land. I have been getting everything
ready for them. I almost feel like a nesting mother. :) The countdown is on!
May 6, 2010
We did another breeding today. The puppies should be due on the 4th of July. This may be my last post until we get closer
to due date....
May 5, 2010
Did another breeding today.
May 3, 2010
Took Lexi in for another test today (11) This means that she ovulated on Sunday. We did a breeding today.
May 1, 2010
I am taking her in today for another test. (5.4)
April 29, 2010
We are taking Lexi in for her first progesterone test today. (1.9) This will give us an idea when she will be bred. Results do
not come back for a day......
April 22, 2010
Lexi had her first sign of her heat cycle today. We will be waiting until about day 9 of her cycle and then taking her in for a
progesterone test. We usually do a few of these to determine the "optimum" breeding time.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Oct 10, 2009 -Breeding
Oct 10, 2010
First day of heat cycle.
Oct 16, 2009
First progesterone test.
Oct 20, 2009
Second Progesterone test 2.1
Oct 23, 2009
Third Progesterone test
Oct 24, 2009
Ovulated
Oct 26, 2009
Cervical Implant-with fresh semen
Oct 28, 2009
Cervical Implant- with fresh semen
Nov 16th Clear Discharge- Palpated.... No puppies.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Aug 10, 2009-Breeding
Dec 10, 2009
It is hard to imagine that they will be 8 weeks old soon. The time sure has flown by. The last 8 days we have been working on lots of
exposure to prepare them for leaving to their busy lives in their new homes. I try really hard to expose them to as much stuff as I can
so they grow up to be confident/social puppies. We have had some small children here. We have exposed them to new things such
as plastic bags, cardboard box, plastic bottle, and many different toys of size, shape, texture, and sound. They have been doing very
well with their potty training. We work on touching their food while they eat and having them eat from our hands.
Dec 2, 2009
The last few weeks have been lots of fun. The puppies have grown incredibly and are doing more than sleeping. We took out the
agility equipment the other day and they REALLY enjoyed the tunnel. I only have them working on the mini tunnel for now as they still
want to potty in it. In about a week or so we will take out the full length one and work with that. The agility touch board I just use to
get them used to a different surface feel and height. It is only about two inches off the ground but is something different. They are
playing tuggie with each other and are now where they can carry around some of the lighter toys. We expanded their area a little
larger and moved the potty area around a bit. One HUGE tip is to keep it away from an edge where there is high traffic. It used to be
on an end where Jazz came in and out and they got in the habit of walking there. SO .... we moved it to an end all by itself where they
can go and not have to return unless to do their business. They are so much fun and I will miss them terribly when they go.
Nov 23, 2009
We just moved the puppies to a larger kennel. They are really enjoying all the new space. They are using the potty pads almost
always for poo but still working on the peeing there. That usually takes a little longer.... They are starting to turn into little pirhanas
with all their new teeth so we try to always have lots of toys to chew on. They are all up on their feet fairly well now. They are starting
to use the Lixit bottle of water. This is nice so they do not spill the water dishes. Jazz is still nursing occasionally. The puppies teeth
really do a number on her when nursing now. They are on the gruel with me gradually thickening it as time goes on.
Nov 16, 2009
The puppies teeth are starting to come in. They are also really starting to get a hang of the potty pads. Most all poops are on it. Still
working on the peeing.... They started on a gruel a few days ago and they are really enjoying that. I have to say I am too as I get to
sleep a little longer between feedings.
Nov 8, 2009
Hard to believe they are over two weeks old already. They are just on the verge of starting to do more than sleep, eat, and poo. This
is a fun time watching them grow and learn about their surroundings. With their eyes being open and their hearing starting to happen
their world is changing so much during this time frame. I am still feeding them about every three hours now. I have topped them off
with a bottle now and then. All of them will nurse off a bottle except for the big white boy. I think he is such a good eater that by the
time he finishes off Mom he does not need any more. His belly is fairly full already from her.
Nov 3, 2009
Most of the puppies eyes are starting to open now. I have been doing a little bit of bottle feeding as it seems Jazz has some milk but
maybe not quite enough.
Nov 2, 2009
Been pretty busy these last few days. Jazz's milk started to slow down so was topping them off with bottles. They have had diarrhea
for a few days but now that Jazz is coming off her antibiotics they are starting to firm up. I am feeding them every two and a half hours
round the clock. Over night last night the big white girl started to open her eyes. I don't see any other pups yet but should be soon.
I have moved the pups into the dog room where my computer is so should be able to update the blog easier now. It wont be long
before they do more than eat, sleep, and poo either so more to write about.
Oct 25, 2009
The puppies continue to gain weight. I trimmed all their nails today. They get caught on their bedding if we don't keep them short.
The umbilical cords have fallen off all but two of the puppies.
Oct 23, 2009
Babies are here!
Jazz had a rough night. She was panting from 10:00 p.m. until about 6:15 a.m. Not much sleep for either of us. I had taken her into the
vet yesterday to have them look her over. I had been taking her temp for about a week and yesterday her temp was low all day. It
never really plunged but just was lower than normal. They said that she is still a few days early from day 63 and did not appear to have
a lot of milk. They thought it best to try to make it until her scheduled c section on Friday am. So.... after her panting all night at 6:15
in the morning she expelled a discharge all over the floor. I contacted the Vet and went into the clinic. Jazz gained 12 pounds during
her pregnancy. We did the section and wow.... 6 BIG healthy puppies. They all weighed in 13-15 Ounces. That is pretty good for
having six babies and Bulldog puppies. They were very good suckers and nursed on and off for the day. Getting the colostrum is
very important those first few hours. Jazz's milk came in the following morning. It is enough to feed the pups but am almost
borderline wanting to top them off with a bottle.... They have a bit of diarrhea so did give them some sub Q fluids Sat night. This
seemed to really give them a boost.
Oct 19, 2009
Well, Jazz gave me a bit of a scare today. I was gone for a few hours this am. When I came home I took her temperature. It was down
to 98.7 . This is the lowest temperature she has had over the last few days. I called the vets office and let them know. Dr. Dave told
me to take her temp again in another two hours (4:30 pm) and call him back. Her temp had come back up by then to her normal.... She
was eating fine and acting normal. We will be monitoring her VERY closely now until pups are here.... I wonder if she will wait till
Friday... :)
Oct 18, 2009
We just put out the ramp for Jazz to start using when going outside. She is getting way to big to use the stairs....
Oct 17, 2009
10:28 p.m. We are taking temperatures as often as we can during the day. I also just measured her belly and she is 36" around!! This
is what she was at last time the day of delivery.
Jazz is VERY picky on her food right now. We have been having to hand feed her or toss her one piece at a time on the floor for her
to eat it. We need to make sure with a large belly of puppies that she is taking in enough nutrients to support them so we do
whatever can to get her to eat.
Oct 16, 2009
Jazz is starting to have a little milk. It can be very normal a week ahead of delivery. We have started to take her temperature just to
be on the safe side but so far is very normal. Can you believe we only have a week left to wait?
I attended another Canine First Aid class again today. I will be a Leader for the American Red Cross "Canine First Aid" starting 2010 in
my area. Obviously now would not be a good time to start.... :)
Oct 15, 2009
Jazz finally sat still long enough for me to get a really good feel of puppies kicking. It was AMAZING!! They feel very strong and lively!
Oct 14, 2009.
Jazz is starting that pregnancy "waddle" while she walks. Not too long and we will have to start helping her up and down the steps.
Her belly measured a little over 34" today. It wont be long and we will start to monitor her temperature. I was able to feel what felt like
a couple puppies moving today. She sure does look uncomfortable!
Oct 13, 2009
Jazz is slow on her food this am. There is only so much room in there so she will start having food available to her all day long. This
will allow her to eat little bits at a time and not try to "fill" her stomach.
Only 10 days left!!!
Oct 11, 2009-Yeah!!! Felt puppies kicking for sure on her right side!!!
Jazz measured 33 1/2" around today. She appears to carry them up further in the rib cage and low. She continues to get more and
more uncomfortable as she gets bigger. She lays down for periods of time and gets up to stretch and move.
Oct 9, 2009
Jazz had some more clear discharge today. This is completely normal as long as it it clear, does not have an odor, is green in color, or
bloody.
Oct 8, 2009
Jazz's belly is measuring at 33" around. I think I was able to feel puppies move today but it was very faint so not 100% it wasn't wishful
thinking.... but going to keep trying. Not too many days left... the waiting is getting hard!
Oct. 2, 2009
Jazz's belly is measuring 31" around at the widest point.
Oct 1, 2009
Took Jazz to the vet today. Yup for sure pregnant. Said he knows she has atleast four but could be as many as eight...YEAH!!!! Now it
is soooo hard to wait. Are they boys? Girls? What do they look like? Are they all healthy? Only have 22 days left until we know for
sure!
Sept 30, 2009
Jazz's belly is getting larger. We measured her today and she is 30 1/2" around. We measured her not that long ago and she was only
28" around. Friends are starting to take bets already on numbers... ha ha
Sept 26, 2009
Jazz had some vaginal discharge that is very common and a sign of pregnancy. YEAH!! She has appeared to have a bit of a belly but
have not wanted to get ahead of myself. I feel very confident she is pregnant since seeing the discharge along with the other signs.
Sept 16, 2009
We are working on getting the dog/puppy room finished off. Jazz appears to be getting a little belly on her. Soooo curious what is in
there!!!
Sept 2, 2009
Jazz vomited today. Sometimes this can be a sign of morning sickness....
Aug 25, 2009 We are doing a breeding again tonight. Jazz's progesterone test from Monday came back at 22.5. Perfect timing!! Jazz
ovulated on the 22nd so we anticipate puppies on Oct 24th, 2009. She is still bleeding.
Aug 23, 2009
We did a breeding this afternoon at 9:30 pm. The breeding went Great! I would almost bet that this was the best breeding time.... I am
taking Jazz in Monday to do another prog test to ensure timing though...
Aug 22, 2009
Progesterone only at 4.3 so we will breed again on Sunday and do another progesterone test on Monday.
Aug 21, 2009
Did another progesterone test today. Will get the results tomorrow but should be fairly close so we did a breeding.
Aug 19, 2009
Received Jazz's progesterone results. Only at 1.9 so will wait until Sat to do another test.
Aug 18, 2009
Took Jazz in for her first progesterone test today. I do not get the results back for a day so will find out tomorrow how close Jazz is to
breeding....
Aug 10, 2009
Jazz started bleeding today. Her vulva has been swelling for some time. Some bitches when going through a heat cycle can be very
irritable and cranky even if they are normally very good natured. We will do her first progesterone test on about day 8 or 9. This will
determine when she ovulates and give specific times to breed.
Aug 15, 2009
Jazz is progressing nicely. Hemi is still not to interested in her at this point. We do keep them seperate though so as to not get Hemi
too frustrated. We also do not want him breeding Jazz yet. We do artificial insemination when her progesterone tests come back and
she has ovulated to get the BEST timing possible. If Hemi were to breed naturally then when we go to do the insemination his sperm
count might not be built back up yet. So we wait.....
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Feb 7, 2009- Heat cycle
Feb 7, 2009
Jazz started bleeding. Last heat cycle was 6-28-08. (7 1/2 months since last cycle)
Feb 13, 2009
First progesterone test done. Results at 0.4 We thought we would be early but wanted to make sure not to miss it.
Feb 16, 2009
Second progesterone test done. Results came back at 2.7. Still not ready but numbers are heading upward.
Feb 18, 2009
Third progesterone test done. Results came back at 13.2. This means that ovulation took place on the 17th as we saw the spike.
Feb 19, 2009
We bred Jazz today. We wait until two days after ovulation to allow the eggs to be released.
This is prime breeding dates.
Feb 21, 2009
We bred Jazz again this am. We are in St. Louis MO for a dog show. We had to take Jazz with us on our trip even though we are not
showing her so we could breed. I try not to expose them to lots of other dogs or places where dogs have been so she does not pick
anything up. We kept her in our room most of the time and did not bring her to the show site. We now just wait.....
Feb 27, 2009
Took Jazz to the vet. We noticed some greenish discharge. They put her on antibiotics and I have to take her in Monday again for
another vaginal smear to see if the infection is going away.
Mar 2, 2009
Took Jazz to the Vet. We did another vag smear and the infection is gone.
Mar 17, 2009
Took Jazz in for an Ultra sound where we did not see any puppies. We then took the males sperm in to be evaluated. The male was
found to have an infection and therefor affected the sperm. This is why they feel the breeding did not take. The male will be placed
on the proper medication. While at the vet we did have Jazz's patellas and heart evaluated for her CHIC clearances and successfully
passed.
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June 2008 breeding
6-28-08 Jazz started bleeding today.
7-5-08 First trip to Vet for a progesterone test. We don't get these back for a day or two so we bred Jazz. Results came back and is
only at 0.4. Luckily I have the male and can do my own breedings. This can cost over $100.00 to have it done at the vet. Jazz is
started on a daily vitamin.
7-7-08 Second trip to Vet for a progesterone test. Bred Jazz again. When we got results back she was still only at 1.9
7-9-08 Bred Jazz.
7-10-08 Third trip to Vet for a progesterone test. This time it came back at 5.
7-12-08 Fourth trip to Vet for a progesterone test. Bred Jazz. Results came back at 15.7. We had 9 dogs here and 3 out of town
friends for the Duluth Dog show. Breeding is done when it has to be.... Everything else gets put on hold.
7-14-08 Lexi has come into her first heat cycle. (9 months old) We NEVER breed their first heat cycle and always bring them in for a
full physical before each breeding. Their health and well being along with that of the puppies ALWAYS comes first. When keeping
more than one intact female in the house they tend to pull each other into season.
7-25-08 Lexi is no longer bleeding but Hemi is showing interest in her so they are still being kept separate.
8-2-08 Jazz has been a little off her food lately. (morning sickness)
8-10-08 Jazz is finally getting her appetite back. Her nipples are very swollen.
8-15-08 Jazz's nipples are very swollen and are retaining some fluids. We are putting her on water pills (ONLY a day or two) to
eliminate this.
8-20-08 Just three weeks left. She is starting to show off her belly.....
8-22-08 Jazz's nipples are not going down and she is retaining a bit of fluid so we increased her pills for a few days and are closely
monitoring her. I am hoping to get to Inver Grove Heights Animal Hospital on Wed for an Ultrasound. This will give us an "idea" of
how many puppies we may have and if they are doing well in spite of the water gain. Only 18 days left!!!
8-26-08 We decided not to do the ultra sound after talking with a Bulldog Specialist. The round trip is 7 hours and therefor decided
we would not make that drive with her. In talking with the Vet today he said that he was not concerned about the water gain with the
puppies. Jazz is eating almost twice her food intake each day. Her waist measured around the widest point was 31". Sooooo curious
what is in there!!! It is still a little early to feel them but I still give it a good try now and then.
8-31-08 I felt the puppies move this afternoon. What a wonderful feeling! Jazz is getting fairly uncomfortable. She is picking at her
food throughout the day. Not much room in there for full meals. She will really start to get bigger from now until puppy birth. Because
we do a cesarean we do not want the pups to head down the birth canal. That is why we monitor temps two times daily or more.....
9-4-08 Jazz's temp remains normal. We measured her belly tonight again at the widest area. It is 35" around!! WOW
9-9-08 We have been taking Jazz's temp every couple of hours now. She is getting very big and uncomfortable. I am wondering if she
will hold out until the 11th....
9-9-08 at 4:00 p.m. After talking to the vet we decided to go ahead and do the cesarean today. We were not sure if she was going to
make it until morning for her scheduled appointment. Her temp had been fluctuating all day and being that today was day 61 made the
decision not to wait. She weighed 68#'s at the Vet. Jazz was retaining a lot of fluids. When we went in for surgery she had a LOT of
water inside the uterus. She also was carrying 5 puppies in the right horn and only one in the left. The incision had to be made quite
large to get it out.
9-11-08 Jazz is licking and cleaning puppies. The puppies are eating every two hours and are growing already. Time to get off the
computer so I can go squeeze in something to eat and a shower.
9-11-08 Just got back from the Vet's office. We lost the red pie girl. Not sure what happened so we are sending her in to have an
necropsy done. Jazz has a bloody discharge from her vulva. This is the body's way of cleaning itself out after giving birth. This goes
on for several weeks. We try not to put a doggy diaper on because we do not want her to get an infection by not allowing her vulva to
breath and stay clean. Bulldogs have a hard time licking to clean themselves so we wipe it for them. We also make sure to clean the
cesarean incision each day. The puppies stool have a fairly high number of Cocci so we put Jazz on Cephalexin instead of
Amoxicillin. Have to watch pups closely for 24-48 hours until new antibiotics kick in.
9-12-08 All pups appear to be doing well today. Their stools are looking much better in texture. They have all been gaining good
weight.
9-15-08 Pulled all pups from Jazz. We are now bottle feeding them as Jazz ended up with a slight case of Mastitis. The pups bottoms
are VERY red and sore. I am running their bottoms under water at each feeding to clean them without wiping and irritating it more. I
also put a little hemorrhoid cream on there to assist in clearing this up. They are on Clavamox 2 times a day for 5 days. Jazz is now
switched to Clavamox for 10 days.
9-19-08 I removed Jazz's stitches today. It is healed very well but appears that she had some swelling from an allergic reaction to the
internal stitches. This will go away in time.
9-22-08 Puppies are growing very fast. Their eyes are just starting to open a bit. They should be completely open in the next couple
days. They are sooo fun to cuddle. We are still regulating their temps but they have been moved into the puppy pen with a heat lamp
over part of their pen. Keeping the temp at about 81-84 degrees.
9-27-08 The Puppies eyes are mostly open. They can see me sneak up to check on them. Until now they have been able to know I was
there by my scent. Whoever said Bulldogs don't have good sniffers on them was wrong!! The puppies are growing very fast now.
They are eating a lot of formula.... About eight 8 oz bottles a day. This is a mixture of Goats milk, water, egg yolk, plain yogurt, and karo
syrup. Some of them drink so fast that they get it coming out their noses. I have to suction this as it can be aspirated into their lungs.
One of them is on antibiotics as it sounds a little raspy. I brought it to the vet and it does not sound like it is settling into the lungs
just sounds a little more in the nasal passage. It should clear up in time. Raising puppies is more expensive than some think.
Putting money aside ahead of doing a breeding for those unexpected things is a necessity when raising puppies. Just feeding these
5 puppies formula every day costs $7.02. I will be starting them on a gruel within the next week. This is when they really start to take
off and grow. They may even start to sleep a little longer between feedings... Phew!!! I am still sleeping in my chair by the puppies
feeding them every 4 hours. It takes about an hour and a half to feed so I am getting about 2-3 hours of sleep between feedings.
Looking forward to a full night sleep!!! I am doing one to two loads of laundry each day. They are currently sleeping on towels.
Looking forward to getting them started on the potty pads. Usually about 3 1/2 weeks along I start them.
10-1-08 Started puppies on gruel today. Their teeth are coming in. The one puppy who is congested is having a hard time eating the
gruel. I am still bottle feeding her.
10-2-08 The pup with the congestion is not eating very well. When she bottle feeds it comes out her nose. She has really good
suction on the bottle and forgets to breath out her nose while she is drinking or maybe she can't. I worry about her aspirating it into
her lungs.
10-2-08 3:50a.m. I decide to tube feed the pup. The rest of them are eating the gruel fine and are doing great. The one pup
occasionally whines and cries and appears to have a hard time breathing. I had the vet out to the house and he thinks she might have
an elongated palate. The others compared to hers look great. Unfortunately this is one of those things we deal with in Bulldogs. We
just generally do not see it in puppies so young. I nebulize her three times a day. I am not sure if it does any good but I still feel like I
need to do something. I am going to have to make a decision soon what to do with her. I most certainly do not want to see her suffer
but also want to give her every chance I can. One of the hardest decisions a breeder has to make......
10-3-08 1:14 am The congested little girl tried to eat some gruel. She wants to eat. Not long after she ate some gruel, she had a bad
spell. She had a few moments where she could not breath. I was so concerned I did some mouth to nose breaths for her. I feel it is
probably best to put her to sleep but am having a hard time making that final decision. VERY HARD! These are the times that can
make or break a breeder......
10-3-08 10:30 p.m. The little girl seems to be doing better today. I have resorted to letting nature take it's course. I have taken her off
the nebulizer and also quit tube feeding her. I am not sure why the change but she seems to be doing much better. The only thing I
can think of is that when I gave her mouth to nose that maybe she had some type of blockage in there that I blew out..... Not sure. She
is eating gruel all on her own and has not had an episode from doing so. She is moving around a bit more and seems to be more
content. She used to wake me up several times at night crying having a hard time breathing but has not done that today..... Keeping
my fingers crossed that the worst is over and she will now start to quickly improve. Send your prayers her way, she needs them.
10-4-08 3:15 pm The puppies are starting to play with each other. Even the little girl who was having trouble is doing great! They are
getting good on all fours now and can get going fairly fast. They do very well at the food dish and even climb right in there. They
make all kinds of noises when you talk to them.
10-5-08 3:20 am The one pup had another episode. She was laying on her back and could not get turned over fast enough. She
vomited and when I was able to get her upright she was having a hard time breathing. All the puppies are on Clavamox to rid them of
the Enterococcus infection they received from Jazz's milk. I am starting to wonder if this girl is having an allergic reaction to the
Clavamox. Two of the side affects are vomiting and difficulty breathing. The other day when I had taken her off the nebulizer and
tube feeding I had also stopped giving her the Clavamox. She did get better for some time. I just started giving it to them again and
she seems to be getting sick again. Going to stop the medication and see if things get better. Hope this is what is causing the issues
with her. Sure seems like a good possibility to me....
10-6-08 The puppies are doing GREAT! Looks as though it was the antibiotics that had been causing her all those issues. She is a
great eater and because of all the special handling LOVES being held. Phew!! Wish I had figured it out sooner but glad it is all over.
Hard to believe they will be 4 weeks old tomorrow. Time sure goes fast!
10-11-08 The puppies moved from the puppy pen to the puppy room (nursery). This means that they went from a raised floored 4x4
pen to a puppy area built into my house. (see above photos) They are old enough where they need more room to run and play. I
gradually increase the size of this area. Timing is everything in giving them more space. If you increase the size of the area too fast
they do not use the potty pads. By gradually giving them more room they don't really notice the difference and still use the potty pads.
They have an area to play and eat and a separate area to potty. This teaches them to potty train quickly and also teaches them to be
clean.
10-12-08 I finally started sleeping in my own bed. I feed them late at night, still feeding them every 5 hours so I am getting up once
during the night. Their personalities are really starting to show now. The white boy is the first one to the food and the last! He is also
the last one to sleep bothering everyone to play while they want to nap. He is very attentive to me and loves my attention. Fergie is
very sweet. I hold her with me and she just loves to cuddle. Dot doesn't miss a thing. I put the food pan in and she wants to come to
me instead! What a sweet girl! Jazz is still bleeding and has shed her coat incredibly. When a bitch has puppies she usually (but not
always) blows coat. Jazz is blowing coat horribly.... She looks really bad. I wanted to get her out in the show ring but will need some
time for her coat to come back in.
10-14-08 Hard to believe it has been 5 weeks. Wish the weather was a little nicer now as I would love to take them outside. Maybe a
few nice days here and there yet to come. I usually wait until they are a little older to get them out but I mostly look at the temps
outside to determine. I am starting them on a very soaked kibble today instead of their ground weaning formula puppy food. Their
teeth are mostly in so should not have too much trouble adjusting. I gradually change the texture of their puppy food. If you dry it out
to quickly they can end up getting hemorrhoids from solid stool..... Yes, I said hemorrhoids! They get constipated too! If this happens
you can use over the counter hemorrhoid cream for humans. Make sure that Mom's are not licking pups bottoms though.
10-26-08 The pups have been growing fast now. They play with each other and have been playing with toys. It is good to expose
them to different items, sounds, & flooring. Always making this a positive thing as to not scare them. Nails should be getting cut every
couple days starting at only 5 days old. Today we took them for a truck ride to a friends house. There they were able to play in new
surroundings and with children. We have had a few families here that have children to introduce the puppies to kids that are well
mannered. I ALWAYS have children sit while being around the puppies and I do not let them HOLD them. They can pet them but the
puppies feet should always be on the ground. If you don't want the puppies to learn to jump when you are raising them you must
NEVER reward them unless there is "4 on the floor". Meaning that they do not get pet or picked up unless they have four feet on the
floor. These behaviors are established early.
11-12-08 Well, the pups are starting to go to their new homes. I am very careful in placing the pups. I ensure that they go to homes
based on a lot of factors. One of them being the energy of the family and the pup. They have to blend nicely!! We have not had a
single poop accident on the potty pads in two days!! That is HUGE!! Timing is everything.... I take them out after eating, drinking,
playing, or napping. I give them a command and take them to the same spot each time. I also do not play with them when we go out to
do our "business". It is potty time... Not play time. We do play time after "business" has been done. I also use the command "go
potty". I never just put them out the door and expect them to do their business. A lot of people think winter is a bad time to potty
train. It is more of a pain for us humans just because we don't want to go in and out of the house when it is cold. Puppies actually
learn faster I
think because when they go outside they get cold and potty.... Also there is not much to distract them such as leaves, pine cones, etc.
I can't believe it has been over 9 weeks. It has been stressful and tiring but also rewarding. Each litter teaches me something new
and with them I gain new friends. I have the best families and am very fortunate for them.
Thank you so much for reading along. I hope this has been informational. Raising a litter of puppies takes time and money. If done
properly with good socialization, vet care, and a 24/7 available schedule it can lead to a successful litter, but sometimes even with all a
person can do a litter is lost or a bitch dies due to unforeseen complications. Breeding Bulldogs is most certainly not for the light
hearted.
Sandy
Bodanna Bulldogs
July 18, 2010
Their eyes are mostly open now. They are starting to get up on their feet a little bit.
July 7, 2010
The puppies are all doing well and gaining weight. I started trimming their nails for the first time today. They pretty much eat,
sleep, and poo so there is not a whole lot to report at this time....
July 5, 2010
Puppies are all doing well. They are gaining weight and for having eight of them they are pretty easy.
July 3, 2010
The puppies went through the night easily. All of them are good nursers and Lexi is being a great Mom.
July 2, 2010
The morning started off with Lexi's temp drop. She then started to heavily nest. I drove her to the vet and the puppies were
delivered just after noon. Lexi had weighed 67.2#'s. HUGE!!!!! She delivered 5 girls and 3 boys.
July 1, 2010
Lexi's eating started to slow a bit so I have been mixing some wet food in with her dry and that is enough to get her to eat. I
measured her belly today and it was at 35 1/2".
June 30, 2010
Lexi is starting to hoard her toys in her bed now. Her temp is still holding though so no puppies early at this point . You can
visually see the puppies kicking in Lexi's belly now. Only a couple more days!
June 28, 2010 Lexi is growing fast. Her belly measured at 35" this evening. She is gaining about a half inch to an inch every
day.
June 28, 2010
Lexi's belly measured at 34 1/2" today. We have started taking temps twice daily.
June 27, 2010
Lexi's belly measured at 34" around today. I can feel the babies kicking very clearly now.
June 24, 2010
Starting to be able to feel the babies move inside Lexi's belly.
June 23, 2010
Belly measured at 32 3/4" today. Lexi is less active and carrying the baby belly is starting to slow her down.
June 21, 2010
Lexi's belly measured in at 32 1/2" today. Getting bigger every day!
June 20, 2010
Lexi's belly is now measuring at 32" around. She is getting very big. Only two weeks to go until delivery!!!!
June 18, 2010
Well the excitement is starting to get to me. It is 12:16 am on the 18th while I write this post. I am getting so excited I
cannot sleep. You may have noticed I completely revamped my web site. (I have a lot of time on my hands these days
just waiting) I may adjust it a few more times yet. If you have comments or suggestions on the site please feel free to
share. Lexi measured at 31 1/2" around today.
June 11, 2010
We are starting to see that belly bump. We measured her belly about a week ago and it was 28 1/2" around just after the ribs.
Tonight I measured again and it is 30". We generally see the most growth that last week or so. I will be checking it more
then.
June 6, 2010
We are just starting to get everything out and ready for puppies. We are making sure the incubator is in working order and
ready to go. Only 27 days left..... :)
June 3, 2010
I took Lexi to the vet today for a blood draw to confirm pregnancy.... Guess what? Two lines is prego!
Now the excitement really builds and the waiting begins again.
May 22, 2010
Well, the excitement is starting to build. I figured there is only 43 days left until puppy land. I have been getting everything
ready for them. I almost feel like a nesting mother. :) The countdown is on!
May 6, 2010
We did another breeding today. The puppies should be due on the 4th of July. This may be my last post until we get closer
to due date....
May 5, 2010
Did another breeding today.
May 3, 2010
Took Lexi in for another test today (11) This means that she ovulated on Sunday. We did a breeding today.
May 1, 2010
I am taking her in today for another test. (5.4)
April 29, 2010
We are taking Lexi in for her first progesterone test today. (1.9) This will give us an idea when she will be bred. Results do
not come back for a day......
April 22, 2010
Lexi had her first sign of her heat cycle today. We will be waiting until about day 9 of her cycle and then taking her in for a
progesterone test. We usually do a few of these to determine the "optimum" breeding time.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Oct 10, 2009 -Breeding
Oct 10, 2010
First day of heat cycle.
Oct 16, 2009
First progesterone test.
Oct 20, 2009
Second Progesterone test 2.1
Oct 23, 2009
Third Progesterone test
Oct 24, 2009
Ovulated
Oct 26, 2009
Cervical Implant-with fresh semen
Oct 28, 2009
Cervical Implant- with fresh semen
Nov 16th Clear Discharge- Palpated.... No puppies.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Aug 10, 2009-Breeding
Dec 10, 2009
It is hard to imagine that they will be 8 weeks old soon. The time sure has flown by. The last 8 days we have been working on lots of
exposure to prepare them for leaving to their busy lives in their new homes. I try really hard to expose them to as much stuff as I can
so they grow up to be confident/social puppies. We have had some small children here. We have exposed them to new things such
as plastic bags, cardboard box, plastic bottle, and many different toys of size, shape, texture, and sound. They have been doing very
well with their potty training. We work on touching their food while they eat and having them eat from our hands.
Dec 2, 2009
The last few weeks have been lots of fun. The puppies have grown incredibly and are doing more than sleeping. We took out the
agility equipment the other day and they REALLY enjoyed the tunnel. I only have them working on the mini tunnel for now as they still
want to potty in it. In about a week or so we will take out the full length one and work with that. The agility touch board I just use to
get them used to a different surface feel and height. It is only about two inches off the ground but is something different. They are
playing tuggie with each other and are now where they can carry around some of the lighter toys. We expanded their area a little
larger and moved the potty area around a bit. One HUGE tip is to keep it away from an edge where there is high traffic. It used to be
on an end where Jazz came in and out and they got in the habit of walking there. SO .... we moved it to an end all by itself where they
can go and not have to return unless to do their business. They are so much fun and I will miss them terribly when they go.
Nov 23, 2009
We just moved the puppies to a larger kennel. They are really enjoying all the new space. They are using the potty pads almost
always for poo but still working on the peeing there. That usually takes a little longer.... They are starting to turn into little pirhanas
with all their new teeth so we try to always have lots of toys to chew on. They are all up on their feet fairly well now. They are starting
to use the Lixit bottle of water. This is nice so they do not spill the water dishes. Jazz is still nursing occasionally. The puppies teeth
really do a number on her when nursing now. They are on the gruel with me gradually thickening it as time goes on.
Nov 16, 2009
The puppies teeth are starting to come in. They are also really starting to get a hang of the potty pads. Most all poops are on it. Still
working on the peeing.... They started on a gruel a few days ago and they are really enjoying that. I have to say I am too as I get to
sleep a little longer between feedings.
Nov 8, 2009
Hard to believe they are over two weeks old already. They are just on the verge of starting to do more than sleep, eat, and poo. This
is a fun time watching them grow and learn about their surroundings. With their eyes being open and their hearing starting to happen
their world is changing so much during this time frame. I am still feeding them about every three hours now. I have topped them off
with a bottle now and then. All of them will nurse off a bottle except for the big white boy. I think he is such a good eater that by the
time he finishes off Mom he does not need any more. His belly is fairly full already from her.
Nov 3, 2009
Most of the puppies eyes are starting to open now. I have been doing a little bit of bottle feeding as it seems Jazz has some milk but
maybe not quite enough.
Nov 2, 2009
Been pretty busy these last few days. Jazz's milk started to slow down so was topping them off with bottles. They have had diarrhea
for a few days but now that Jazz is coming off her antibiotics they are starting to firm up. I am feeding them every two and a half hours
round the clock. Over night last night the big white girl started to open her eyes. I don't see any other pups yet but should be soon.
I have moved the pups into the dog room where my computer is so should be able to update the blog easier now. It wont be long
before they do more than eat, sleep, and poo either so more to write about.
Oct 25, 2009
The puppies continue to gain weight. I trimmed all their nails today. They get caught on their bedding if we don't keep them short.
The umbilical cords have fallen off all but two of the puppies.
Oct 23, 2009
Babies are here!
Jazz had a rough night. She was panting from 10:00 p.m. until about 6:15 a.m. Not much sleep for either of us. I had taken her into the
vet yesterday to have them look her over. I had been taking her temp for about a week and yesterday her temp was low all day. It
never really plunged but just was lower than normal. They said that she is still a few days early from day 63 and did not appear to have
a lot of milk. They thought it best to try to make it until her scheduled c section on Friday am. So.... after her panting all night at 6:15
in the morning she expelled a discharge all over the floor. I contacted the Vet and went into the clinic. Jazz gained 12 pounds during
her pregnancy. We did the section and wow.... 6 BIG healthy puppies. They all weighed in 13-15 Ounces. That is pretty good for
having six babies and Bulldog puppies. They were very good suckers and nursed on and off for the day. Getting the colostrum is
very important those first few hours. Jazz's milk came in the following morning. It is enough to feed the pups but am almost
borderline wanting to top them off with a bottle.... They have a bit of diarrhea so did give them some sub Q fluids Sat night. This
seemed to really give them a boost.
Oct 19, 2009
Well, Jazz gave me a bit of a scare today. I was gone for a few hours this am. When I came home I took her temperature. It was down
to 98.7 . This is the lowest temperature she has had over the last few days. I called the vets office and let them know. Dr. Dave told
me to take her temp again in another two hours (4:30 pm) and call him back. Her temp had come back up by then to her normal.... She
was eating fine and acting normal. We will be monitoring her VERY closely now until pups are here.... I wonder if she will wait till
Friday... :)
Oct 18, 2009
We just put out the ramp for Jazz to start using when going outside. She is getting way to big to use the stairs....
Oct 17, 2009
10:28 p.m. We are taking temperatures as often as we can during the day. I also just measured her belly and she is 36" around!! This
is what she was at last time the day of delivery.
Jazz is VERY picky on her food right now. We have been having to hand feed her or toss her one piece at a time on the floor for her
to eat it. We need to make sure with a large belly of puppies that she is taking in enough nutrients to support them so we do
whatever can to get her to eat.
Oct 16, 2009
Jazz is starting to have a little milk. It can be very normal a week ahead of delivery. We have started to take her temperature just to
be on the safe side but so far is very normal. Can you believe we only have a week left to wait?
I attended another Canine First Aid class again today. I will be a Leader for the American Red Cross "Canine First Aid" starting 2010 in
my area. Obviously now would not be a good time to start.... :)
Oct 15, 2009
Jazz finally sat still long enough for me to get a really good feel of puppies kicking. It was AMAZING!! They feel very strong and lively!
Oct 14, 2009.
Jazz is starting that pregnancy "waddle" while she walks. Not too long and we will have to start helping her up and down the steps.
Her belly measured a little over 34" today. It wont be long and we will start to monitor her temperature. I was able to feel what felt like
a couple puppies moving today. She sure does look uncomfortable!
Oct 13, 2009
Jazz is slow on her food this am. There is only so much room in there so she will start having food available to her all day long. This
will allow her to eat little bits at a time and not try to "fill" her stomach.
Only 10 days left!!!
Oct 11, 2009-Yeah!!! Felt puppies kicking for sure on her right side!!!
Jazz measured 33 1/2" around today. She appears to carry them up further in the rib cage and low. She continues to get more and
more uncomfortable as she gets bigger. She lays down for periods of time and gets up to stretch and move.
Oct 9, 2009
Jazz had some more clear discharge today. This is completely normal as long as it it clear, does not have an odor, is green in color, or
bloody.
Oct 8, 2009
Jazz's belly is measuring at 33" around. I think I was able to feel puppies move today but it was very faint so not 100% it wasn't wishful
thinking.... but going to keep trying. Not too many days left... the waiting is getting hard!
Oct. 2, 2009
Jazz's belly is measuring 31" around at the widest point.
Oct 1, 2009
Took Jazz to the vet today. Yup for sure pregnant. Said he knows she has atleast four but could be as many as eight...YEAH!!!! Now it
is soooo hard to wait. Are they boys? Girls? What do they look like? Are they all healthy? Only have 22 days left until we know for
sure!
Sept 30, 2009
Jazz's belly is getting larger. We measured her today and she is 30 1/2" around. We measured her not that long ago and she was only
28" around. Friends are starting to take bets already on numbers... ha ha
Sept 26, 2009
Jazz had some vaginal discharge that is very common and a sign of pregnancy. YEAH!! She has appeared to have a bit of a belly but
have not wanted to get ahead of myself. I feel very confident she is pregnant since seeing the discharge along with the other signs.
Sept 16, 2009
We are working on getting the dog/puppy room finished off. Jazz appears to be getting a little belly on her. Soooo curious what is in
there!!!
Sept 2, 2009
Jazz vomited today. Sometimes this can be a sign of morning sickness....
Aug 25, 2009 We are doing a breeding again tonight. Jazz's progesterone test from Monday came back at 22.5. Perfect timing!! Jazz
ovulated on the 22nd so we anticipate puppies on Oct 24th, 2009. She is still bleeding.
Aug 23, 2009
We did a breeding this afternoon at 9:30 pm. The breeding went Great! I would almost bet that this was the best breeding time.... I am
taking Jazz in Monday to do another prog test to ensure timing though...
Aug 22, 2009
Progesterone only at 4.3 so we will breed again on Sunday and do another progesterone test on Monday.
Aug 21, 2009
Did another progesterone test today. Will get the results tomorrow but should be fairly close so we did a breeding.
Aug 19, 2009
Received Jazz's progesterone results. Only at 1.9 so will wait until Sat to do another test.
Aug 18, 2009
Took Jazz in for her first progesterone test today. I do not get the results back for a day so will find out tomorrow how close Jazz is to
breeding....
Aug 10, 2009
Jazz started bleeding today. Her vulva has been swelling for some time. Some bitches when going through a heat cycle can be very
irritable and cranky even if they are normally very good natured. We will do her first progesterone test on about day 8 or 9. This will
determine when she ovulates and give specific times to breed.
Aug 15, 2009
Jazz is progressing nicely. Hemi is still not to interested in her at this point. We do keep them seperate though so as to not get Hemi
too frustrated. We also do not want him breeding Jazz yet. We do artificial insemination when her progesterone tests come back and
she has ovulated to get the BEST timing possible. If Hemi were to breed naturally then when we go to do the insemination his sperm
count might not be built back up yet. So we wait.....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feb 7, 2009- Heat cycle
Feb 7, 2009
Jazz started bleeding. Last heat cycle was 6-28-08. (7 1/2 months since last cycle)
Feb 13, 2009
First progesterone test done. Results at 0.4 We thought we would be early but wanted to make sure not to miss it.
Feb 16, 2009
Second progesterone test done. Results came back at 2.7. Still not ready but numbers are heading upward.
Feb 18, 2009
Third progesterone test done. Results came back at 13.2. This means that ovulation took place on the 17th as we saw the spike.
Feb 19, 2009
We bred Jazz today. We wait until two days after ovulation to allow the eggs to be released.
This is prime breeding dates.
Feb 21, 2009
We bred Jazz again this am. We are in St. Louis MO for a dog show. We had to take Jazz with us on our trip even though we are not
showing her so we could breed. I try not to expose them to lots of other dogs or places where dogs have been so she does not pick
anything up. We kept her in our room most of the time and did not bring her to the show site. We now just wait.....
Feb 27, 2009
Took Jazz to the vet. We noticed some greenish discharge. They put her on antibiotics and I have to take her in Monday again for
another vaginal smear to see if the infection is going away.
Mar 2, 2009
Took Jazz to the Vet. We did another vag smear and the infection is gone.
Mar 17, 2009
Took Jazz in for an Ultra sound where we did not see any puppies. We then took the males sperm in to be evaluated. The male was
found to have an infection and therefor affected the sperm. This is why they feel the breeding did not take. The male will be placed
on the proper medication. While at the vet we did have Jazz's patellas and heart evaluated for her CHIC clearances and successfully
passed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 2008 breeding
6-28-08 Jazz started bleeding today.
7-5-08 First trip to Vet for a progesterone test. We don't get these back for a day or two so we bred Jazz. Results came back and is
only at 0.4. Luckily I have the male and can do my own breedings. This can cost over $100.00 to have it done at the vet. Jazz is
started on a daily vitamin.
7-7-08 Second trip to Vet for a progesterone test. Bred Jazz again. When we got results back she was still only at 1.9
7-9-08 Bred Jazz.
7-10-08 Third trip to Vet for a progesterone test. This time it came back at 5.
7-12-08 Fourth trip to Vet for a progesterone test. Bred Jazz. Results came back at 15.7. We had 9 dogs here and 3 out of town
friends for the Duluth Dog show. Breeding is done when it has to be.... Everything else gets put on hold.
7-14-08 Lexi has come into her first heat cycle. (9 months old) We NEVER breed their first heat cycle and always bring them in for a
full physical before each breeding. Their health and well being along with that of the puppies ALWAYS comes first. When keeping
more than one intact female in the house they tend to pull each other into season.
7-25-08 Lexi is no longer bleeding but Hemi is showing interest in her so they are still being kept separate.
8-2-08 Jazz has been a little off her food lately. (morning sickness)
8-10-08 Jazz is finally getting her appetite back. Her nipples are very swollen.
8-15-08 Jazz's nipples are very swollen and are retaining some fluids. We are putting her on water pills (ONLY a day or two) to
eliminate this.
8-20-08 Just three weeks left. She is starting to show off her belly.....
8-22-08 Jazz's nipples are not going down and she is retaining a bit of fluid so we increased her pills for a few days and are closely
monitoring her. I am hoping to get to Inver Grove Heights Animal Hospital on Wed for an Ultrasound. This will give us an "idea" of
how many puppies we may have and if they are doing well in spite of the water gain. Only 18 days left!!!
8-26-08 We decided not to do the ultra sound after talking with a Bulldog Specialist. The round trip is 7 hours and therefor decided
we would not make that drive with her. In talking with the Vet today he said that he was not concerned about the water gain with the
puppies. Jazz is eating almost twice her food intake each day. Her waist measured around the widest point was 31". Sooooo curious
what is in there!!! It is still a little early to feel them but I still give it a good try now and then.
8-31-08 I felt the puppies move this afternoon. What a wonderful feeling! Jazz is getting fairly uncomfortable. She is picking at her
food throughout the day. Not much room in there for full meals. She will really start to get bigger from now until puppy birth. Because
we do a cesarean we do not want the pups to head down the birth canal. That is why we monitor temps two times daily or more.....
9-4-08 Jazz's temp remains normal. We measured her belly tonight again at the widest area. It is 35" around!! WOW
9-9-08 We have been taking Jazz's temp every couple of hours now. She is getting very big and uncomfortable. I am wondering if she
will hold out until the 11th....
9-9-08 at 4:00 p.m. After talking to the vet we decided to go ahead and do the cesarean today. We were not sure if she was going to
make it until morning for her scheduled appointment. Her temp had been fluctuating all day and being that today was day 61 made the
decision not to wait. She weighed 68#'s at the Vet. Jazz was retaining a lot of fluids. When we went in for surgery she had a LOT of
water inside the uterus. She also was carrying 5 puppies in the right horn and only one in the left. The incision had to be made quite
large to get it out.
9-11-08 Jazz is licking and cleaning puppies. The puppies are eating every two hours and are growing already. Time to get off the
computer so I can go squeeze in something to eat and a shower.
9-11-08 Just got back from the Vet's office. We lost the red pie girl. Not sure what happened so we are sending her in to have an
necropsy done. Jazz has a bloody discharge from her vulva. This is the body's way of cleaning itself out after giving birth. This goes
on for several weeks. We try not to put a doggy diaper on because we do not want her to get an infection by not allowing her vulva to
breath and stay clean. Bulldogs have a hard time licking to clean themselves so we wipe it for them. We also make sure to clean the
cesarean incision each day. The puppies stool have a fairly high number of Cocci so we put Jazz on Cephalexin instead of
Amoxicillin. Have to watch pups closely for 24-48 hours until new antibiotics kick in.
9-12-08 All pups appear to be doing well today. Their stools are looking much better in texture. They have all been gaining good
weight.
9-15-08 Pulled all pups from Jazz. We are now bottle feeding them as Jazz ended up with a slight case of Mastitis. The pups bottoms
are VERY red and sore. I am running their bottoms under water at each feeding to clean them without wiping and irritating it more. I
also put a little hemorrhoid cream on there to assist in clearing this up. They are on Clavamox 2 times a day for 5 days. Jazz is now
switched to Clavamox for 10 days.
9-19-08 I removed Jazz's stitches today. It is healed very well but appears that she had some swelling from an allergic reaction to the
internal stitches. This will go away in time.
9-22-08 Puppies are growing very fast. Their eyes are just starting to open a bit. They should be completely open in the next couple
days. They are sooo fun to cuddle. We are still regulating their temps but they have been moved into the puppy pen with a heat lamp
over part of their pen. Keeping the temp at about 81-84 degrees.
9-27-08 The Puppies eyes are mostly open. They can see me sneak up to check on them. Until now they have been able to know I was
there by my scent. Whoever said Bulldogs don't have good sniffers on them was wrong!! The puppies are growing very fast now.
They are eating a lot of formula.... About eight 8 oz bottles a day. This is a mixture of Goats milk, water, egg yolk, plain yogurt, and karo
syrup. Some of them drink so fast that they get it coming out their noses. I have to suction this as it can be aspirated into their lungs.
One of them is on antibiotics as it sounds a little raspy. I brought it to the vet and it does not sound like it is settling into the lungs
just sounds a little more in the nasal passage. It should clear up in time. Raising puppies is more expensive than some think.
Putting money aside ahead of doing a breeding for those unexpected things is a necessity when raising puppies. Just feeding these
5 puppies formula every day costs $7.02. I will be starting them on a gruel within the next week. This is when they really start to take
off and grow. They may even start to sleep a little longer between feedings... Phew!!! I am still sleeping in my chair by the puppies
feeding them every 4 hours. It takes about an hour and a half to feed so I am getting about 2-3 hours of sleep between feedings.
Looking forward to a full night sleep!!! I am doing one to two loads of laundry each day. They are currently sleeping on towels.
Looking forward to getting them started on the potty pads. Usually about 3 1/2 weeks along I start them.
10-1-08 Started puppies on gruel today. Their teeth are coming in. The one puppy who is congested is having a hard time eating the
gruel. I am still bottle feeding her.
10-2-08 The pup with the congestion is not eating very well. When she bottle feeds it comes out her nose. She has really good
suction on the bottle and forgets to breath out her nose while she is drinking or maybe she can't. I worry about her aspirating it into
her lungs.
10-2-08 3:50a.m. I decide to tube feed the pup. The rest of them are eating the gruel fine and are doing great. The one pup
occasionally whines and cries and appears to have a hard time breathing. I had the vet out to the house and he thinks she might have
an elongated palate. The others compared to hers look great. Unfortunately this is one of those things we deal with in Bulldogs. We
just generally do not see it in puppies so young. I nebulize her three times a day. I am not sure if it does any good but I still feel like I
need to do something. I am going to have to make a decision soon what to do with her. I most certainly do not want to see her suffer
but also want to give her every chance I can. One of the hardest decisions a breeder has to make......
10-3-08 1:14 am The congested little girl tried to eat some gruel. She wants to eat. Not long after she ate some gruel, she had a bad
spell. She had a few moments where she could not breath. I was so concerned I did some mouth to nose breaths for her. I feel it is
probably best to put her to sleep but am having a hard time making that final decision. VERY HARD! These are the times that can
make or break a breeder......
10-3-08 10:30 p.m. The little girl seems to be doing better today. I have resorted to letting nature take it's course. I have taken her off
the nebulizer and also quit tube feeding her. I am not sure why the change but she seems to be doing much better. The only thing I
can think of is that when I gave her mouth to nose that maybe she had some type of blockage in there that I blew out..... Not sure. She
is eating gruel all on her own and has not had an episode from doing so. She is moving around a bit more and seems to be more
content. She used to wake me up several times at night crying having a hard time breathing but has not done that today..... Keeping
my fingers crossed that the worst is over and she will now start to quickly improve. Send your prayers her way, she needs them.
10-4-08 3:15 pm The puppies are starting to play with each other. Even the little girl who was having trouble is doing great! They are
getting good on all fours now and can get going fairly fast. They do very well at the food dish and even climb right in there. They
make all kinds of noises when you talk to them.
10-5-08 3:20 am The one pup had another episode. She was laying on her back and could not get turned over fast enough. She
vomited and when I was able to get her upright she was having a hard time breathing. All the puppies are on Clavamox to rid them of
the Enterococcus infection they received from Jazz's milk. I am starting to wonder if this girl is having an allergic reaction to the
Clavamox. Two of the side affects are vomiting and difficulty breathing. The other day when I had taken her off the nebulizer and
tube feeding I had also stopped giving her the Clavamox. She did get better for some time. I just started giving it to them again and
she seems to be getting sick again. Going to stop the medication and see if things get better. Hope this is what is causing the issues
with her. Sure seems like a good possibility to me....
10-6-08 The puppies are doing GREAT! Looks as though it was the antibiotics that had been causing her all those issues. She is a
great eater and because of all the special handling LOVES being held. Phew!! Wish I had figured it out sooner but glad it is all over.
Hard to believe they will be 4 weeks old tomorrow. Time sure goes fast!
10-11-08 The puppies moved from the puppy pen to the puppy room (nursery). This means that they went from a raised floored 4x4
pen to a puppy area built into my house. (see above photos) They are old enough where they need more room to run and play. I
gradually increase the size of this area. Timing is everything in giving them more space. If you increase the size of the area too fast
they do not use the potty pads. By gradually giving them more room they don't really notice the difference and still use the potty pads.
They have an area to play and eat and a separate area to potty. This teaches them to potty train quickly and also teaches them to be
clean.
10-12-08 I finally started sleeping in my own bed. I feed them late at night, still feeding them every 5 hours so I am getting up once
during the night. Their personalities are really starting to show now. The white boy is the first one to the food and the last! He is also
the last one to sleep bothering everyone to play while they want to nap. He is very attentive to me and loves my attention. Fergie is
very sweet. I hold her with me and she just loves to cuddle. Dot doesn't miss a thing. I put the food pan in and she wants to come to
me instead! What a sweet girl! Jazz is still bleeding and has shed her coat incredibly. When a bitch has puppies she usually (but not
always) blows coat. Jazz is blowing coat horribly.... She looks really bad. I wanted to get her out in the show ring but will need some
time for her coat to come back in.
10-14-08 Hard to believe it has been 5 weeks. Wish the weather was a little nicer now as I would love to take them outside. Maybe a
few nice days here and there yet to come. I usually wait until they are a little older to get them out but I mostly look at the temps
outside to determine. I am starting them on a very soaked kibble today instead of their ground weaning formula puppy food. Their
teeth are mostly in so should not have too much trouble adjusting. I gradually change the texture of their puppy food. If you dry it out
to quickly they can end up getting hemorrhoids from solid stool..... Yes, I said hemorrhoids! They get constipated too! If this happens
you can use over the counter hemorrhoid cream for humans. Make sure that Mom's are not licking pups bottoms though.
10-26-08 The pups have been growing fast now. They play with each other and have been playing with toys. It is good to expose
them to different items, sounds, & flooring. Always making this a positive thing as to not scare them. Nails should be getting cut every
couple days starting at only 5 days old. Today we took them for a truck ride to a friends house. There they were able to play in new
surroundings and with children. We have had a few families here that have children to introduce the puppies to kids that are well
mannered. I ALWAYS have children sit while being around the puppies and I do not let them HOLD them. They can pet them but the
puppies feet should always be on the ground. If you don't want the puppies to learn to jump when you are raising them you must
NEVER reward them unless there is "4 on the floor". Meaning that they do not get pet or picked up unless they have four feet on the
floor. These behaviors are established early.
11-12-08 Well, the pups are starting to go to their new homes. I am very careful in placing the pups. I ensure that they go to homes
based on a lot of factors. One of them being the energy of the family and the pup. They have to blend nicely!! We have not had a
single poop accident on the potty pads in two days!! That is HUGE!! Timing is everything.... I take them out after eating, drinking,
playing, or napping. I give them a command and take them to the same spot each time. I also do not play with them when we go out to
do our "business". It is potty time... Not play time. We do play time after "business" has been done. I also use the command "go
potty". I never just put them out the door and expect them to do their business. A lot of people think winter is a bad time to potty
train. It is more of a pain for us humans just because we don't want to go in and out of the house when it is cold. Puppies actually
learn faster I
think because when they go outside they get cold and potty.... Also there is not much to distract them such as leaves, pine cones, etc.
I can't believe it has been over 9 weeks. It has been stressful and tiring but also rewarding. Each litter teaches me something new
and with them I gain new friends. I have the best families and am very fortunate for them.
Thank you so much for reading along. I hope this has been informational. Raising a litter of puppies takes time and money. If done
properly with good socialization, vet care, and a 24/7 available schedule it can lead to a successful litter, but sometimes even with all a
person can do a litter is lost or a bitch dies due to unforeseen complications. Breeding Bulldogs is most certainly not for the light
hearted.
Sandy
Bodanna Bulldogs
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This is a breeding blog started for
informational purposes only. People often
ask what is involved in breeding and raising
Bulldogs so I started keeping breeding blogs.
I hope this is helpful and informative. If you
have any questions please feel free to contact
me. I will continue to add more blogs as
breedings take place.
informational purposes only. People often
ask what is involved in breeding and raising
Bulldogs so I started keeping breeding blogs.
I hope this is helpful and informative. If you
have any questions please feel free to contact
me. I will continue to add more blogs as
breedings take place.