Head count

Head count.....well..skull count is 8 for sure, possibly a ninth hiding under the chicken back/necks she had for breakfast :) :) OOOOPS! Forgot about the fasting!

Ell has gained a mere 7 pounds, with a week to go, but she is already miserable. She is carrying most of them up under her ribs, and her diaphragm (according to radiographs) is pushing up into her lungs and heart, causing her to pant excessively and be very uncomfortable. She's already sleeping in the whelping box and she gathers all the blankets and makes a huge pile and then lays across the top of it, with the 'peak' of the pile under her front armpits. Poor girl. She's so crabby and Ava is super bored now that Alamo is gone to his Seattle home. She's eating well, four meals a day that are smaller. Lots of liver, kidney and mackerel, burger, necks/backs etc. She's getting a few supplements now like Vit E, Vit C and I'm still searching for Vit B complex for dogs. I asked my old roomie who is a pharmacist and she said they don't have drops for infant people for B, but they have them for C, D, and E. I wonder if the B complex I use for my Sheep would work? Thoughts?

I'm coming down to the wire and can't seem to find anything.

I'm also panicked about her whelping, since Zoe's random ordeal. I've talked with several other breeders and they say rest periods are normal, as are 1-2 hours between puppies (live ones even). Can I try to be patient like that? the waiting for 8 weeks is nothing compared to the minutes between puppies! I'm a little gun shy but realize she will probably be fine. I have my vet and a vet tech on stand by for when she goes in to labor, they'll both come over to help, and are prepared to do an emergency section on her, even though they don't do emergency surgeries after hours or on weekends! Isn't my vet the greatest??!!

The vet measured all the puppy skulls and Ell's pelvis opening and they will all easily pass through . It appears there is one smaller pup than the rest, but otherwise all look uniform.

I know Pilot carries black, and Ell SHOULD carry black as her sire is black. If my genetics are correct, I should also get reds/sables from Ell, but not sure if Pilot carries that? I could get pinks if they carry that, I can get fluffs and I could get mismarks...Ell had a mismark litter sister I believe.

I'm sure, my luck is all puppies will be brindle, or the reds/blacks will be fluffs or mismarks. Or I could get a whole litter of BOYS like Denise did....LOL. Oh that was kinda suck. I'd like to run a girl and a boy from this litter, but who knows what will shake out. So many plans and they aren't even here yet.

Patience was never my strong suit.....