Well, I arrived home Monday morning around 2 am after traveling and being awake for close to 27 hours! (I don’t recommend that :P) But it is really hard to sleep in airports and on airplanes, and then there was the 2+ hour drive home from the airport. But we all made it home safely and had quite an adventure (which I hope to share more about later).

I did get about five hours sleep after returning home, but woke up about normal time and started on morning chores.

We had actually considered (and wanted to) stay in Spokane that night then come home the next day, but hubby had mentioned in our messages that Rosie was kind of restless and he thought she was close to delivering her pups (Okay, so those vacations plans were made to end a bit too close for comfort! I always write down in my planner when a girl is due; sixty-three days from the first day she was bred. Sixty-three days is the average gestation period, but I wasn’t thinking precisely enough, because my girls rarely go clear to the sixty-third day before they deliver. And I just cut that way to close! So home we came.

I got a few things done, but after not much sleep during travel time or when I got home, the time change and trying to get over the cold my son shared in our close quarters (we traveled around in a camper/van) I was pretty worthless most of the day. Don’t laugh, but I think I took three naps and went to bed before nine pm. Rosie was a bit restless, but it seemed to be pre-labor indications and I didn’t notice her contracting, pushing or anything that meant serious labor.

Tuesday morning came and I let her out around 6:30 am to potty and noticed she was dripping what looked like amniotic fluid…uh, oh. I checked her and could feel a puppy in the birth canal. I took care of the other dogs, got dressed and took her outside again hoping the exercise would stimulate some “action”. She still didn’t act like she was laboring. After checking her a second time, I could feel the pup had actually slid further back now.

A call was made to our vet with an explanation of the situation and her stating “she would let the girls know to get things ready”. We were looking at a caesarian section for a possible stuck pup!

I got there as quickly as I could, feeling bad for my poor uncomfortable girl in the backseat.

X-rays were taken which showed the one pup lined up at the birth canal and another in one horn and three more in the other horn. (Did you know a dog’s uterus is shaped like a “Y” with two “horns” to it? Puppies can develop in each side. )

Rosie was hooked up to an i.v. and prepped for surgery while the doctor finished her current surgery. We also decided to do some blood work and check her thyroid. I know that an overweight dog can sometimes have a more difficult time delivering and had mentioned to the doctor how Rosie is always “fluffy” even when she’s not pregnant. She thought checking to see if her thyroid was functioning properly would be a good place to start.

(In recovery)

Then she was whisked off to surgery! Not long after the babies were delivered; two were deceased (the one in the birth canal and the one following it), but thankfully we were surprised with four live puppies! Instead of the original five, the doctor thought she saw on the x-ray, there were actually a total of six. I’m sad that the two did not make it but very thankful that Rosie is okay and we have four beautiful reddish, apricot puppies to love and cherish (three girls and one boy).

(Keeping warm in their incubator)

(warming Rosie up as she recovers)

(Rosie’s finally awake enough to meet her pups)

(Getting their first meal)

(Still sleepy)

(“Why do I feel so funny, mom?”)

(Even though she wasn’t quite fully feeling herself she started cleaning her puppies)

(“Can we go home yet?”)

Oh, and remember that thyroid test we did? The vet walked by later and said, “Thyroid is normal. Your dog is just a pig.” Bhahahaha!

(Breakfast is served the next morning!)

*I have a sad update.* Yesterday we lost one of the girls. So now we’re down to half the litter that “should’ve been”. And as unfortunate and sad as that is, it is the reality of raising dogs. Sometimes sucky stuff happens.

So I’m back to sleeping on the couch (Yeah, I had one full night’s sleep in my own bed!) and playing hover mother during the day. And we’ll carry on with getting Rosie and her remaining babies through the first couple of critical weeks. <3