Puppies born!!

Rini gave us TEN beautiful puppies on October 28th. We are so proud of her. She began labor at 9:41pm and finished at 4:05am. You can view photos on Picasa here.

The countdown has begun!

Hi guys! Rini's temperature has dropped to 98.5 and she's turned down breakfast, so we are officially on Puppy Watch. If all goes well, we should have puppies in the next 24 hours. I'll post updates as they are available. Right now Rini has retreated to the Cozy Cave and she says everyone should just leave her alone. Poor baby!

Another big belly photo...

Rini's big belly

She really isn't as uncomfortable as she appears. She's still jumping over the couch and jumping up to give us kisses. She has a hard time finding a position to sleep in that's comfortable, but otherwise seems fine. And still we wait =)

And so, we wait...

Rini at 60 days

Day 60

I feel like a kid two days before Christmas. I know where my presents are hidden, but I am not allowed to look at them or shake them (lol). I can see the general shape of them (I think we're looking at 6-10 babies) but I have no idea what they will look like, what kind of dogs they will grow into, what families will love them, and if they will remember me when I see them years from now. I hope so. I hope they remember the hand that gently touched their mommy's belly for hours each day waiting to feel them move.

I know it's unlikely they will "remember" anything from before they were born (especially since they are currently blind and deaf) but I like to think they'll recognize the vibration of my voice from when I used to sing to them. (Yes I said it, I sing to the babies. I am a sap.)

The whelping box

In more practical news, here are photos of the whelping box (so achingly empty) and an expectant mommy who is sick of having her photo taken. =)

Temp is 100.4, her behavior is exhausted but stable (mine is too lol), probably no babies in the immediate future. "Dad" is at the store buying last minute supplies just in case. Grandma aka Chief Midwife is packing, and will be arriving tomorrow night. I'm chewing on my nails. I know, I know, terrible habit.

Counting down ... or are we?

Rini chillin' on her chair

Day 58

Well, Miss Rini started out the day with a temp of 99.3 -- a good sign that her temp was starting to drop. Throughout the day it hovered around 99-99.6ish. Just now (at 11:20pm) it was 100.2 -- so I guess her temp's not dropping yet. She says, "Come on, I've got all week, I'm in no rush!" so I guess we're doing things on her time. =)

I'm posting a photo I took tonight, of her relaxing on her armchair. I made the fluffy bed she's lying on. I don't sew a LOT but I do enjoy sewing for the dogs sometimes. I've made some simple coats, collars, and beds now and then.

So I guess we're just settling in and waiting for Rini to show some signs that she's ready. As I said on Facebook ... it's going to be a loooong week.

Temp is 100.1 -- no puppies tonight

Rini sunbathing in the yard

Day 57

Rini's temp is in the "safe range" so we're not expecting puppies tonight. Her earliest "safe" due date would be tomorrow, Monday, on the 58th day. She is curled up on my feet on a big fluffy bed and says life is good. We are watching "Surrogates" the movie and it promises to be good.

Rini ate a big healthy dinner (with Panacur) which is also a sign that babies are NOT imminent. Usually a girl who is about to whelp will lose all of her appetite. Never fear, Super Daddy is here, thanks to Derek we have baby food (beef and veggie flavor) and vanilla ice cream on-hand for when Rini starts turning up her nose at dog food. We even have beef liver and tripe on hand. For those who don't know, don't ask. They are GROSS but dogs love them both. Until tomorrow, we are all resting here... goodnight!

Oh horrors! Rini went up a size!

Rini in butterfly PJs

Poor, poor pitiful Rini. It's finally chilly here in South Carolina, so I put PJs on the dogs before they went outside after dinner. Poor Rini was distressed to find out that she doesn't fit in her "Medium" anymore ... she had to move up to a "Large". Women know how devastating this can be for a girl's morale. Rini took it in stride, however, and I found a cute butterfly pattern PJ for her to wear. She even posed for a picture for you guys to see. =)

We're still in waiting mode...

Day 56

Rini enjoying a chewie
(Chase in the background)

With temps in the 99's and a high of 100.2 this afternoon, Rini's not going to be going into labor anytime tonight. She seems to be feeling more comfortable today and has been eating better. By "eating better" what I mean is that she finished all of her dinner, shoved Chase out of the way and ate his, and was halfway through Viola's before I caught her. Don't worry, I gave the other dogs each a new bowl of food. =)

Usually I have to protect Rini while she's eating, because Cricket, our black cat, can get pushy and he likes dog food. Today I was occupied doing dishes and putting away the dog vitamins and canned food. Rini is a sneaky little vixen! And she said she was FEEDING HER PUPPIES DARN IT!! So I gave her an ADDITIONAL bowl of one cup of dry food and she ate most of that. I can still see her ribs on her sides, so she's really using all of this extra food! I'm happy to see her appetite returning, because she went a few days where she was barely eating her meals and I was worried about her. That's another sign of impending labor, they start turning down all food.

"Labor can take
HOW MANY hours??"

The EARLIEST the puppies can be born without any problems is this Monday, day 58. We are hoping she will go longer, because they would still be considered preemies at that stage and would probably require supplementing and we might have weak puppies. So we are hoping she makes it until at least Wednesday or Thursday if she's going to be early. Ideally she'll wait the entire time and whelp on time, the 31st.

If you're on the waiting list and you did NOT receive an email from me yesterday titled something like "Rini Update 10/22" with information about what to expect, please email me at johannah@timbreblue.com and let me know because I don't have you on my list.

I also urge everyone on the waiting list for this litter or considering a whippet to join our Timbreblue Pupwatch email list, which is for new owners or people considering whippets. Please join and introduce yourself! You can ask any and all questions there and not be afraid of people "flaming" you -- we don't put up with that! Everyone is polite and helpful. Here is the link: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/TimbrebluePupwatch/

Another couple of photos...

Rini wants to know
why she is still awake.

Because I'm excited and I can't help posting a few more photos of Miss Reeners... here you go. =)

Her temp is still in the normal range. Today we took it four times, according to the new protocol. We'll be "on high alert" when it gets down to the 97 range. Today's temps were 100.0, 99.9, 99.7, and 99.5 so a slow gradual drop but nothing scary. Tomorrow we'll take it first thing in the morning and three more times.

So far her appetite is great and she's still getting plenty of exercise although she doesn't feel like it. I took her for a 1/2 mile walk in the evening when it was nice and cool. She was quite chipper!! I'm going to try 3/4 mile tomorrow and see how she does with that.

BIG BELLY!

I'd like to have her doing a mile a day. I was doing two miles a day with her up until about a week ago when she said she'd rather sleep. But I think she'll enjoy it now that the temperature is down and it feels so good outside.

Counting down...

Day 54

Rini on Day 54

The puppies' birthday is getting closer and closer! Rini is feeling very tired these past few days and has been resting a lot. I had a bed set up for her next to Viola's cozy cave but she has been sleeping under my feet at the computer table, so I moved a big fluffy bed over there and put it where she has been sleeping, I think she really appreciates it and has been flopping down there pretty often.

Her temps today have been in the low 100s so we're feeling pretty confident that we're still a few days out. Her earliest due date would be Monday at day 56. We have the whelping box put together, supplies assembled, vet on alert, and we're ready to go!

Wednesday PM update

Rini's temp: 100.1

Rini on the big comfy bed I
put at my feet for her.

Nothing to worry about ... we're going to get great sleep tonight. Derek put together the whelping box today so we are all ready! We still need to unpack our heat lamp and get it set up, and put together a warming box with a heating pads and some towels to keep pups warm while their sisters and brothers are being born. I'm posting a big belly pic for you to enjoy =)

Wednesday AM Update

Day 53
Rini's temp: 99.7 which is a little low but not in the "whelping soon" range. We're looking for drop to about 97 which will happen when she is within about 24 hours of giving birth. I'll be checking her temp twice a day now, and three times a day starting Friday. Exciting times!!

Rini, are your babies sleeping?

Bigger and bigger she grows...

Rini on Day 52

DAY 52
Updated big belly photo attached. Rini gets bigger every day. She is now having trouble jumping up on the couch. She can do it, but you can tell it's tough and she hesitates a little longer each time.

In other, really good news, we found a house in Virginia! It looks like we will be living in Buckingham, Virginia, on a 25-acre farm with antique farmhouse. It looks absolutely perfect, we're just going to get a few more photos and then visit once before making up our minds. But right now things look promising, and we'll be only 1-1/2 hours from Mom and Dad instead of 6!

We felt the babies move!!

Last night, cuddling on the couch with Rini, we both felt the babies move. It's so exciting! It really is the miracle of life. A good friend's litter was born last night and it was so beautiful and awesome to have Rini with us while their puppies were being born and we were saying "next it will be us!"

Baby Mama's just chillin'

Day 51
We call her Baby Mama because she's so young ... and here she's just chillin' out, letting it hang out and not caring a bit what anyone thinks. You go girl, Baby Mama! Don't let anyone tell you different.

An updated belly photo!

Rini enjoying the Cozy Cave

I managed to snap this photo today of Reeners enjoying the Cozy Cave. We LOVE it, the dogs love it, and Rini rarely manages to steal it from Viola. So enjoy the moment! And just LOOK at that BELLY!

What, no more food?

Day 47

More food please?

I'm attaching a photo of "Little Mama" who is enjoying all of the extra food and special attention. She says she could eat like this ALL THE TIME and be perfectly happy. I told her not to count on it. She gets filet mignon flavored canned food with all of her meals, and extra snacks in between meals, pretty much food anytime she wants it. She needs to keep her glucose level and she needs to keep bringing in calories because the babies are still developing.

We're on Day #47 out of approximately 59-63, so we're getting down to the finish line. Tonight my husband Derek is putting together the whelping box in the "whelping suite" (aka our former master bedroom) so we'll let Rini get used to that and little does she know she'll be spending a lot of time in there =) We'll set up the spare computer and webcam in there, to do a test and make sure everything is set up properly.

Right now we can easily feel the puppies, and according to the whelping calendar we should be able to feel them move by the 16th! If we can capture movement on video we'll post a video of the puppies kicking. With whippets, because they carry so little body fat, you can often SEE them moving under the mother's skin.

When we have one week to go we'll schedule a last prenatal visit with our vet and get her x-rayed to see approximately how many pups we are to expect. X-rays are more reliable than ultrasounds for counting the
number of babies. I'll post a photo of the x-ray for you all to see. It's neat in a geeky, scientific kind of way. =)

Mom (Sharyn Hutchens) is arriving on the 29th to help with final preparations and to be here for the birth and first few days. It's definitely a big relief for my mind to know I have someone with much more experience than I do helping with the litter! It will also really help with those first few sleepless nights to have three people on duty.

There's always room...

DAY 46

Rini with Daddy

There's always room for a cuddle whippet! Miss Rini may be getting awfully BIG but there is still room for her to cuddle with Dad ... he just has to sit forward a bit =)

We're settling in to a routine now. Derek gets up way earlier than I do, so he lets Rini outside first thing and then offers her some dry food to settle her stomach and keep her glucose level. The goal is to get her small amounts of nutrients constantly throughout the day. When I get up around 9 or 10am I feed everyone their breakfast, and Rini gets about 3/4 cup kibble with two tablespoons of canned food, omega 3 capsule, vitamin E capsule, and her folic acid tablet. Just like a human mommy she has to get her folic acid!

We keep a bowl of one cup of dry kibble in the kitchen and offer it to Rini several times a day. She's not too shy about letting us know when she wants some food!

She gets a small lunch of about 1/2 cup dry kibble and canned, soaked in hot water. Then dinner is later at night, around 9pm. It's a repeat of breakfast (minus the folic acid) plus a packet of Panacur. We give pregnant girls Panacur starting at 40 days to ensure the puppies are born worm-free. It also helps give us higher birth weights.

I'd say overall she's eating about 3 cups of food per day. She doesn't always eat all of the dry food, but some days she wants a bit more, so it evens out. She's feeling good, running in the yard with the other dogs and getting plenty of exercise. It's so darned hot here that I've been trying to keep her from running too much, but some exercise is good for keeping her fit and healthy so she'll have a smooth delivery.

Carsickness or morning sickness? Ugh either way...

Day 43

Supersized Rini! Day 43

I wish I could report that the drive home from Virginia was as carsickness-free as the drive up there, but alas... my poor girl's tummy didn't hold up past the first curve on Mom's mountain road. She puked three times BEFORE we got on the interstate, if that gives you an idea of how things went. Once you're on a straight road they usually settle down and sleep. She settled down, but then I made the mistake of stopping for gas ... yep, sick again. Poor baby mama dog. I probably should not have given her breakfast, but I didn't want her to miss a meal and nutrients for the babies.

I'm attaching a photo of Mama Rini curled up in her human daddy, Derek's spot on the couch. Yeah, when you're preggers, you get certain extra perks in our house.

It's sinking in...

Day 40
It's sinking in that in about three weeks I'm going to have little tiny miniature whippets in the house again and life will be turned upside down. I'm very excited, but also nervous. What if something goes wrong during the whelping? What if Rini needs a c-section? There are so many things to worry about ... but in the end everything works out and as long as mommy and babies are happy and healthy everything is fine.

Rini is happy as a clam getting anything she wants to eat. This week she decided she likes canned food and kibble separated and would rather they not be in the same bowl. She's so crazy ... but I'll do anything to make sure she eats a nutritious meal and she knows that =)  She's a little princess and a diva but she makes my world complete so I do whatever it takes to make her happy. She's such a little drama queen too, if she's rejecting dinner she'll either turn away disdainfully like, "how could you insult me so?" or she'll look at the food, look at me, look at the food, and let out a huge SIGHHH... crazy whippet!!

Traveling while pregnant...

Rini feeling a little carsick but ok!

DAY 39
Most whippets have a problem with carsickness until around the age of 2 or 3, but this is easily solved by giving a tablet or two of meclizine (Dramamine 2) at least an hour before getting in the car. This helps nausea and vomiting, and most whippets will get over their carsickness or fear of cars if they aren't getting sick every time they get in the car. Rini ALWAYS takes her meclizine and NEVER gets sick. I tried one trip without, and spent the next day washing blankets and towels. Yuck.

However. Meclizine is a "Class B" drug for pregnancy, and has been shown to cause cleft palates in lab rats at high dosage. You can bet your boots I'm not giving my Reeners any of that. So we toughed it out ... the road from SC to VA is not incredibly smooth, and not incredibly straight. She swayed and she drooled, she moved from the back to the front of the car, she tried riding in the seat next to me (no good), right behind my seat (nope) and the very back (ok for a while, but not for the whole trip). Eventually she settled down about halfway back, and slept. All the way to Virginia, and no carsickness! YAY!!

Rini's updated belly photo...

DAY 37

Rini on day #37

It's almost time to begin our Panacur Protocol. Starting on day 40, we give pregnant girls Panacur every day until two days after the puppies are born. This ensures that the puppies are born worm-free. Other breeders wait and just worm the puppies, but we have never had puppies born with worms by following this protocol, and our puppies are larger and healthier than some others. Our puppies average around 11-13 ounces at birth.

Rini says mashed potatoes are good for the babies...

Jo and Rini just chillin'

DAY 36
Rini has been using her "condition" to get special favors. She asks for yogurt, I give her yogurt. She asks for a bit of my dinner, and I give her a bit of meat or some rice or something. NOT AT THE TABLE mind you, but pretty much immediately. I don't allow any of the dogs to beg ... but somehow Rini gets anything she wants ... it's "for the babies" of course!

Tonight with dinner we are having Derek's special mashed potatoes, which include caramelized onions and garlic, fresh rosemary, milk, butter, and sour cream. I agree with Rini ... yum! But since they have onions and garlic included, she's not allowed to have any ... poor Reeners!!

Here's a video of Miss Rini

In case you were wondering, it's pronounced "Reenee" ... she was named for Aquamarine, her litter was the gemstone litter of Juliet's. Here's a video of Miss Rini relaxing at home and playing with my hand. Crazy girl!

Photos don't do her justice...

Rini's getting her beauty sleep

The photos of Rini's belly really don't do her justice. She is as big as a house! Every day she gets bigger and bigger.

I was looking at photos of Chippy's pregnancy and Chippy was bigger at this stage, but she's a much bigger dog overall. Rini is so petite that any extra weight shows on her.

She's still very active and dashing around the yard playing with Viola and Henry, so it's not slowing her down any, but she is taking a lot of naps. We're taking her for daily walks to keep her in shape so when she's in labor she'll have the stamina to make it through the whole ordeal, especially if she has lots of puppies like her mother, Juliet, whose last litter was 12 live puppies. Yowzer!!