Long and Exhausting Night and Day!

I really thought we had a couple more days. So much so, I hadn't taken out all of my whelping supplies, only began gathering the box and getting ready to put it all up in our guest room. When Colada started panting at 1am when we all went to bed, I wish I had taken a more serious note of it.  She had been eating all day and showed no other signs of labor. Off to bed I took her assuming Tuesday was going to be the day - Day 62. But at 3:45am the heavy nesting began in our bed and from there, the night/morning really started.

I set up her whelping box in my bedroom and ran around gathering supplies She panted and nested just about long enough for me to get everything, when the whole house could hear her screaming at 5:40am. By 5:47, the first puppy arrived, but even by dim light, I knew something looked odd. The placenta and sac with the pup in it all came out as one. Since this was her whelping, I wasn't surprised when she continuously licked and didn't go immediately for the placenta or cord - How could she tell the difference at this point? I ripped the sac open and cut the cord. That's when I got a glimpse of what we were dealing with. The puppy was TINY! A 2 1/4 ozs. girl that was skinny, skinny.  I brought her into the light when I weighed her and to me, she looked a chocolate blue. Still a bit wet but once she dried I would know more. With the first one out, Colada seemed calmer, as if anticipating what the rest of the night would bring and the panic had subsided.

For the next hour and 10 minutes, she lay on her side, trying to keep her puppy warm and allow her to nurse. The puppy simply was not able to latch on. She patiently waited for her to try to get her first meal AS she pushed out her second puppy. Seriously! She looked so calm and confident! Plop! Out it came at 6:56 am and this time, her instincts kicked into gear. This placenta wasn't as attached to the sac but it was nonetheless, not what I have seen before. She chewed at the cord vigorously while I gave a hand in getting the sac off the puppies face. Within a minute or two, I had her second puppy in my hand and weighed. Another at 2 1/4 ozs. and this time a blue and white boy.

The third puppy made it's way out less than 10 minutes after the previous. This one's placenta was completely covering the sac and Colada again was bound and determined to do what her instincts were driving her to do. I was honestly amazing that she could find the cord in that cocooned mess and eat the placenta only. She opened the sac but I knew instantly that we were in trouble. The puppy wasn't breathing and I began the steps for resuscitation. I brought it into the brighter light and saw my efforts were in vain. This solid blue female was a still-born pup and was a bit under developed.

This is when things got rather hairy. My guess of three puppies was obviously wrong because she started pushing again to deliver her fourth pup. While moving the first two puppies into the heating box so she could focus on the task at hand, I saw something odd with the little boy but the lights were so dim, I couldn't tell exactly what I saw. Back into the bright light I went, only to discover the poor little guy's belly tore just to right from where his cord was chewed off and his intestines were exposed. My husband jumped in to hold wet gauze on the boy while I helped delivered the fourth pup. Not knowing exactly how the tear in the boy's belly occurred, I didn't want an overzealous mommy to   possibly harm another pup. At 7:47 am, I grabbed the "puppy cocoon" as quickly as I could so I could cut the cord. Once I got the sac off, I realized this puppy (another solid blue female) was also underdeveloped and still-born.

At this point, I realized I was dealing with premature pups and most likely the belly tear was because his paper thin skin couldn't bare the yanking. These types of tears are actually rather common with overzealous mommy dogs and I knew if we were able to get to him in time, there was a chance to save him. Pushing the innards back in and then taking him to the vet for a stitch or two would totally do the trick. Unfortunately, the time spent tending to the third and fourth pup was a bit too long. Every move, wiggle and whine only pushed out more.  I knew my chances were very, very slim but he was a fighter so I was going to do my best to help him fight!

Off to the emergency vet he and I went. Luckily, the closest one is only 7 minutes from my house - The same one we went to for Baby's c-section! I got there at 8:25 am and prayed we could save him. It didn't take long for them to tell me that his chances were extremely slim and that the incision they would have to make was no longer possible. The decision to put him out of his misery was made.

If any of you have been to the emergency vet, you will know what it is I am about to describe. No one on the waiting room is there for a happy reason. Tears and worry are the norm and an ear or shoulder are desired. The nameless new friends you make in a place like that are often times just what you need during a time of loss or tragedy. These nameless new friends that wait anxiously to be called back for an ounce of encouraging news. I listened to the stories of the reasons the others were there and prayed for the furry friends that were were behind the door, realizing I was the only one that already knew the unfortunate out come of my patient. When it was asked what brought me there so early on a Sunday morning, my story was tearjerker but also resulted in a name for our sweet little girl back home with her mommy! I shared how I name my dogs and that Colada was actually Pina Colada - and one of my new nameless friend suggested"Absolute" - because she was! PERFECT!

Right about then, the vet tech came out and called my name, handing me our sweet little boy, wrapped up and now ready to be placed with our sweet Mo and Margie beside the Oak Tree in our yard. I know I only knew him for a couple hours, but he touched my heart in ways I will never forget. A fighter from second one. I cried all the way home.

And the first thing I did was check on mommy and baby. She is clearly a preemie, struggling to suckle off mommy. With my help, I was able to help her get her first few sips of mommy's milk but we have a long road ahead of us. I don't think she is that premature. If she and her litter mates had baked maybe two or three more days I think this morning would have been a completely different story. But it is what it is, and together we are going to do all that we can to pull her through this.  Welcome to the world Absolute!