The 'B' Litter Arrives

Abby whelped seven healthy pups overnight with just the amount of build-up that we’d expect from her. Starting several weeks ago, Abby excavated an elaborate den nestled in the ferns in our backyard. It reaches at least five or six feet deep with a nice cavern at the end. Instinct is amazing!

She was bound and determined to get to that den to deliver her pups, so we kept a close eye (and leash!) on her leading up to the delivery. It wasn’t easy to convince her that the nice box in the living room with fresh bedding and a heating pad was ultimately a better solution than a muddy hole in the ground.

Pre-labor stretched on for longer than expected, so a quick trip to the vet and a reverse progesterone test confirmed that whelping was imminent. In other words, it was going to happen on her own time and not anybody else’s.

The first four pups to arrive were all males, making me a little nervous about the reservations we’d taken for female pups. In the end, we welcomed five males and two females. An eighth puppy—a female—arrived two hours after we thought everything was complete. Sadly, she was stillborn and could not be revived. Despite the joy we felt for the seven healthy puppies, the amount of grief for the lost pup really caught us by surprise.

Abby is exhausted but adjusting well to caring for the puppies. She’s feeding them well and learning the fine art of lowering herself to the ground without squishing any puppies. It’s fun to watch her figure this out! We’re taking turns sleeping by the box to make sure everything goes well overnight, but so far it looks like Abby has this handled.