I shot a video this morning of Nellie letting Cassidy know that she is getting tired of nursing. Before I could get the video going, they did a little dance for about 5 minutes where Cassidy tried to nurse and Nellie turned in circles as she tried to pull Cassidy's head away from her teat. Cassidy finally got the hint and went over to the food bowl to eat some kibble. Don't feel too bad for her, she had just finished eating her morning canned food so it's not like she was starving.
All of the puppies are eating well. We split two large cans of Canidae grain-free dog food between the eight of them three times a day. So each pup is getting about 3/4 of a can of food a day, plus all the kibble they can eat. (There are two bowls which are refilled as needed.)
What a difference 10 days makes! I hadn't weighed them since April 15 and they have all gained substantially.
Liam, the runt, is up to 5 lbs. 3 oz. from 2 lbs. 14 oz. Ciara, the second smallest, is up to 5 lbs. 13 oz. from 3 lbs. 5 oz. Cassidy, the other little girl, is at 6 lbs. 11 oz., up from 4 lbs. 2 oz.
On the other end of the range is the brute of the bunch, Fergus, who tips the scales at 8 lbs. 1 oz. He was 4 lbs. 14 oz. just 10 days ago! He is going to be a massive dog. He is very muscular and solidly built -- it's not baby fat. He is the one that is all white with the black ears and nose. I love him and am going to be very particular about who adopts him. OK, to be honest, Jean Keating and I are going to be very particular about who adopts ALL of them.
Beckham, the one with the gray patches, is very close behind Fergus, weighing in at 8 lbs. even. He was 4 lbs. 8 oz. just 10 days ago.
In the middle of the pack are Aiden, Bono and Kegan. They are respectively 7 lbs. 14 oz., 7 lbs. 7 oz. and 7 lbs. 3 oz., up from 4 lbs. 14 oz., 4 lbs. 6 oz. and 4 lbs. 8 oz.
I am trying a new setup with the X-pen where it is clipped together away from the wall. Gross alert: The other way I had it (where I incorporated the wall with the pen) they kept pooping on the wall. Don't ask me why or how. I'm just hoping to prevent it. We completely change out the papers and wash the floor twice a day. In between, we thrown down new layers of newspaper as needed. If you tune into the puppy cam and see poop, I apologize. But we are doing our best (without taking a leave of absence from work to constantly monitor them.)
So is Cassidy the last one to nurse?
Posted by: Todd Carter | 04/26/2012 at 11:44 AM
Nope, they are all still trying. She lets them for a few seconds and then walks away. I think they pretty much keep trying until they are separated. But they will be fine sans milk, as evidenced by how well they are eating on their own.
Posted by: Tanya Irwin | 04/26/2012 at 08:14 PM
u have been following your care of nellie and her puppies for five weeks. u r an excellent and loving foster mother and dad for all the hard work and time u have put into caring for them, i have to laugh sometimes because like children then can be little stinkers, we need more people in this world who love and care for animals as u do. r u keeping nellie or will she go back to the shelter? i will miss observing them
Posted by: peggy degnan | 04/27/2012 at 06:32 AM
Thanks, Peggy! Nellie will definitely not go back to the pound. She'll be up for adoption through the Lucas County Pit Crew once all the pups are adopted and I have a chance to fatten her up a bit. She's still very skinny. And then once she's adopted, I'll have my "foster" space open to take more :)
Posted by: Tanya Irwin | 04/30/2012 at 11:42 AM
lol that is too funny glad all the pups are healthy
Posted by: Atlanta'sfinest | 08/09/2012 at 02:37 AM