so now we get the speech--
everyone is soooo hyped on noel's upcoming delivery----and all looks fine-- she is not huge-- but definitely pregnant--because we can feel the pups running laps in her tummy.
all should be fine. but with so many watching i feel i have to warn everyone sometimes things are not fine--- with her last she had 3 lovely beautiful pups plus one that was born dead-- and one that wasn't really a puppy anyway---
it happens--
in delivering pups more than about anything else there will appear a couple people with perfect 20-20 hindsight-- and a whole bunch of things we did wrong-- because their second cousin louie had a litter of pups once under the stairs and they all lived so if i had just let noel have the pups under the stairs all would have been fine.
i can not fight that logic-- because it will be there...
and i chose the example "under the stairs"... because every female about to deliver here tries to get under the porch stairs... a very long time ago i crawled around in that spider filled 24 inch crawl space looking for puppies... and found 2-- and they lived....but i have not intention of letting noel pick her spot.....
there will be a few slightly different proceedures this time----
normally mommy nature has devised a system for severing the umbilical cord which works perfectly.. mom picks up the wad of goop attached to the pup, lifting the pup off the ground- sometimes swinging it around in a most upsetting fashion, at which time the cord stretches and snaps about 5 inches from the pup --- not one drop of blood gets spilled... that system works... however the minute a human decides to cut the cord... there is blood spilled all over --
i know all that
however this time.. we have been asked to save all this "material" for a stem cell project at tufts vet school... so we will be ready with kelly clamps and dental floss to tie off and cut the cord.... the whole - cord cutting thing is totally un-ncessary
i would hate to have anyone think they had to do this----we will also try not to interupt the mother's instinct at cleaning and stimulating the pup -..
i must admit-- i am a great believer in mommy nature...and letting nature take it's course with this cord stretching and eating all the goop... but somewhere not to far from the birthing area is usually some dental floss.. just in case---
with all the pups we have had... there was only one which dripped a little red and we did tie it off... and usually if you see me in there with slippery hands i am just trying to stretch and snap the cord as mommy would do... but this time we are going to tie and cut the cord...and save it all to fedex to tufts--- or they can come pick it up.. whatever...
so get ready..
we were live on abc fr a longtime on sunday--- and they had... over the picture.... "viewers are advised to use their discretion - this is live"
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so ...on we go..... we will start taking her temp a couple times today--- the theory there is -- if we establish her normal temp-- about 100-101 it will drop to 98 which means she will go inot labor within24 hours..
that is old wive's tail #934 -- we have found it true-- and tihe times it was not true we decided we had faulty temp taking timing.
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our puppy call list is on the wall-- the birthing book is ready-- earlene has washed her birthing sweater...
and 1/2 the chicken bricks are sold.... you have 5 days get a chance on becoming the latest member of the prestigious "ipswich shatupon society"
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now.. sound and phone calls at mail call.
someone put all the retreatcardboards in rotation for actual use as poo pickers... so i have suggested you send one cardboar d with your name and phone number -- AND A QUESTION ---on it and we will put them in the bingo roller --
KEEPING IN MIND MY OPINIONS ARE OFTEN "SHEETS IN THE WIND" ( EXCEPT WITH DRYERS NOW-- I BET NO ONE EVEN KNOWS ABOUT SHEETS BLOWING ON A CLOTHESLINE....)
THE PHONE CALLS HAVE BEEN FUN ESPECIALLY WHEN THE SPEAKER PHONE WORKS--- SO SEND IN A 3 X 6 CARDBOARD POO PICKER WITH QUESTIONS AN DPHNONE NUMBERS...
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IT IS TUESDAY.... I HOPE SHELIA CAN SPARE US SOME TIME--- LAST REPORT... SHE SOLD HER HOUSE AND HAS TO BE OUT SOON-- AND HAS NO PLACE TO GO--- EVEN OUR TIPI IS UNINHABITABLE AT THE MOMENT BECAHSE OF ICE BUILDUP...
I AM KEEPING MY EYE ON HER PACKING PROCESS-- AND HAVE THE HORSE TRAILER ALL READY TO GO.... SHE HAS ALOT OF "STUFF" --- I KNOW SHE HAS LOTS OF MANEQUINS, A 20 FOOT LONG CHURCH PEW AND A WAD OF PURPLE RUG.
I AM WATCHING....
