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Showing posts from March, 2014

Mango, Day 53 (pre-parturition)

Mango out for a stroll with her ball! We’re definitely in the home stretch with our Miss Mango. Mango’s tummy is now measuring about 34 inches or 86 cm. She doesn’t seem to have much room for food and really slowing down when she eats. However, she still is very delighted to get treats and there is definitely a waddle in her walk. A true retriever, Mango would retrieve the ball all day long if she could. Shown above she is with her ever-present favourite ball, but at this point she is pretty much only carrying it around in her mouth and guarding it! Even walking in the snow has become difficult with all the extra weight she is lugging around. Golden Retriever puppy fetus. Thanks to National Geographic, the above photo can give you some idea of how the puppies are looking around this time. They have now fully developed their puppy features – however they continue to grow and enter the final stages of their development.  We can easily feel the puppies moving when Mango is l

Bailey, Day 56 (pre-parturition)

Bailey with just one week to go till the big event! The final countdown before Bailey has her pups has begun! Bailey is now surveying the yard for the perfect place to have her babies. We still have about a foot of snow but with her persistent excavation, she has managed to dig so far down she has found dirt beneath it! When we called her to come in, she had mud up to her elbows! Needless to say, a footbath was required.  This week, we set the whelping box up for her and we will put down fresh towels and allow her to sleep and lounge in it. We’re hoping she’ll soon abandon her quest to find her own spot and embrace the warm, clean nest we’ve prepared for her. Bailey continues to have a voracious appetite. We are feeding her three smaller meals daily and it seems if we were to offer her more, she would eat it. Bailey had been doing well throughout her pregnancy and is finally showing signs of slowing down. Her tummy now measures 33.5 inches (90 cm.)   A Golden Retriever puppy fetu

Majestic Mango at 45 days (pre-parturition)

Our two mothers-to-be: Mango and Bailey! Our girl Mango is beginning to show! Her abdomen area has grown to 31 inches or 78 cm. Over the past three weeks she has preferred to keep a low profile and takes refuge from the rest of the gang in our bedroom lying by the fire. She is often found on our large doggy bed or seeking refuge from her personal valet, Jazz. Despite not being the father to her litter, Jazz follows Mango everywhere and constantly shows his affection by licking her head. We hesitate to refer to it as grooming because the result is not always appealing. Mango does get some occasional relief and an opportunity to dry off. Mango is still eating well but usually slower than the other dogs. She is eating very nutritious meals of veggies and fruit, chicken, oatmeal and supplements. Over the next week she will be eating smaller meals more frequently as her tummy will have less room for food. Above is an amazing photo b National Geographic of an embryo at 39 days P

Beautiful Bailey at 46 days (pre-parturition)

Strike a pose! Bailey certainly hasn’t skipped a beat. She continues to be ravenous at mealtime and is enjoying her very nutritious meals consisting of pureed veggies and fruit, chicken, oatmeal, probiotics, prebiotics, digestive enzymes and vitamin C. Our expectant mom is just beginning to show which probably means she doesn’t have many puppies but Bailey is still playing the “princess” card and prefers to lounge quietly by the fireplace. However, when she is out in the yard, she is as active as ever. She will soon begin to search for that perfect spot to birth her puppies. Typically, this is outside in the yard and with all the snow out there, she may have to settle for an igloo! While it will likely take some convincing to get Bailey to change her mind, we have a clean, warm whelping box inside that she will be introduced to this week. Bailey’s abdomen is measuring about 30 inches or 76.2 cm. As she approaches her last 2 weeks of pregnancy, she will begi