As we enter the last "trimester", this has been a pretty good week for Paisley. After close to 3 weeks of really not eating unless “assisted” (aka force-fed), she’s finally regaining her appetite, her mood has greatly improved, and we’re turning the corner on the homestretch to The Big Day. She’s gaining weight at a very nice, steady rate and her tummy girth is increasing as it should. Matt even says she’s getting a “ghetto booty”. She’s definitely got a load of babies in there and is starting to resemble a pretty little blue merle … goat. Still as athletic and agile as ever. I’m just pleased her happy mood has returned, she’s once again giving me the Aussie grin, and is stepping right up to the plate in her new role as Alpha Bitch. The re-producing female usually takes over as Alpha, and Paisley is no exception. Not bitchy but definitely bossy.
Paisley and I both have a weight/fitness plan, though we’re working in separate directions. I go to Jenny Craig on Friday mornings, Paisley always comes along for the ride, and on the way home we go to the vet’s to weigh her as well. Paisley’s weight gain this past week is 2 lb 4 oz. She’s also up just over an inch in waist circumference in a week. Today is Day 42 of a 59-63 day gestation.
Normally at the 30-day mark, I change up their diet, increasing it by about 50%, and reducing the amount of bone in their meals. The usual increase would be more like 25% but because of the high activity level of my girls, I’ve always been able to increase to 50% without having the girls gain too much or grow puppies that were too big. Not to mention, they've always been ravenous. However, with Paisley refusing raw food (on her own) and not consuming any bones, but thinking kibble was at least a little tolerable, I haven’t had to do much. The kibble is a grain-free high quality holistic brand and is perfectly balanced so I know she’s getting everything she needs. In the last few weeks, I’ve been able to spoon-feed her our beef offal mix (yes, I did say spoon-feed, how ridiculous, eh) but now that she’s back to eating chicken pieces and pork ribs, our bone is nicely balanced too. Because of her petite size and the number of puppies the vet sees on ultrasound, I’m sticking closer to the 25% increase as I want to be sure the puppies don’t grow too large for an easy whelping. Hannah gained about 15 lb total with each litter. When you think about it, that’s a lot of extra weight on a dog.
Bone is reduced in the last half of pregnancy because the body has no problem supplying it’s own calcium with a well-balanced diet. Supplementing with extra calcium is actually quite dangerous as it can cause your bitch to develop uterine inertia during whelping. By supplementing with extra calcium, the hypothalamus forgets how to draw it from the body itself. During labor, calcium is extremely important to strengthen contractions and keep them coming. If the body doesn’t know how to draw it’s own calcium, no contractions. During the actual whelping, however, extra calcium is quite helpful to increase the contractions. I always offer my girls vanilla ice-cream about once an hour during the labor process (about 12 hours). The ice-cream not only provides the calcium, but sugar for energy, and a little something to keep them hydrated. An egg yolk mixed with a little corn syrup and some milk is also a whelping favorite. And if the girls aren’t into vanilla ice cream, well sheesh, I still need a little something during the lengthy whelping process, too!
One thing I have made sure she still gets is her very important supplements of omegas and essential fatty acids in the form of salmon oil, Vitamin E, and kelp – all essential for the development of those outstanding Aussie brains we all love and appreciate.
Happy Trails ... Theresa
Paisley and I both have a weight/fitness plan, though we’re working in separate directions. I go to Jenny Craig on Friday mornings, Paisley always comes along for the ride, and on the way home we go to the vet’s to weigh her as well. Paisley’s weight gain this past week is 2 lb 4 oz. She’s also up just over an inch in waist circumference in a week. Today is Day 42 of a 59-63 day gestation.
Normally at the 30-day mark, I change up their diet, increasing it by about 50%, and reducing the amount of bone in their meals. The usual increase would be more like 25% but because of the high activity level of my girls, I’ve always been able to increase to 50% without having the girls gain too much or grow puppies that were too big. Not to mention, they've always been ravenous. However, with Paisley refusing raw food (on her own) and not consuming any bones, but thinking kibble was at least a little tolerable, I haven’t had to do much. The kibble is a grain-free high quality holistic brand and is perfectly balanced so I know she’s getting everything she needs. In the last few weeks, I’ve been able to spoon-feed her our beef offal mix (yes, I did say spoon-feed, how ridiculous, eh) but now that she’s back to eating chicken pieces and pork ribs, our bone is nicely balanced too. Because of her petite size and the number of puppies the vet sees on ultrasound, I’m sticking closer to the 25% increase as I want to be sure the puppies don’t grow too large for an easy whelping. Hannah gained about 15 lb total with each litter. When you think about it, that’s a lot of extra weight on a dog.
Bone is reduced in the last half of pregnancy because the body has no problem supplying it’s own calcium with a well-balanced diet. Supplementing with extra calcium is actually quite dangerous as it can cause your bitch to develop uterine inertia during whelping. By supplementing with extra calcium, the hypothalamus forgets how to draw it from the body itself. During labor, calcium is extremely important to strengthen contractions and keep them coming. If the body doesn’t know how to draw it’s own calcium, no contractions. During the actual whelping, however, extra calcium is quite helpful to increase the contractions. I always offer my girls vanilla ice-cream about once an hour during the labor process (about 12 hours). The ice-cream not only provides the calcium, but sugar for energy, and a little something to keep them hydrated. An egg yolk mixed with a little corn syrup and some milk is also a whelping favorite. And if the girls aren’t into vanilla ice cream, well sheesh, I still need a little something during the lengthy whelping process, too!
One thing I have made sure she still gets is her very important supplements of omegas and essential fatty acids in the form of salmon oil, Vitamin E, and kelp – all essential for the development of those outstanding Aussie brains we all love and appreciate.
Happy Trails ... Theresa
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