Athena is preggie - journal

July 12th 2006
Athena is being checked out at local veterinarin station. X-rays and SA-biopsy are taken. Athena gets to sleep fast, not feeling ill or throwing up at all. X-rays needs to be taken twice, Athena isn't straight in the first picture. After SA-biopsies, Athena gets back to the mattres, and starts waking up. When I go up to pay, Athena is somewhat awake and won't leave me from her sight, so after I pay she walks with wobbly knees back to the car.

At home she sleeps her head clear and I go to work a bit later just to be sure she'll be all right that hour before my fiancé comes back home.

I'm still thinking weather to breed her or not. Not too much of a choise finding suitable sire, even though we can crossbreed colors as we like nowdays. I don't consider black as a choise this time, silver maybe but I would prefer white.

July 18th
Athena's SA-results says it's clear. I've found one place from the skin they've taken biopsies, still 2 to find. I have to say our vet did a brilliant job, small pieces and not cutting a square of an inch hair off.

July 27th
Athenas bathing day. I find 2nd place where the vet took SA-sample. I remove stitches that are left, and I bet she didn't even realize what just happened. When Athena is almost completely dry, I find the 3rd sample place. When all the stitches has been removed and the skin is wiped clear, one can't find the places the samples has been taken.

July 28th
Athena started bleeding yesterday. I've found suitable sire and I'm allowed to use him too. Athena will be bred during show weekend.

August 4th
Athena gets a very breaf judgement from argentinian judge Adolfo Spector and is qualified as very good, being second in her class. It's a very sunny and warm day, Athena's not ready yet. We try breeding her next day.

August 5th
Today we have judge from Japan, Chie Ejima, again qualified as very good and placed 3rd in her class. Athena is somewhat ready, and boy that stud knew what to do with a bitch in heat! I was a concerned how Athena would take the breeding as she thinks all of the dogs are just playmates. Her dam, Salla, tried first only just play with Athenas dad and we were very close to quit and just not to breed Salla. I wouldn't need to worry this time.

August 6th
Third sunny and warm if not hot show day. Athena begings to be tired of shows, and gets qualitified as good by american judge (Betsey Leedy), I'm not surprised. Athena is bred again and again everything goes extremely nice and easy. I would say both are willing and able.

August 11th
Athenas X-rays has been judged at our kennelclub, and are ranked as B in the scale where A is the best and E is the worst.

August 12th
We had visitors today, Athena seemed a bit calmer. Hopes up.

September 1st
28th day of pregnancy and Athena had ultrasound at ten at local veteranian station. We were a bit early there, and as this was first time at this particular vet, there were completely wrong name and size and owner of a dog, poodle anyway. Well, things happen.

It was very calm and soothing at the station, and both vet and assisstent were really nice.

Athena stayed nice and easy on her back all the time. There was 4 clear on right hand side and one at the left hand side, so propably atleast 7 puppies should be there. That is releaving, that many puppie propably won't grow too big and c-section won't be needed either. Hopefully. But we'll see when puppies are ready to born what happens.

About 4 weeks to that moment.

September 10th
Day 37 and waist 21,6 inches. Underline has vanished, and we can see Athenas tummy has been growing some. We already bought some puppyfood, she starts to get it too with her regular food gradually. Frost is still sleeping using Athenas tummy as a pillow.

September 15th
Day 42 and waist 22,4 inches so no big tummy yet. All dogs was dewormed. Athena is her happy self, no signs of calming down yet.

September 20th
Day 46 and waist 23,6 inches. Looks like she's hungry all the time.

September 24th
Day 50 and waist 24,4 inches. I felt first kick today! Have to say I was started to feel a bit worried as no moving was felt and tummy has grown very little, but there is life after all in Athenas tummy.

September 28th
Day 56 and waist 24,8 inches. There's more kicking, but tummy grows still slowly. Athena is quite much herself, glad all over and jumpy, and would like to be in lap most of the time. And hungry. Frost doesn't use her tummy as a pillow, kicking puppies propably doesn't feel too good.

October 2nd
Day 58 and waist 25,6 inches. Temperature yesterday evening 37,7C and going down, today 6 p.m. 37C. I brushed Athena today, left head work for tomorrow but I think I do it today. Puppies were quite quiet, not much kicking so I guess they are getting ready to be born.

October 4th
Day 60. Athena was very distressed all night, well, from yesterday evening. At morning around 6 she woke us up, and from about 7 a.m. I was with her all time. I called to a friend of mine who had promised to come and help us out. At 7.45 was born white girl, weight 0,73Lbs and the friend got here little after that. Another girl was born at 8.50 (weight 0,81Lbs) and at 10.10 white boy (weight 0,74Lbs). We thought that was it, there was a clump that we thought that is propably woomb and so my friend went back to work.

I cleaned whelping box and put clean towels there and then Athena started feeding her newborns. She pushed a bit and I thought that's the rest of the stuff from boy, as the boy came without the usual stuff. I went to kitchen and went back to Athena, and surprise! There was a little girl in a package. She was born about 11.20 weighing only 0,44Lbs.

So Athena whelped 3 girls and a boy. She doesn't seem to be bothered even though our cat is in the box with her and checks puppies. Topaz has taken a quick sniff of puppies and Frost has wtached them from the door, but not closer yet. Have to see how Athena takes it that they are in the same room with her and her puppies.

October 13th
Todays weighing was somewhat interresting. Puppies were thinking it's unnecessary, and my pot where I weigh them is already getting too small for the first three ones.

Anyway, all has grown like a weed. Even the smallest one. Boy weighed 2,24 Lbs, first born girl 1,72Lbs, second born girl 2,11 Lbs and smalles girl 0,86Lbs.

Even though she's so tiny and so behind the other 3, she's got weight quite well and boy she's got guts! When Athena feeds them, she doesn't give up though the threesome gets her ocationally loose the grip by their mass. Then she just climbs over them and finds herself a new place.

October 21st
Puppies eyes started opening week ago, and all have eyes wide open now. They are also started moving, the three biggest are moving quite well, only the smallest one is a bit behind. Two girls tried to climb out of whelping box already, so it's propably quite useless in just a few days.

October 30th
Long sad weekend behind. The smallest girl died friday. Hoping her grandma and unca takes good care of her now. Other puppies has been with us in the living room. They are moving quite well, play fight and tries everything with their little mouths and tiny teeth.

Puppies had their faces, paws and tailsets done sunday for the first time. Not quite perfectly done, but starting to get to know the feeling and noises of the machinery. The boy was so laid back, he didn't care much, he just sat nice and easy when I was shaving his nose. Girls were somewhat excited and specially our miss mercury. Considering this was their firs time, it went very well. Better than I hoped for.

November 11th
Puppies are now 5 weeks old and they've been eating puppy food almost 2 weeks now. Looks like they like it, as well as adult food too. They still go to mommas time to time. Girls playfight mostly together, boy takes a part ocationally. They want to playfight with cat too, sometimes he's the one starting it first. Pees comes quite mostly to paper, poops ocationally too. Such a high speed teething takes care everything got to be tasted, starting from cat litter.

December 1st
Long time since last time. Puppies are old enough to get going their new homes. One of the girls stays with us and the other is going to her new home next weekend. Boy is still waiting for home.

Puppies registered names are Biscuit Bishop's Wild Garlic (boy), W. Lime (our girl) and W. Mustard aka Hilja. They playfight together, and with our cat too. When it gets too rough for the cat, simple quite quiet "meeoow" is enough and puppies lets go.

Puppies has also had their nails done several times, they've been bathed and blow dryed now once and trimmed (both shaving and scissoring done) twice. They'll be bathed and trimmed again this weekend, and hopefully we get some good pictures too.

December 25th
Long time since last time, again. Wild Mustard has gone to her new home 2 weeks ago, and has settled very well. She has older standard poodle gentleman and cats as her playmates. She loves snow, making snow angels and of course eating it, after all, she is very outgoing and curious little girl.

Boy and our girl are growing like a weed, playing both in and out is timely rough and loud. Athena joins them ocationally, and our cat, well, he likes playing with pups too, to certain point. When the play gets too rough he just jumps up on the top of my computer table where he has his own sleeping place.

January 1st 2007
The boy moved to his new home a week ago. Our girl Pinja was clearly dissapointed and was down as her playmate left. The next day was better, she started playing with her mom and our cat, and has been her playful self both in and outside.

This will be the last time I update this journal. Athenas pregnancy went well and easy, puppies were born easy too, and are now getting their new people round their cute little paws. I would like to thank you every one who's been around with this litter, specially our friend helping Athena giving birth.