ColliesHorsesArtLove

Puppy Toy News Flash!!!!!

Here they are!!! Cardiff is getting one of the geckos. Laura made me get the little cow. It's so cute.

My Day Off

Laura and I went to Reno early this morning to watch the Sierra Nevada Collie Specialty. It was fun, and a nice break, but the entry was pretty sad. The show was over in a hour, so we went to Pet Edge's warehouse so I could get puppy toys & lots of shampoo, then we had All You Can Eat Sushi at The Atlantis. THAT was SOOOO YUMMY!! We also shared some Sake and even though the bartender took forever to warm up my drink, (he must have boiled it) it was worth the wait! Laura and I laughed at way too much dumb stuff and figured we need to drive up there more often!! Not everyone wants to sit at a sushi bar and indulge on raw fish. It might be my favorite thing to eat!!!

Sue puppy sat for the day and got these photos. Thanks a TON Sue for watching everyone (including the red hunting dog) and sending me photos! Yeah!!! 

The above photo is the little boy and Sage's soft and adorable underside. Her hair is growing in (thank God!!) but she's rather odd looking.

This photo cracks me up. The little boy is taking a dive into Tirzah's tail. I asked Sue what was on Tirzah's nose ~ she said the tip of his tail. Hahaha!! 

Puppy Boy and baby blue toys.

Puppy Boy.....so sweet!

Sage ~ in this photo she looks like an Entais collie......no stop!! Hahaha!! Like Punky with a big round muzzle and nice underjaw!

My little Butterball!

Ok next puppy post I'll promise to have all the darling puppy toys I got at Pet Edge.

Puppy Toys

I'm looking at Pet Edge for some baby puppy toys for the Sage & SuperCuteBrother. The ones I have are packed somewhere, maybe never to be found til I die, so I figure getting some new toys is a good idea. I was on Pet Edge's site http://www.petedge.com/product/Toys-Treats/Dog-Toys/Puppy-Toys/Zanies-Kutie-Pies-Plush-Dog-Toys/pc/195/c/230/sc/910/45196.uts  and found these. 

I want all of them! There is a squeak feature on the page that I had to click and of course Tirzah was very concerned about that so she went over to the other side of the bed with all the big dog toys and brought this one over for the puppies and dropped it in the whelping box. She cracks me up. What a good mommy!! At least she'll socialize the puppies to strange things in their environment if I miss a day. If I did this to the chickens they'd all freak out. They circle whatever it is (new food usually) in a wide berth and just stare like it's a UFO. But, chickens don't have to be too normal. Just my puppies!

No Biting No Kicking No Bucking No Rearing

And No Getting In My Space! Got it????????

Khaliq had her 2nd trim by my hoof guy Phil last night. I've tried to do her feet by myself and if I would actually do ground work with her (like my AMAZING friend Donna does with her horses), I could do the feet myself. But I am lazy. Or not as talented and I'm ok with that. So I had Phil come out. I like him. He's good with the horses and his timing is spot on for proper corrections. Khaliq fought him a little bit, then decided it was just better to be a good girl and have soft eyes that watch him, not wild Arabian eyes that bug out wondering where mommy is screaming from. When that happens butts swing around, hooves fly, etc and that's how the trimmer gets hurt. Or, you know what I mean. She's not Chihuahua size so respect is super important. Isn't she pretty?????

Where's my mommy?????

This is better. Soft eyeballs. I LOVE this filly!!!!

Apparently a little nibbling is ok.

O oh Khaliq........remember to pay attention to the hoofy guy!!!

This is better. Like Phil says, a horse can stand on 3 feet easily.

This is good. Nice and soft and not bashing the trimmer. We want him to come back.

Best friends.........awwwhhhhhh.........

Puppies ~ 2 Wks Old ~ Just When You Think It's Safe.......

to put the tube feeding equipment away.................

Yesterday morning both puppies were looking great. Nursing, happy, happy happy.

Then around 10 am I noticed the puppy boy was not wanting to nurse. I wait a little bit because maybe I missed a massive nursing fest. The problem is he's whining and not happy. Several hours later, talking to breeder friends and taking a trip to the market to get some simethicone in case he had gas, which I think he might, I take everyone to the vet.

I had an appointment today because of the hair loss on Sage. She's starting to look mangy. Fok. I have never had a puppy look like this. I started to feel bad, like I had some filty bedding and was a loser breeder with icky little bugs, except I'm pretty anal about keeping clean bedding.

I luckily saw my "regular" vet, or new vet in this area, who has been helping me since the ultrasound. Tirzah and Sage looked great, but the little boy had a fever of over 103 and his lungs didn't sound too good. She took an x-ray and found out he had a mild case of pneumonia. The only thing we could figure out is he aspirated milk into his lungs. I noticed a couple (literally like 2 or 3) coughs/gags earlier in the day & the night before, but puppies do that. Anyway they took him and hydrated him sub-q while I kept myself from crying too hard in the exam room. 

I was to give him Clavamox every 12 hours and tube him if he didn't nurse on his own. In the meantime, my vet looked at the puppies and Tirzah and did skin scrapings, trying to figure out what the hair loss was from. On the phone earlier she just about accussed me of having a flea infestation (of which I haven't since the early 1980's when I lived in the bottom half of a house that literally had a RIVER running thru it during the rainiest season ever. That was back in the day I used heavy chemicals without a thought and couldn't get rid of the fleas. We moved eventually and that was the last fleas for the most part). She told me I needed to get my bitch on Frontline asap. I just about vomited when she said that. I told her I did not have fleas and I don't do Frontline. Then she got snippy with me about not taking care of the problem properly. This is where I need to be strong. Before I left I had a conversation about what I will and won't do with my dogs and told her if she had a problem with it I can get another vet. She was sooo cool and told me she has many clients who raise their dogs as I do and didn't have a problem with me. She just asked that I listen to her side and she'll listen to mine. I'm good with that. And really the proof is in the pudding. 

She did skin scrapings on Sage & Tirzah and only found normal dog dander. She also examined Tirzah and said "This bitch doesn't have fleas.". Duh. After talking for a while she did say puppies will lose fur if they've had a fever. All I can think is last week after the mastitis episode Sage was a little funny for about 1 1/2 days with nursing. She seemed like she didn't feel well and now I think she had gotten a little fever from the icky milk. So, that would make sense. I hope. God. The hardest litter I've ever had.

I came home, tubed the little boy and he was still not feeling well for several hours. I was still so stressed. I took his temp around 7 or 8 pm and it was down. At 10 pm he made a good, though weak effort to nurse. I felt better. At 12:30 am he woke up and it was like nothing ever happened. He nursed like he was starving! Yeah!!! So, I took a picture with my cell phone. Another day. All is good so far. 

Little chow hounds!!! No, I mean, little piggies. Or something like that. I slept good last night. They are now walking on all fours and eyes are almost open on Sage.

Sunday Evening ~ Fall Is In The Air

Aura & Summer ~ waiting for dinner ~

So pretty. In 2 weeks is Tevis. What a weird year this will be for that race. Hopefully the highest completion rate and definitely the most interesting. In the meantime, fall showed up today. Will it stay or will summer come back a couple more times? Right now I kinda like the coolness in the air.

Should I Update Today???

Ok. I will. Sage & Tirzah. 

Sage is a Shop Vac. She has rubbed all the fur off of her belly. This is weird. No where else. Has anyone ever seen this with their puppies?

They are cows today.

Dinner Time ~ The Big Ordeal

Picky Licky......Eat your food!!!

Tirzah has been off of her food for days, but finally started to eat a few nights ago. Last night she got a chicken foot from Ty's crate in the garage, then had to bring it into the whelping box and just hold it in her mouth. This cracked me up. I have so much time on my hands......

8 Days ~ Cuter Every Day!

Oh my gosh.....how precious!! 

Sue was here today to see the puppies. She couldn't wait til next week, so she took all these  photos. I think she likes her boy. We're already trying to figure how when his first tracking test will be!! Soo funny!! With Sue, he should have it by 6 months and a second old, assuming there is a test that day!

Puppy boy? Sue thinks this is Sage.  

Sage & me. I'm not vain. I'm showing you my ffffffllllllllllluuuuuuuubbbbbbbbbeerrrryyyyyyy neck! Aaagggggghhhh!!!!!

Sage & Tirzah. They do this often. 

 

Puppy boy.....he does this all day long.

Sage is on her back.

Puppy boy ~ look at how cute his paws are. 

I love this photo of him!

Thanks Sue for getting such cute pictures. They are pushing 1 lb now, with the boy still about 2 oz behind Sage. There is peace now here......that stressful first week is over. Thank God!!! Now it's worth all the stuff I don't like about whelping because they get more adorable every day! Big Bonus!!

Tirzah Puppies ~ 1 Week

We are at the 1 week mark. Thank God!!!! Everyone is so happy, content and fat. Life is good.

Here's the puppy dog. That's all on his own!!!

Another well-fed baby!! This is Sage.

Sage ~ I love when the puppies sleep across Tirzah's feet and tail, etc. So cute! Happy 1 Week old puppies!!!!