Great Dane Breeder; Bing the Great Dane
Wilson is over 10 lbs now. Today he graduated from the whelping box to a drop pen (crate with a raised floor) as he is able to escape the whelping box on his own!
He has tried a variety of ground raw foods – chicken, turkey, pork, beef and green tripe.
“Puppy” now has a call name – Wilson!
Wilson had his first outdoor experience today.
And first stacking practice!
The puppy is 23 days old today and weighs 6 lbs 7 oz. He had his first real food last night and loved it. AFS meat (a mince meat raw diet) soaked in goat’s milk. Doesn’t quite have the hang of things yet (big mess!), but he was enthusiastic.
I will have to try and get some pictures of his little messy face after tonight’s meal, before his momma happily cleans him up!
For now, a picture of doing what he currently does best….
The picture from the Heart of IA KC show came in the mail today:
The puppy is 19 days old today and we while actually finished the Bio-Sensor (“Super Puppy”) program on his 16th day, I’ve been meaning to document the program on here.
The goal of this neurological stimulation program is to help kick start the pup’s neurological system. It is believed that these simple exercises benefit the puppies in multiple ways:
The exercises are very simple and are performed on the pups starting at 3 days old and continuing through 16 days old. There are five exercises:
Tactile Stimulation – Gently stimulate (tickle) the pup between the toes on any one foot using a Q-tip. It is not necessary to see that the pup is feeling the tickle. Time of stimulation 3 – 5 seconds.
Head Held Erect – Using both hands, the pup is held perpendicular to the ground, (straight up), so that its head is directly above its tail. This is an upwards position. Time of stimulation 3 – 5 seconds.
Head Pointed Down – Holding the pup firmly with both hands, the head is reversed and is pointed downward so that it is pointing towards the ground. Time of stimulation 3 – 5 seconds.
(Forgive the picture here…cheap help comes in the form of a 9 year old assistant!)
Supine position – Hold the pup so that its back is resting in the palm of both hands with its muzzle facing the ceiling. The pup while on its back is allowed to sleep struggle. Time of stimulation 3-5 seconds.
Thermal stimulation – Use a damp towel that has been cooled in a refrigerator for at least five minutes. Place the pup on the towel, feet down. Do not restrain it from moving. Time of stimulation 3-5 seconds.
During her recent c-section, a large tumor was discovered on Skyy’s spleen. Hemangiosarcoma (blood fed sarcoma) is suspected and the prognosis is not good. We discussed the options available that day and decided not to attempt removal or even a biopsy, as the risk with her bleeding out was too great (the tumor had a very large blood supply feeding it).
There are various options I have to consider, including a splenectomy (removing the spleen and tumor), however the prognosis isn’t good for any of the options.
I have decided not to put Skyy through any additional surgeries and to simply keep her comfortable and well loved during her remaining time.
She did give me a scare earlier this week and she completely stopped eating on Thursday of this past week and was continually vomitting. I started treating her with pain meds, thinking it might be a pain related issue and fortunately, she has started eating again. I imagine my time with her is very limited, but as long as her quality of life is good, I am going to enjoy her company.
She is still taking wonderful care of her baby boy, who is growing fast!
Kizzy picked up another point towards her AKC championship yesterday at the Heart of IA dog show. She was Reserve Winners today.
She now has nine points towards her championship, including one of her majors. Six points to go!
Puppy Update – Mantle boy now has his eyes open! They opened at 10 days old exactly…he is a little go-getter! As of this afternoon, he is up to 2 lbs 15 oz and gaining fast.
We lost the little harlequin girl last night. She stopped being able to keep food down and her condition continued to deteriorate.
On a positive note, the mantle boy is doing fabulous. He is over two pounds now.
We are continuing to struggle with the harl girl.
Have increased the tube feedings, as my hope that she was getting some from nursing proved false since she lost weight this morning.
Tube feeding the puppy isn’t as difficult as I originally thought it might be, although the around-the-clock-every-two-hours is certainly draining.
When tubing, you have to be careful not to get the tube into the lungs. Once you think you have the tube in place, a quick suck on the end tells you if it’s in the right location. If it’s in the lungs, you get air back through the tube (like sucking on a straw); if it’s in the tummy, you get resistance and no air.
We’ve been trying multiple remedies for “fading puppies”. I’ve done warmed sub-q fluids, drops of beef liver (old cure for fading puppies…take a large beef liver, boil in a little bit of water…you only want the liquid produced…you give the puppy 4 drops every 2-4 hours), brandy (a drop or so at a time), various homeopathic medicines, probiotics and most importantly, WARMTH. I have a heating lamp on the whelping box and also have hot water bottles for the little girl.
Hopefully the fact she is still with us is a good sign, although my concern level is still very high.
I can’t thank my friends enough for their help.