Day 54 / Whelping Preparation / Why PURPOSE Driven?

ALL THINGS.... MOLLY plus a little Pippin

Evidence of Life - Day 54
This morning Molly and I rested together for quite awhile before getting up to begin the day.  She slept between John and I last night and was fully stretched out, with her belly exposed.  As I gently rubbed Moll's belly her puppies responded to my touch.  For awhile now there has been  no doubt she is pregnant. But I am always blessed to feel the activity of healthy, unborn puppies underneath my hand. Molly comprehends fully what is occuring and is reacting accordingly.   The collage above of Molly must also include little Pippin who continues to desire to remain close.

When Molly was pregnant with Sassy, Julie crocheted a beautiful afgahn for John and I that matched the puppy blanket she had made for the new puppy she and Jim were anxiously awaiting.  Usually that afgahn is on the back of a couch and often shared with ATB, especially Rosie and Molly. I always love to wrap up in the warmth of it while negotiating for space on the couch. Our new flooring in the den and office is beautiful, and I love it. But for a pregnant momma dog, the missing warmth and softness of wall to wall carpeting plus loss of heat from the woodstove must be noticable. Molly does like to be nearby. 

The wicker dog bed is out in the puppy room so I tossed the afgahn down on the floor directly under my computer table.  Pippin noticed this right away and claimed the newly created space as her own. Typical Pippinator style. I called both Pippin and Molly to me.  Pippin surrendered the space. Molly rightfully took her place with confidence.  I then went back to putting information together for the pointing dog training day coming up, a fun day geared to learning about basic hunting dog training etc. Shortly after this I reached down to pat Miss Molly and by golly there was Pip - cuddled up right next to her. She really has bonded to Molly right now but I'm not sure at all if Pippin is pregnant, if so I think it's just one pup, she's very little!

Whelping Preparation
Starting with the "Whelping Supply" list, I am making sure we have everything on hand.  We keep a well stocked supply of all manner of items relative to dog care, first aid, veterinary items etc. but I pay particular attention when we have pups due.  We really only needed to replenish our cotton balls, alchohol, Pedialyte, and a couple of other things which John picked up today.  All the linen involved is being laundered and disinfected.  I think the only thing I really need is a box of surgical gloves.  We put fresh batteries in the digital ear thermometer which, by the way, I HATE using to take a dogs temperature.  When I compare the digital ear thermometer to the glass veterinary thermometer it is always off by a few degrees. I don't feel it's accurate and no vet I know has ever suggested it over the glass type.  I did order several glass thermometers through Revival Vet Supply at a really good price.  They are difficult to find locally unless you go somewhere like a feed and grain farm store but they may cost more.  The reason I use it though is because Miss Persnickety Molly really does not cooperate with a thermometer in the other end.  She doesn't like having the digital ear one either but it is one or the other so we choose, for your highness, the less invasive of the two. 

John came back from the grocery store with things from our list.  There are now enough ingredients for me to make a large quantity of our "Nursing Mother's Pudding."  A few readers have written to ask for the recipe and I'm sorry I have not yet provided it.  Basically it is a recipe for vanilla pudding made from scratch with extra egg yolks and corn syrup added to replace the sugar.  Yogurt is a staple here for all of our dogs and is added to their diet daily.  Cottage cheese is sometimes added to a nursing mother's diet.  In the past we have routinely supplemented the calcium in our mother's diet however recent studies indicate that is best done shortly before, during, and after whelping.  Otherwise the calcium reserves in the mother are overwhelmed and basically will shut down when they are most needed.. Mom's in whelp need to be able to have forceful contractions and too much calcium in their system is conterproductive. 

Additionally, oxytocin (a naturally produced hormone) works together with the calcium in their body towards a better delivery.  Some breeders will routinely inject their girls with oxytocin (give a pit shot) during labor to speed things along. My experience and understanding indicate this is dangerous to do without a vet on standby. In the event of dystocia (prolonged and dangerous labor) a pups presentation could be complicating the delivery such as blocking the way for other pups yet to come down etc. To indiscriminately administer a pit shot just for the sake of speeding things up could cause the death of some pups and even mom.  Ultimately though, it is beneficial for experienced breeders to obtain a prescription for oxytocin and have on hand.  We've never used this but have relied  instead on the very natural act of the just born pup nursing on it's mother which most of the time is adequate to bring about another contraction.

Empty quart size mason jars are lined up on the counter.  This week I will cook off some natural whole grain wild rice and also boil off some chicken and liver. The boiled meats will be separated from the broth it was cooked in.  The rice will then be added to the broth.  All of this will then be packed into the jars and kept in the refridgerator. Sounds lovely doesn't it!?  This will be fed to Molly as needed and rotated with the nursing mother's pudding. 

In respect to the obvious discomfort Molly Rose is experiencing due to her ever expanding abdomen she will be fed @ 5 small meals a day. To feed her less frequently would be to offer her a larger quantity of food than she can handle comfortably.  It's also easier to regulate her appetite highs and lows if applicable. John and I do not feel any of this is inconvenient.  To considerately care for a mother dog who is approaching her delivery date is to be responsible and accountable to her.  We love Molly. We bred her. She is pregnant because we made that decision for her.  She is more than deserving of the very best of the best we have to give her including all of our love.  In the days ahead all of this will become more relevant and important as we all move, emotionally and physically, into the actual preparation of the arrival of Molly and Scooby's puppies.

Why PURPOSE Driven?
Looking back in the archives I found the October 2010 post which once again refers to the J & A's Brittanys purpose driving breeding program. I was reminded of the reason why we do refer to it as “purpose driven”.

We became aware of the term through the ministry of Reverend Rick Warren .  He is recognized especially for his best selling book entitled “The Purpose Driven Life.” Being familiar with Pastor Ricks teachings I gave the book to our son as a gift several years ago. The book did have a very powerful impact on our son's life who is preparing for full time ministry and may pastor his own church later this year.

I began to use "purpose driven’ frequently when communicating with state legislators and other groups regarding laws of interest to responsible dog owners and breeders. I have often used it in written and public testimony in an attempt to better legally define the purposes of multiple dog owners. Unfortunately, despite the attempts made by many to persuade the legislature to implement this term, we failed in our efforts. A new law was passed in 2009 which defines multiple dog owners by the number of animals owned, how many of them are intact and how many pups are sold. License fees were increased and in some instances, doubled. When John or I refer to our breeding program as ‘purpose driven’ we know the story behind the story.  Literally. To see other breeders use the term is encouraging!  Raising engineering and philosophical standards for all breeders is a good thing.  In the case of indiscriminate emulation I'll just remember that imitation is a form of flattery. What matters is that breeders work together instead of against each other. I fully believe that to every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.  It's a GOD THING, which is aways, a very, very good thing!

As always take care and God bless you. Thank you so much for your interest...
John, Ann, and All Things Brittany