Lab Tails of Kingridge
Joy: Posted on Monday, April 23, 2012 8:20 PM
 We have been so busy here with the whelping and care of newborn puppies over the last 24 hours. The birth was exciting and precious. It was an emotional roller coaster filled with laughter, stress, peace, beauty, dismay and tears. 2 of the puppies that were born were stillborns. I did everything in my power to resuscitate them, with attempts to clear their lungs, perform CPR and even mouth to mouth, but in the end... the breath of life was just not in them. We are however, so very thankful for the 6 healthy pups that were whelped. Birth is always an adventure, but the most difficult part is when we experience the loss of life. It sure does make us appreciate the health and vitality of the 6 precious puppies that remain. They are very full of life and are nursing like champs. Shiloh is caring for them with great love and attention. Each of the puppies is dependent on their mama for everything. They rely on her for warmth, food, and their daily grooming and care. These first few days of life are very critical for the puppies, and we are praying that each remains healthy and grows strong. Birth and life are so miraculous and we are in awe of God who is the author of life! I have included some pictures and video that document the labor, birth, and first few hours of the puppies life. I sadly miss the 2 puppies that are no longer a part of this litter, but our family is rejoicing at the beautiful gift of life that we were able to witness once again.
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Early labor
Mama Shiloh is just starting to show obvious signs of contractions and is still in early labor.
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Laboring hard
Shiloh is panting and grunting a bit with each contraction at this point, and we know it is just a matter of moments before the first puppy will arrive.
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Ready for puppies
This is where the pups go after they are cleaned and have nursed for the first time with Shiloh. This incubator keeps them safe during the birth of subsequent pups.
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The whelping pen
Here it is all clean and ready for the first puppy to be born. These absorbent pads had to be changed frequently during the whelping. Birth is a messy business! We also use plenty of cozy blankets and towels.
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Pushing stage
Shiloh's cervix is now dilated and soon she will be ready to push.
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First puppy born
A black male was the first little guy in line to present himself to the world. We are thrilled!
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Sweet introductions
With each pup's arrival, Shiloh helps to clean and stimulate them for a pleasant welcome into the dog world. I helped out too, but tried to allow nature to work in the beautiful way that it is intended.
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First Meal
After the pup is cleaned, the cord is tied, and notes are taken, we encourage them to nurse promptly.
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Little miracle
Each puppy knows exactly what to do. They appear quite content as they experience their first taste of milk.
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Supportive onlookers
Here our littlest child looks on as she witnesses the puppies nursing snuggly beside their mama. All of our children visited the whelping throughout the evening.
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Another puppy
Here is a gorgeous little boy that was born about an hour after his brother.
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Whelper helper
Here is my sister who provided a lot of help during the birth. Because there is so much to do during whelping it is a good idea to have many hands on deck.
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Pups in the incubator
The red tint cast on the puppies is from the heat lamp that warms the puppies to approximately 95 degrees. It is very important that they do not become chilled.
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More puppies
While I was working with the other pups we kept the puppies who were already born in the incubator. As you can see they each have their ribbon so that we can tell them apart.
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Our little princess
This is the only surviving girl in the litter. She is also the smallest and already she has claimed the hearts of all of my children.
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Handsome guy
The boys sure outnumber the girls. We now have 4 black boys, 1 yellow boy, and 1 yellow girl.
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Happily nursing
All of the puppies are enjoying nursing with Shiloh. The mother has a rich supply of colostrum that is amazingly beneficial to each puppy for the remainder of their life.
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Nurse... nurse... nurse
We encourage the puppies to nurse often and for long periods of time. At this point all the puppies do is nurse, sleep, and nurse some more :)
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One content mama
Shiloh is relaxing after all of the hard work. She had a very long and demanding labor, and is enjoying some much needed rest. She will rest along with the puppies for the next few days as she recovers and tends to their needs.
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