My name is 7 GR mix pups!

Foster Update 2/21/09:

On Sunday the pups will be 4 weeks old and personalities are now developing.

The three dapples are Pink, Lou and Star. Pink is a very happy pup. She takes nothing serious, loves people and loves the other pups. The song Girls Just Want To Have Fun should be her theme song. She is always in search of a party, and if she can't find one she will start one. She has the cutest face.

Lou is headstrong and pack leader. He was the first to get out of the whelping box, figure out puppy mush and maneuver his way around the maze we built to separate potty, sleep and food areas.
Star is the female version of Lou, she is the first at the food bowl and last to leave. She and Lou play together all the time. Both Star and Lou enjoy picking things up and carrying them around and were the first to discover toys.

The black pups are, Jack, Bear, Molly and Arby. Molly is extremely sweet and gentle. She tends to play in a very lady like manner, no rough stuff for this girl. She gets along well with all the other pups but will leave the pup pile if things get too rowdy. Her little face just screams I'm a girl!
Arby is the thinker of the bunch, he is quiet and affectionate. He was the first to snuggle. He studies everything around him and like Molly gets along well with everyone. This boy is a real sweetheart. Jack and Bear are like the twins. Without the litter tags I could not tell them apart. These two boys are too busy playing to snuggle. Both are very handsome and enjoy a good game of bitey face. They can be the rowdy boys but usually just with each other. They are very handsome.

All the pups are now eating mush and seem to understand where to potty. I do have one or two accidents in the sleep area a day, but all in all not to bad for seven pups.

Please visit our website at www.gbgrr.org for individual pictures of each puppy.

Update 2/6/09:

LuLu and pups went to see Dr. Carter-Smith today. Lu is doing much better and the pups are at least 2 lbs. or more. The pups got their first dose of worming medication and a physical. Mom is still not producing enough milks so at least three extra feedings are needed. Some of the pups are still struggling with the bottle.

All the pups have their eyes open and are attempting to get out of the whelping box. Some are better eaters then others, so a few get extra attention.

Update 2/4/09:

Lulu is adoption pending and her puppies will be available for adoption soon.

Update 1/31/09:

I have a bit of good news.  As of this evening, Lulu is greatly improved after a day on IV fluids and meds.  Kathy took the puppies up to the clinic and everyone nursed well and were cleaned and stimulated by their mom. Lulu is going to spend another night at the clinic and if she continues to improve she will be able to come home tomorrow.  She will not be able to feed all the puppies so Kathy will be bottle feeding and supplement feeding the pups. We are going to try to keep the puppies with Lulu for at least another week or two, until their eyes open and they can eliminate on their own.  Kathy has done a phenomenal job (as always), her dedication and perseverance are amazing.

We are going to be watching Lulu very closely and she will be making frequent trips to the vet for bloodwork to check her calcium and potassium levels.  If she craters again we will have to pull the pups. Everyone keep your fingers crossed for this sweet little mama and babies.  Cil

Update 1/30/09:

LuLu gets to come home tomorrow if all is well overnight. The pups had a visit with Lu today for a feeding. Unlike yesterday, the pups are not bottle feeding. The discovery that mom only has 6 teats that actually produce, means that for at least 3 weeks they will need supplemental feeding.
While Lu can come home tomorrow, we are not out of the woods. She will need to go 2 to 3 times per week for blood work and possibly IV's to stabilize her before we go down hill for a second time. Her minor anemia, as well as low calcium levels, mean we are only 12 to 24 hours from disaster at any time. I will need to take her temperature every 4-6 hours because that offers the best indication of a downward slide.

Lu has been the best and most fantastic mom! While sick and in incredible pain, she refused to leave her pups. Today, when she went for her umpteenth x-ray and blood work up, the pups had to go because she could not stand to be parted from them.

Thankfully, Dr. Manuel Sanchez has taken on this challenge. While he warned me to set up a back up system of potential puppy fosters, he was determined to pull her thru. He calmed my nerves, gave advice and has stuck it out!

Update 1/29/09:

LuLu is not doing very well.  As I feared last night she is very sick.  Dr. Sanchez is worried her stomach or intestines might twist.  She is semi-sedated and on multiple medications.  It is unknown at this time when she will come home. Tomorrow I am going to ask Dr. Sanchez if he thinks it is best that the puppies go out to fosters. In the meantime I will try and bring them to nurse on her at least once a day if Dr. Sanchez says okay.  The cause of this very serious bacterial infection is unknown.  More than likely it was due to bad food and was acerbated when she gave birth.  Just as I thought, she was in tremendous pain but still managed to do her best for her pups and still have a great personality.

Update 1/26/09:

Lulu spiked a fever of 103.5 last night and Kathy called Dr. Sanchez at home.  He recommended giving her a few ccs of Oxytosin (sp?).  Fortunately, we happened to have some on hand (Many thanks to Julie Lange!!)  The oxytosin causes contractions and will clean out any remaining birth debris in the uterus. Lulu did pass some debris and her fever went back down.  This morning she went to Dr. Sanchez for a complete checkup and passed with flying colors.  He did put her on some antibiotic which is standard procedure after giving birth.  Her bloodwork all looks very good and she is heartworm negative.  Lulu seems to have plenty of milk for the pups and the pups are all eating well and thriving. Their little bellies are fat as ticks.  The pups are all on the small side( about 12 ozs.)  which made birthing a bit easier for Lulu and tells us maybe the Daddy was a smaller dog. We can only speculate as to what breed or mix of breeds the daddy (or daddies) were.  Lulu is a good mama and very attentive to her pups. We have 4 males and 3 females. 

Update 1/25/09 8:56 am

Mom and 7 babies are resting quietly.

Update 1/25/09 2:05 am

Our very pregnant mama got to Kathy H.'s this morning and got a quick exam at the vet. X-rays tell us we have 8 to 12 puppies on the way. After our Meet & Greet, I went out to Lake Jackson to get supplies for Kathy and meet mama Lulu. What a sweet and gorgeous girl. How she ended up on the side of the highway in Luling, Texas is a mystery to me. We got all the supplies laid in and I got home from Kathy's at about 10:30 last evening. My phone rang at 12:32 am - our first pup has arrived........I am on my way back to Kathy's .....Cil H. 

Intake Update 1/23/09:

GBGRR intake volunteers get the call about a very pregnant momma needing Rescue and word goes out to Volunteers for help with fostering and whelping.