Hattie's Litter

It started at 6am on Monday June 1. Hattie awoke me with her panting. I checked her and noted that she was in early labor. This went on all day until about 7pm last night I felt she would start to have a puppy some time during the night. So I called my friend and owner of Ricky father of the litter and told her what was going on. She came over and we sat all night with Hattie waiting for that first puppy. At 730 this morning Hattie presented us with a black and white girl. She did well and was soon nursing on Mom and Hattie seemed to settle in and we thought that wasn't too bad now the other two will come. Four hours later no more pups so I called my Reproduction Vet and she told me to give her a PIT injection and if nothing happen in a half hour to call back. Withing 25 minutes had delivered a Black and white boy. She was having small contractions but still going on and I believe these were the left result of the PIT injection. We waited and we walked and we waited and we walked, still no puppy. At two hours later I again called the vet who told me to give a 2nd and if needed 3rd injection as all labor had stopped. So Hattie got the 2nd injection and we walked and we waited and we walked and we waited, still no puppy. At this point it is four hours later and Sue and I decided we needed a break so we went to the kitchen and asked my son to listen he was in the living room and could see into the whelping room. He hearded a noise and said you guys need to check Hattie sure enough the 3rd puppy had entered the world but would never see or play in it. Born dead he looked like he had no blood in him. Pads white and pale but every warm and so I tired for an hour to see if he would awake and come back to us but nothing worked. When I stopped and took a good look at him I think he had somehow drained the blood from his tiny body and back into the birth cannel which gave a gush of blood after he wad delivered. Maybe a broken cord or something. As my friend Nancy says breeding is not for the faint of heart, at some point you will experience it all. The good the bad and the tragic. No matter when you lose one it hurts. Hattie was upset that I wouldn't put him in the whelping box with her and she climbed out and picked him up to put in with her and the other two. I let her have him for a short time then we did a big box cleaning and never put him back. Hattie now seems content with her two little ones and keeps them very close to her. Will post pics of them when I get a load or two of doggie laundry done. For now all is quiet, Alice