Friday 13 March 2020

Day 55

Sammi B is quite flat and has refused breakfast this morning. Bless her she must feel so full and uncomfortable. I was prepared with a small alternative for the menu though, boiled egg and pasta went down OK. Though it's recommended bitches eat 50% more than their maintenance diet during the last week of pregnancy I have never found it possible to get them to do it. To be honest I don't want to pressure her, but I feel better knowing she has a little something in her belly in the morning. I have sardines to offer her on her lunch should she need a little tempting by then too, but really it's going to be her call now.
From the size of her it's hard to believe she will go another full week, I guess I need to be prepared from Tuesday really. I will take her temperature from Monday at least to look out for that drop that comes about 24 hrs before whelping. Last time it plummeted to 36.4 by 3pm on the 12th of October and the"J" litter of 3 were safely here within 24 hrs.  It is a great indication of whelping and something I wish I had learned to do it so much earlier.  By the way she gave birth on day 60 from the mating last time, but of course we now suspect she had ovulated much earlier than predicted. We know for a fact that she ovulated on the Friday this time and was mated on the Saturday and Sunday. Whelping is generally 63 days + or - one day from ovulation, not from the day of mating!
I hope this drizzly rain that wasn't forecast soon clears so we can go for a short walk. I think a little stretch out will help mind and body - both of us! (As you can see we have now been ...)