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Dora, The Pregnant Foster

21K views 227 replies 16 participants last post by  Alexis9102 
#1 ·
Please welcome my latest pregnant foster, Dora! Due to changing needs, I am now fostering with a rescue friend of mine. This little girl found herself dumped at a shelter, but is safe and sound with me to deliver and raise her babies! She was terrified when I first met her, but is warming up fast, and now wags her tail at everyone she sees. She is tiny, currently only 28lbs and our best guess on breed is Jack Russell mix. She is HUGE and we are thinking 7-8 babies! More photos and updates coming tomorrow, right now just letting her decompress and settle in, she is glued to me begging for attention.
 
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#4 ·
Dora had a bit to eat and drink last night, got lots of cuddles and met the family, then was ready for bed. She found the bed in her whelping room, laid down on it, let out a long, peaceful sigh, and quickly started falling asleep; that moment they know they are safe, it never gets old! She slept soundly overnight and finally went out to pee and poop this morning. So far she sticks pretty much to the kitchen, and has chosen under the kitchen table as her place to sleep most of the time. Currently has no interest in exploring the house, but has quickly warmed up to everyone and is always wiggling (which is why these photos are a bit blurry, she never holds completely still, lol). She is the sweetest thing, living for every second of attention given!


She is ready to pop, her poor belly is HUGE! I am hoping for her sake it won't be much longer, but so far there are no for sure signs, so it could be a few days yet. The puppy weight have not shifted back yet, still pretty much right in the center.


The name, Dora was picked out for her because it means God's Gift, and since my birthday is coming up, I thought the name was perfect, that and it's fun to say she is a-dora-ble because she is just that! ;)
 
#8 ·
Slept beside Dora last night because she was showing some pretty convincing signs of labor, but she is still holding out! She was restless overnight, waking at times to shift, whine, and groom her stomach, but other than that a pretty quiet night. The puppy weight has dropped down quite a bit, and she is getting more milk everyday, so things are getting ready. Since I got up, she has spent the morning sleeping. I honestly don't see her going any longer than the weekend with the signs she is showing, but time will tell!
 
#10 ·
Dora has finally discovered the comfort of the many dog beds I have around the house and chooses those over the floor now. It's interesting to watch her personality come through more each day, but one thing that has not changed and only gets better is the fact that she is the sweetest little angel! She has not had an accident since I brought her home and always leads me to the door when she needs out, so I feel she had house training before I got her, but at the same time I can tell so many household sounds and sights are completely new to her, so really makes me wonder about her past. Currently she spends 99% of her time sleeping, or as I like to call it "the long sleep" where in the last couple days before delivery they sleep all the time, no doubt storing up energy for what's to come. I didn't think it was possible, but her belly has gotten a bit larger since she came home, poor girl looks like she swallowed a watermelon! She snores all the time because that belly makes it hard to breathe when laying down. Besides being completely done with this pregnancy thing, she is doing fantastic, she is such an easy going girl!
 
#13 ·
Yes she does! It has been wonderful to watch her learn to relax after the stress she was put through before coming here. Thank you, I love helping them! :)
 
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#12 ·
A week-by-week guide to pregnancy
Week one (days 0-7)
When your dog has mated during her heat cycle, fertilization can occur within a few days. Your veterinarian won’t be able to confirm the pregnancy until around day 25, however if she has fallen pregnant, she may show some signs of morning sickness. At this stage, you won’t need to make any changes to her diet or exercise regime.

Week two (days 7-14)
In week two, the fertilized eggs descend into the uterus and will begin developing into puppies. Again, no additional nutrients will be required at this stage as the embryos have not yet grown significantly in size.

Week three (days 14-21)
At this stage, the fetuses will have attached to the wall of the uterus. This will enable them to receive all the vital nutrients they need to develop and grow. You may see your dog’s appetite start to increase slightly, however you shouldn’t need to make any drastic changes to her diet. You may see changes in her mood and she may also start developing breast tissue.

Week four (days 21-28)
During the fourth week of pregnancy, the growing puppies are susceptible to developmental issues and defects. At this stage, it’s advisable to limit your dog’s everyday activity to gentle exercise and consult your veterinarian to check whether any dietary supplements are necessary. From around day 25, your veterinarian will be able to confirm the pregnancy by conducting an ultrasound scan, which will also help to determine the size of the litter and detect any abnormalities.

Week five (days 28-35)
During week five, as the amniotic fluid increases in the uterus, the puppies become much less vulnerable. You’ll now see your dog’s weight noticeably increasing, and you should start feeding her a diet which is specially formulated for growth or reproduction. It’s best to feed her little and often and gradually transition any changes in food over a period of a week to avoid upsetting her digestive system. At this stage, your veterinarian will be able to tell you the sex of the puppies by conducting an ultrasound.

Week six (days 35-42)
As she enters the final phase of gestation, your dog will continue to grow in size and her teats will become darker in color. She may want to eat more, however be sure to keep portion sizes small, as her rapidly growing puppies will press against her stomach and limit the amount of food she can eat at a time. There may also be a clear discharge from her vulva, which is perfectly normal at this stage.

Week seven (days 42-49)
By week seven, your dog will have started shedding hair on her abdomen and may have started producing her first milk, known as colostrum. She will be noticeably tired and her puppies will now be almost fully-formed. At this stage, it’s also time to prepare the area your dog will use for whelping. Choose a warm, quiet place and use a bed or box which is padded with plenty of linen. Try and encourage her to sleep there for the remainder of her pregnancy.

Week eight (days 49-57)
With only a week to go, you should be able to see and feel the puppies moving around when your dog is lying still. From this stage onwards, it’s important to limit any strenuous activity, as this could lead to premature labor. Your dog will now be producing milk and may seem restless or start digging in her whelping area. This behavior is known as nesting.

Week nine (days 57-65)
As she prepares for the birth, it’s likely your dog will become restless and will be spending a lot of time nesting in her whelping area. She may also lose her appetite as the time of whelping approaches. Ensure you take her temperature several times a day, as a drop in temperature from 100-101 to around 97 degrees Fahrenheit will indicate that her puppies will be arriving in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Whelping (the birth)
Whelping can last anything from a few minutes to several hours, and while many dog manage well by themselves, it’s important to monitor her every 15 minutes or so in case you need to intervene. If the contractions are unproductive or if you are in any way concerned about your dog, call your veterinarian for advice.

The first puppy will be born surrounded in an amniotic sac, and if your dog doesn’t break this thin membrane herself, you must remove it to enable the puppy to breathe. Similarly, if she doesn’t break the puppy’s umbilical cord, you can assist by tying a thread around the cord before cutting between the knot and placenta. Your dog will also lick and clean the puppies, but if she ignores them, you can rub them gently with a clean towel to dry them off and stimulate their breathing.

Make sure the puppies are warm and dry and receive some of the dog’s first milk within 24 hours. It’s a good idea to take your dog and her puppies to the veterinarian 5-6 hours after the birth for a check-up to ensure the whole litter and placentas have been delivered safely and all dogs are in good health.

you can also read SLEEPING WITH YOUR DOG BENEFITS
 
#15 ·
Let's see if you are right! I am guessing even number of each, and my rescue director is saying more girls than boys.
 
#21 ·
I hope all is well with Dora and the puppies. I see that one of them has a lot of white...which makes for a pretty contrast with those almost coffee colored spots :)

I also hope Dora's eyes have settled back into her head now that the pressure's gone. ;)

She looks very sweet wrapped around her babies. Looking forward to more photos.

Stormy
 
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#23 ·
Congratulations and thank you so much for sharing your beautiful dogbabies with us.

<3

I know Laurel can never have puppies, but I am still secretly glad that my mom's dog could in the 1970s. They all found great homes and I found treasured memories in the back of my brain from looking at pictures of Dora's puppies.
 
#27 ·
Yes you sure do! There will be no end to the photos, that I promise! <3


I’m so glad for Dora. Just think of how many puppy lives are saved by these rescues coming to someone who can support the Mum in her delivery.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



The rescue I am working with is so grateful to have me and I am grateful to work with them. It is such a joy saving these precious lives.
 
#30 ·
Officially introducing the Celebration Litter! Since their mom's name means God's gift, and they were not only born on mother's day, but also my birthday, I thought this theme was fitting! They are listed in birth order and the time they were born is listed with their names. There are 4 boys and 3 girls. They are tiny babies and so beautiful! Momma Dora is doing amazing as well, and is a wonderfully attentive mother. You are welcome in advance for the floods of pup-dates that will soon be coming, I am already in love!


Daryn. Boy born at 7:45pm


Ivan. Boy born at 9:13pm


Gypsy. Girl born at 9:20pm


Thea. Girl born at 9:48pm


Zane. Boy born at 10:30pm


Jasper. Boy born at 11:02pm


Ionna: Girl born at 11:12pm
 
#31 ·
Jasper's face made me laugh....he kind of reminds me of Mr. Magoo squinting.

Interesting how in my last post I commented about white on a dog (which I rather like) and then, you ended up naming an almost white colored one, Ionna.

My grandmother's name was Ionna -

My grandma...she told me something funny one time.
She said she was proposed to by 2 men, just one day apart from each other and she told each, she had to think about it.

I asked her why she ended up choosing 'grandpa' over the other guy.

She said... 'The other guy's last name was Ford.'

Lol, true story!
She didn't want people laughing at her and commenting on her name if she had married the other guy...which definitely would have happened.

Glad to hear all the puppies are ok and Dora too, although she looks very tired (but content) in that photo.

*Ionna Puppy sounds rather cute too. : )
---------

Stormy
 
#32 ·
Aw, that is such a sweet story! Thanks for sharing :)



Miss Ionna puppy is such a beauty, she finished off the whelp in style with that beautiful color! Dora is doing amazing. She stayed strong throughout, as long as she was touching me, she was good. I am her comfort for sure <3
 
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