We’re eagerly awaiting a litter of puppies here at Dupplin Scotties, and preparations for this joyous (and hectic!) event are almost complete. Although her pups aren’t quite due yet, we’ve been hard at work getting everything arranged for this first-time momma. Dad gets to miss all of these theatrics, I’m afraid.
In case you haven’t met Dad yet, this is Sir Bhodie of Harbert Ranch Terriers. He was specifically chosen for this pairing because he has a wonderful laid-back temperament without any of the dramatics that Scotties and terriers in general are known to display. He also has the lowest COI of any purebred dog I’ve ever met and a wonderful brindle coloration that’s very similar to Skye’s. Both of them carry the genetics to produce wheaten puppies, so we may get an array of colors. Only time will tell.
Although there’s still some time left before they make their grand arrival into the world, they are now faintly visible on radiography. This is an important appointment for a pregnant dog to have. If a dam is pregnant with only one puppy, the chances of her going into labor spontaneously are very low. Even if they do, their pup would likely be too large to deliver naturally anyway. Most singleton litters require a cesarean delivery.
Fortunately, that’s not the case with Skye. Her imaging looked great. Her puppies’ skeletons are still calcifying so you’ll have to squint a bit, but see if you can spot them all.
How many did you count? Did you see any at all? Let me help you out here a bit:
As a nurse practitioner, I’m no stranger to reading x-rays. Skye’s veterinarian counted four puppies, until I squinted a bit and pointed something out to her.
If you look at the puppy outlined in green, there’s actually another spinal column that crosses behind it. It’s very faint due to the fact that it’s on the other side of her abdomen, but it’s undeniably there. So, I suspect that she’s expecting a total of five little bundles of joy. Hooray!
Her whelping area is all set up and ready to go. The litter trays for puppy potty training are still pending purchase, but they won’t be needed for the first three weeks anyway. All that’s left to do is wait for the big day and hope that no complications arise!
Dupplin Scotties 