First Food at Four Weeks!

The girls are 4 weeks old now and have developed into these amazing little blundles of energy. You can watch them on this video:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab2KGP-OFFQ

On Friday evening I gave VIP her last evening meal and Leia came bounding over and landed right in the middle of it. She immediately started to eat...so...they have now been getting their first meals from a bowl. I am starting them off on a rotation of high quality canned food, Esbilac, and my raw meat diet in a 1:1:1 ratio by weight. My raw diet may be beef, chicken, venison, or rabbit-based, and has been supplemented with vitamins and minerals (it is not just meat alone).

They have had fabulous solid stools with the inclusion of this mixture to their daily nursing from VIP. I continue to hear misconceptions about the feeding of raw diets to puppies. Like older dogs, the major risks and concerns associated with any raw diet feeding are related to the risks of bacterial contamination to the human handlers, not the canine consumers.  Additionally, some people that make their own raw diets fail to ensure the diets are properly formulated to meet nutrient requirements.  With over 44 nutrients to be concerned with, unless people have done their homework and spend the time and money necessary to properly make a raw diet, I do suggest purchasing a pre-made commercial raw diet instead. 

They are all responding well to Danny and I, and we have been introducing new things for them to explore, touch, and interact with daily.  I have been trimming their tiny nails and turning on the dremmel tool to let them get used to the noise. 

Additionally, I have been loading the sound of the clicker while they are eating and call them over to eat, rather than carry the food bowl to them.  Danny and I let them chase us down the hallway while we call their names.  I will begin to invite friends and neighbors over in the coming weeks to interact with the girls and add to the variety of people they see on a daily basis. 

 

3 Weeks!

I have no idea where the last three weeks went! The girls are growing so fast and changing daily. Just in the last week, they started playing, tackling Mom (or at least giving it a girl-power effort), and started experiencing new things.  I had to remove the box this week, as Leia got out twice (thinking there's an agility pup there!).  With the box gone, they were able to move to the linoleum on their own.  It certainly took them each some time to figure out how to keep their feet underneath, but as of today, they all 3 move back and forth from the blankets to the linoleum at will.  They also have started responding to my voice and looking toward me when I come in the room.  Yesterday they had their fist exposure to the grass and being out in the sunshine.  Shelby has started to exhibit her father's temperment (A LOT!).  She gets a touch frustrated when she can't get where she wants at that very second...honestly, the world should know it revolves around her!  Shadow continues to be the calmest, although she has become very playful. 

Feeding Mom

I think sometimes we manage to complicate feeding regimes.  VIP of course is only having to feed 3 puppies but it has been rather simple.  During her final 2 weeks of gestation she was fed about 1.5 x her normal amount split into 3 meals instead of 2.  Following the first 24 hours after birth, she got 2 x her normal amount split into 4 meals during the day and we've been maintaining that amount.  She's maintaining her weight well and has more than enough milk based on the growth rates of these kids.  We have supplemented her food with additional calcium but I will give her a couple tablespoons of Esbilac a couple times per week (more as a treat than anything else).  She is being fed raw and still gets her fish oil daily along with vitamin E.

One Week and Growing

The little girls are just over a week old and growing like little weeds.  The day they were born, I found out that 2 friends lost their beloved dogs that very day...their names were Shadow and Shelby.  We have been calling the oldest girl "Shadow" and the youngest "Shelby".  The middle child is "Leia".  I have enjoyed them daily and watching them develop.  Each puppy has been challenged with Carmen Battaglia's Early Neurolgical Stimulation exercises and those will continue through day 16.