Hope's Second Pregnancy Week One

Continuation of Hope's First Week of Pregnancy...


Sunday 4/22/12 Pregnancy Day 6 (Heat Day 17) I was shocked when Hope again began to bleed that morning and both dogs were clearly interested in each other again! Back to the web and after more research and thankfully finding a community of breeders online I was relieved to discover that dames often begin to bleed again after ovulation although if they have tied within the traditionally accepted fertile period than chances are they are well on their way to being pregnant and their body is just finishing the heat cycle. As I said, I didn’t know any of this the first time around so exactly how this will affect her projected due date, I have no idea but just to be safe, I allowed Hope & Remi to tie one last time.

Monday 4/23/12 Pregnancy Day 7 (Heat Day 18) Hope is still bleeding, still urinating frequently, her vulva is still swollen, but the dogs are not interested in each other today.

Tuesday 4/24/12 Pregnancy Day 8 (End of Pregnancy Week 1) Officially Hope is still finishing her heat cycle but with the end of her first week of pregnancy we will no longer continue to comment on her heat unless something important arises. The dogs are still uninterested in each other today. Thier relationship appears to be returning to normal. Her vulva and nipples are still enlarged and should remain this way, gradually increasing in size throughout her pregnancy.

Timeline: According to various websites, this is what has taken place during the first week of pregnancy… 1. Sperm fertilize Eggs in oviducts 2. Fertilized Eggs migrate down the oviducts and into the uterine horns spacing themselves apart to allow enough space for Eggs to grow individually 3. Eggs develop into blastocystes.

Parallel: Hope’s first week of pregnancy during her first litter ended on 9/3/11. By the end of that week, the only noticeable change was her appetite, it decreased. I did give her her monthly heartworm preventative on 9/1/11. She had been on it faithfully for several years and the vet verified it as safe for pregnant dames. Always ask your vet before giving any kind of meds or preventatives to your pregnant dame. Most heartworm preventatives are also multiple dewormers and if you are consistently (monthly) deworming then you won’t need to do any extra deworming before breeding. I did not give her any flea/tick meds, either orally or topically, or use any medicated shampoos, sprays, dips, etc. during her pregnancy. The safety info online is sketchy at best and the vet was hesitant about using them simply because she was so early in her pregnancy, it was her first pregnancy, and the risk of toxicity was high. Ultimately, I decided that I was not willing to risk either the health or life of my dame or pups and chose not to use any flea/tick/pesticides during her pregnancy. Use mild shampoos, keep your dame indoors, keep her and her bedding clean, and keep your house clean and you shouldn’t have to worry about pests or parasites. If you have other pets in the house, feel free to use the meds and preventatives on them to discourage pests from clinging to them and risking attaching themselves to your dame. Also, consider pests prevention of your house and lawn before breeding and be sure to inform your groomer of your dames pregnancy to insure that they also take the necessary precautions with shampoos and such.

Hope's Second Pregnancy Day One

Continuing with Hope's Heat and Pregnancy...

Tuesday 4/17/12 Pregnancy Day 1 (Heat Day 12) Because their first tie occurred within the traditionally acceptable fertile range of Heat Day 11-18 we consider 24 hours after the first tie to be the traditionally accepted first day of pregnancy. Hope & Remi also tie again and are then separated for another 24 hours.

Parallel: 8/27/11 Hope Heat Day 12 and her & Remi’s first tie resulting in her first litter.

Wednesday 4/18/12 Pregnancy Day 2 (Heat Day 13) Hope & Remi tie again and are again separated for 24 more hours… Remi hates this and howls his disapproval all night long! I honestly believe the heat is worse for the males than the females! Hope is content to sleep the day away!

Parallel: 8/28/11 Hope Heat Day 13 and her & Remi’s second tie also considered her first day of pregnancy resulting in her first litter. Hope & Remi did not tie again during this heat.

Thursday 4/19/12 Pregnancy Day 3 (Heat Day 14) Hope has stopped bleeding and based on what I’ve read that means that she has ovulated. Now this is the complicated part… some say that a dog doesn’t ovulate until she stops bleeding. Some say that for the first 36-48 hours after ovulation the eggs are not ripe enough to be penetrated and fertilized by the sperm. Some say that based on this you should count your pregnancy dates from 24 hours after the first tie which took place 48 hours after ovulation…. I have no idea! I did not have all this “ovulation knowledge” during the first pregnancy and therefore did not bother to check to see when she stopped bleeding, but since we had puppies exactly 60 days after the first tie it is obvious that she ovulated around that time! Anyway, on this day, Hope & Remi tied again, were separated again, this time for 36 hours due to the possibility of ovulation and wanting the sperm to be fresh when it found the supposedly ripe eggs!

Friday 4/20/12 Pregnancy Day 4 (Heat Day 15) Following the 36 hour waiting period due to possible ovulation, Hope & Remi tie again and are separated.

Saturday 4/21/12 Pregnancy Day 5 (Heat Day 16) Nothing happens on this day. Both dogs rest contentedly, completely uninterested in each other. I honestly thought everything was over!

Hope & Remi Second Pregnancy

Today is a very exciting day in our house!! It marks the end of Week One of Hope’s Second Pregnancy! Let’s fill in the blanks that got us to this point (For those interested in the extra details of breeding, these are my personal observations combined with information from various websites). Obviously, these are only my observations regarding my own dogs and based on my own research and any questions or concerns that you have should be shared with your vet! These observations also include parallel observations from Hope’s previous pregnancy last Autumn.

Dame: CKC Shih Tzu Shimmering “Hope” Diamond (4/11/08)

Sire: CKC Shih Tzu The Duke, “Remington” L’amoure (6/23/10)

Friday 4/6/12, Hope’s First Day of Heat! We woke up that morning to bright red spotting on the bedding and it continued throughout the day. Hope spent the better part of the day smelling and licking her lightly swollen vulva and Remi also became quite interested in this new development! Over the next week, Hope continued to spot and her vulva to swell. She continued to smell and lick it often and so did Remi. Her need to urinate also increased significantly, resulting in long walks (It is assumed that dames in heat urinate in small amounts often along a certain trail to spread the news that they are in heat and attract males). Remi did not attempt to mount her during this first week and she was not yet willing to let him either.

Parallel: 8/16/11, Hope’s First Day of Heat with her First Litter (Just under 8 months between heat cycles)

Sunday 4/15/12, Heat Day 10. Hope’s first male visitor (other than Remi) shows up at the front door! Male dogs up to five miles away can detect the scent of a female in heat and have an irrisistable urge to be with them. It is recommended that you keep your dame in your house and always take her out on a leash to prevent her from becoming involved with a stray male during her entire heat. If you have a breeding pair as I do, then it is also recommended that you keep him inside and only taken out on a leash to prevent possible fights with other males. Even the friendliest and most socialized males will fight to the death for a female during heat!

Monday 4/16/12 Heat Day 11 and Hope & Remi’s First Tie! Hope was finally ready for what is called “standing heat” meaning she is willing to stand for Remi as he mounts. She starts off with a little flirty dance, waving her tail in front of him called “flagging”! Within a few minutes of trying they became locked together or “Tied” which lasted just under thirty minutes. Initially Hope gets a little panicky and snaps at Remi so I settle down on the floor with them, taking deep calming breaths, speaking softly, humming, and slowly petting them to calm them down and help them remain calm throughout the ordeal. This is the best way to insure that neither makes any sudden, jerky movements that could potentially injure the other. After the initial tie, I separate them for the next 24 hours to allow Remi’s sperm a chance to replenish (Hope is pleased, Remi is not and howls most of the day and night).

Final Update on Hope & Remi's First Litter

Several months late in coming but the final update on the first litter of CKC Shih Tzu pups born to Hope & Remi is this... at eight weeks old and just in time for Christmas, all three pups went to new homes! Healthy as horses, the vet decided they didn't even need the usual worming treatments, their health was so flawless!! Talk about a proud Dog-Mommy!! I walked out of the vet's office feeling at least ten feet tall that day! Since then Hope has recovered by leaps and bounds and is looking fabulous!! Having recently come into heat again this Spring, we are eagerly anticipating the arrival of June puppies!! My plan is to record more closely the details of her pregnancy paralleling similar events in her previous pregnancy for others searching for canine pregnancy related information. I search the web continuously for detailed information and have found two very helpful websites which I've listed here on the left side column of my blog.

Two Weeks Old

Hope and Remi's three sweet babies are two weeks old now and growing quickly! Max, Mandie, and Bonnie respectively, have really begun to show off their little personalities and it has been a joy watching them develop. It's been even more fun watching my family try to "help" take care of them! Shih Tzu pups are born with pink noses that later turn black... very slowly and in a speckled kind of way. My mother didn't know this and thought that one of the pups had dirt on her nose. She nearly rubbed her nose raw trying to clean her before I caught her and realized what she was doing!
Max's coloring continues to lighten each day and I believe he will eventually take on the coloring of his Mom, but his personality is definitely that of his Daddy! The puppies eyes have all opened now and when you pick up the girls, they pull back and look you over to see who is holding them before snuggling up to you, but Max doesn't bother to look. He doesn't care who is holding him, he just likes to be held, so he snuggles right into you and starts licking your fingers or your face... he is his Daddy made over!!
Mandie shares the same markings and patterns of her Daddy, but even her coloring is lightening so she may look more like her Mom as she grows up. Her personality is clearly that of her Mommy, though! Bossy, stubborn, pushy, she doesn't let Max push her around even though he's much bigger than her!! We almost lost this sweet baby when she was born. Hope got a little over zealous with the umbilical cord and nipped it to close to Mandie's body. She nearly bled to death in my hands, but we finally got the bleeding stopped and she turned out to be quite the little fighter, determined both to live and thrive! She's attempting to catch up with Max in weight and doing exceptionally well! Something cute, she shares Hope's tickle spot! When you tickle her behind her ear, her hind leg starts to thump just like Hope!
Bonnie is our little mysterious one. Her patterning and coloring is different from both parents and her personality is very shy, but calm. We are enjoying watching her closely to get to know her better!!

Our Little Bit

This is our Little Bit! Born seven and a half hours after her first two siblings, she was half the size of her brother and sisters. We worked around the clock with her for over a week before she passed away. The vet believes that her liver was undeveloped. Puppies are so sweet and so fragile. They wrap themselves around your heart and warm your soul. Charles Shultz, the creator of Peanuts once said, "Happiness is a warm puppy!" and he would know, for surely Snoopy's hilarious antics were merely an artists rendition of the equally entertaining behaviors of a beloved family member. I hope that everyone has the opportunity to be loved by an innocent soul!!

Puppies

Hope & Remi, proud parents of CKC Registered Shih Tzu puppies!!

Hope, my sweet little princess, due to give birth at any time!!

Remington, such a handsome boy!!

The first two puppies!! A big boy and a healthy girl!! Born at 3:33 and 3:46 AM!!

Another Girl!! Born four and a half hours after her first two siblings!! Three Beautiful Puppies!!

Surprise!! Seven and a half hours after the first two pups came, another little girl popped out!!

My Sweet Kidi

An angel came from Heaven
To check out life on Earth
Twas joined by several siblings
At the moment of her birth
She wondered, searching for a home
Before landing behind bars
That’s where I found my angel
And brought her home to ours
A dozen years, she spent with me
In my home and in my heart
And though I’m thankful Heaven shared her
I knew one day she would depart
“So enjoy your walks on the streets of gold
For Heaven welcomes you, my sweet”
And thank you Lord for my four pawed angel
May she forever rest in peace
~ Angela (In Loving Memory of Miss Kidi LaBelle, 14 years old)

Introductions

Please allow me to introduce myself.... I am Angela from Kentucky, USA. I work as an Accountant for a local University and Bookkeeper for my church. When I'm not working for other people, I'm usually out on the town with my fabulous family or home snuggled up with my sweet Tzu's grinning foolishly over a really good book. I am a very boring person, but my family loves me anyway and my dogs keep themselves busy enough without my help!! After suffering from various health problems most of my life I was diagnosed with Sjogren's disease in the Spring of 2011. I am still learning to live with (and some days just survive with) Sjogren's but my relationship with God, my incredible family, and my delightful Tzu's make my life an absolute joy!
In the photo above is from left to right, Hope (white), Remi (brindle and white), and Kidi (gray).
I adopted Kidi from the ASPCA while living in Houston in 1999. She's a Shih Tzu and Yorkie Mix while the other two little darlings are pure bred CKC Shih Tzu's. When I originally started this blog in August 2010, I had three Shih Tzus, but since then Miss Kidi developed some severe health problems and had to be put to sleep in July 2011. She was fourteen years old. I miss my old girl.
Hope is my dainty little princess! Adopted in June 2008 at eight weeks old, I think she's an angel, my sister thinks she's a snot! The tiniest dog in the house and she definitely rules the roost! I also wouldn't have it any other way! I adore my spoiled little girl!
Becoming a Dog-Mommy of three in August 2010 changed my whole world!! At six weeks old, Remi was such a handful but such a sweetheart! And still is my little Prince Charming!! He has the most soulful eyes, as if he's already been there and done that and felt the sunshine behind the rain. He knows that joy is on the other side and always encourages me when circumstances make me blue! Remi is probably more spoiled than Hope. All he has to do is turn those dark chocolate eyes on me and I just melt! What Remi wants, Remi always gets! He keeps me on my toes and sometimes hanging by them!! Luckily, everyone is eager to settle down and relax in the evenings when I turn up the music and turn the pages of a good book! An absolute gift from God, I can't imagine life without my Tzu's.
In August 2011, Hope (three years old) went into heat and I allowed her and Remi (fourteen months old) to breed. October 26, 2011 we welcomed our first litter of CKC Registered Shih Tzu pups into the world!! One boy and three girls, we were overjoyed. Unfortunately, our youngest girl’s liver was undeveloped and despite hard work with her around the clock for over a week, she passed away. Raising puppies was one of the most beautiful, exciting, heartbreaking, backbreaking, estactically joyous, and phenomenally unique experiences of my life! Knowing all the puppies went to incredible homes who love them like crazy was equally rewarding!
There has been much editing done to this site in the last year and probably much more will be done in the future... I would like this to be a place where book and music lovers can find interesting reviews, dog lovers and those interested in breeding can read enjoyable stories as well as find some practical info that they may find useful, and also that those suffering with Sjogren's can get some good information as well!
This is a place where my greatest loves ~ God, Family, Dogs, Books, and Music all come together to write my personal story. May you enjoy every moment of your visit!!