Hmm....

Well Sophie did not eat her breakfast or lunch today. I really hope this doesn't go on for the entire pregnancy, but at least she's eating every once in awhile and when she does she eats a lot. I feel bad for her. You can tell she wants to eat, but it's almost as if nothing "smells" good to her. She will act hungry then sniff the food and back away, regardless of what it is. Even if she ate it the day before, there's no guarantee she'll eat it the next. I have to say this is the most challenging pregnancy we've had, usually this is the easy part! I did want to share something with you guys though. Have any of you seen that commercial when the wife gets the bag of dog food out of the cupboard and and feeds it to her family? Then it says something like "you wouldn't feed your family this stuff, why would you feed your pet it?" (completely paraphrasing since I can't remember what they say, but that's what they are communicating). Then they show this new food they have come out with that actually sounds pretty good. It's called deli fresh and here's the website:  http://www.delifreshpet.com/ It's an alternative to the processed crap they call dog food in a bag, and it's almost like cooking for your dog without all the time and effort. Plus they say it's completely balanced so if you choose to feed it, your vet won't jump down your throat :) Anyways, I bought some just to experiment with it and all the dogs love it even Sophie did until today. I bought a 6lb thing of it for $15 at Petco which lasts about 5 days for one dog (61-100lbs). That's really not bad it all, but I have six dogs, so it's more economical for me to cook for them. They even have a grain free formula, or a brown rice based diet and even have different meat options in case your dog gets bored.

Sophie Eats Again!

Sophie is eating again, and she's hungry! Yipee! This morning she ate a whole plate of food (apple/blueberry pancakes and goat milk cottage cheese). We discovered awhile ago that Sophie is cow milk intolorent unless it's in hard cheese. This is okay though, because we have a lot of goat's milk and it's better for her anyways :) Then for lunch she ate another whole plate of brown rice, carrots, peas, chicken, chicken liver, and eggs. Of course she has also had a couple of snacks in the form of peanut butter "cookies" (that's what she knows them by, they aren't really cookies)  Tonight we are making her a stir-fry with chicken and asparagus served with brown rice. Hopefully she will eat that too...

Random pic

Mandi modeling her flower :) I couldn't get her to look at me, but I had to take a picture because Mandi never lets us put anything in her hair. She won't even wear a bandanna!

Morning Sickness Stinks!

Sophie is still experiencing morning sickness :( 
Personally, we have never had a female experience morning sickness to this degree during pregnancy. So this is something new and quite frankly exasperating! When Mandi went through it she gave up "dog food" and cheese (one of her favorite things in the world). Sophie on the other hand, won't eat ANYTHING except peanut butter dog treats (that we make and have goat's milk, peanut butter, honey, olive oil, ww flour, rolled oats, and wheat germ in them. These I think are acting like saltines would for a pregnant person going through morning sickness), cheese, pancakes, and chicken. That's it. Believe me, we have tried almost everything. From what I've been reading, this is normal, and shouldn't last anymore than about 10 days (we are on day 9). However, as a Dog Mom, I want her to eat her food soooo bad and when she doesn't I feel helpless. However, when this phase is over, if what they say is true, she will eat her food with a vengence to make up for the time she wasn't eating. Oh how I wish that day was here now! On a positive note, she is not vomiting. We thought she had thrown up, but it was actually Frank who wasn't feeling so good because of a hematoma on his ear. It's when a blood vessel ruptures and can happen from a dog shaking their head too hard, or in Frank's case scratching it too hard. Frank is fine now, they extracted the blood that caused it to swell and gave him some stuff for it. Sophie is also drinking lots of water, and isn't acting strange except she's more lovey dovey (those crazy hormones) :)

Sophie Update

Sophie is doing well, and definitely showing signs of pregnancy :) She does not like her prenatal vitamins! I tried sticking them in peanut butter, but she just licked off the peanut butter and spit out the tablet. I wrapped it in bread, same result. They are big too! probably the size of a quarter, and she has to eat two a day. I tried crushing them and putting them in her food, they are hard to crush because of their size (they don't fit very well in our pill crusher), and she likes to play musical bowls where all the dogs switch back and forth. So I've resorted to sticking them far enough back in her throat where she just swallows them. Sophie has also come down with morning sickness. I was REALLY hoping she wouldn't get it because it's exasperating sometimes! However, it manifested itself on Friday morning. She wouldn't eat her food, and of course for some weird reason when Sophie doesn't eat nobody else wants to eat their food either! Then this morning she threw up her food....So we decided we need to feed her some different things because it's usually just certain foods they won't eat during this phase. So for breakfast we made her (and everyone else because they didn't want the other stuff if there's different stuff) blueberry pancakes. She gobbled those up. Then for dinner we cooked up some whole grain egg noodles and added some spinach, eggs, and chicken.

In addition, we made a pot of

cabbage, celery, carrots, egg shells, and potatoes cooked with some beef broth

Then we mixed it together in their bowls and added goat's milk

Sophie seemed to like this meal, as she ate most of it!

Her nipples are getting bigger, and we can feel a little belly on her :)

Dog Food

I've had some people ask about the food we feed our dogs, so I'll blog about how we do it :) For those of you who don't know, we do not feed our dogs "dog food". Instead, we cook for them. Yes, it's a labor of love. Yes, I wish sometimes I could just open a bag of food and pour it into a bowl instead of cooking. Yes, it does take more time, but I'm also convinced it adds years to their life. For example, my rottweiler Rita was 13 years old when she started slipping. We thought for sure she was going to die soon, but a twist of fate happened; Mandi decided she wasn't going to eat dog food anymore. Since she was pregnant, and I had wrestled with her before on the food issue (so it wasn't just morning sickness) I decided to take the plunge and make dog food. I had done tons of research on the topic before, so I knew what kinds of foods they needed in their diet, as well as the ones that should be avoided. As soon as we started to cook for them, a funny thing happened; Rita came right back around and was looking and acting better than she had in a long time. Unfortunately, dogs can't live forever and Rita passed away last month at the ripe old age of 14 and 2 months. I'm convinced if she had been on the homemade meals her whole life she probably would have lived longer, but that is something I will find out with my current four legged friends. Pictured below is a picture of our Rita taken a couple months before her passing:

Now on to how we make the food....We have Saladmaster cookware so it makes the process a little easier, but I'm sure it could be done in the oven or a crockpot too.

First we gather all the ingredients together and of course rinse them off:

Pictured below: Some of the ingredients for five meals (or 2 & 1/2 days) for 5 big dogs and 1 chihuahua :)

Typical ingredients include potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage (red & green), pears, apples, carrots, celery, cranberries, parsley, zucchuni, broccoli, chicken, sometimes Alaskan salmon or Alaskan Cod, eggs, egg shells, wheat germ, and goat's milk is added to cool it down once in the bowls. (Some ingredients change depending on what's in season. For example, in the fall we feed pumpkin, and right now we aren't feeding pears because they are too high)

Then we cut all the produce up on our Saladmaster Machine (this is the ultimate time saver! If we had to chop everything with a knife, we would have quite before we started!)

After everything is cut up, we bag it and put it in the fridge.

Then twice a day (breakfast and dinner), we dump the whole bag into our 7 quart saladmaster pot, add the eggs and meat (meat is cooked before hand and stored in tupperware), we turn the heat to medium (anything hotter would just cook all the good stuff out of the food), and when the pot starts clicking (something it does when internal temp reaches 187 degrees) we turn it down to low and let it cook until the eggs are done which is about 15-20min. Once cooked, we stir it up, dish it out, and add goat's milk and wheat germ to the food.

Seems complicated when you hear home cooked dog food, but it's really not :)

Pictured below is a diferent meal that we fed them for breakfast which included eggs, egg shells, chicken, rice, brussel sprouts, wheat germ, bananas, apples, and strawberries.

Random Photo of the Day :)

Our Sweet Sophie

Prenatal Vitamins

I've never given my dogs prenatal vitamins before, but I've decided to try it this time. It's not that I simply chose not to give them any, the thought just never really crossed my mind. However, a couple of days ago I was looking through one of my pet supply magazines and saw them. They are called Bitch Pills (I know funny name, but it is a female dog so it makes sense). Fedex is sceduled to drop them off on Tuesday, so we shall see if they make a difference :) Here is a break down of a couple of the ingredients and why they are beneficial:




Red Raspberry leaves-



Due to its action as a uterine tonic, this well known birth aid has been used for hundreds of years to help ensure an easy and straightforward delivery. Many bitches and queens who have previously experienced problems have subsequently had normal easy births with the aid of this herb, it will reduce the delivery time and make the labour less painful, and enrich the milk.



Norwegian kelp-



Benefits:



All Natural

Reduces skin problems

Aids in the healing process

Minimizes pain from arthritis

Reduces breeding problems

Helps maintain and benefit thyroid

Helps restore natural pigmentation

Increases overal health of your dog

Great for pregnant/nursing dogs

Dogs will be able to maintain their stamina and endurance

Better utilization/absorption of nutrients from food ingested

Helps enhance coat and reduces excessive shedding

Helps boost the immune system - which fight allergies

Full list of ingredients: Kelp, calcium carbonate, ascorbic acid, red raspberry leaves, DL-tocopherol acetate, calcium citrate, fennel seed powder, licorice root powder, marshmallow root powder, iron, magnesium oxide, beta caroten, zinc ascorbate, Vitamin B6 pyridoxine HCl, Vitamin B2 riboflavin, Vitamin A palmatate, Vitamin B1 thaimine, Vitamin B12 cyanocobalamin, folic acid, flavoring, aspergillus, excipients.

My Market Buddy

Every Saturday, I sell my mom's products (and some of mine) at the farmer's market. It never fails, as soon as I put the first table in the car Koda starts doing this thing we call his 'Yip' because that's what it sounds like! He does it because he knows he gets to go with and it's a combination of being super excited, and reminding me not to forget him. So I continue to load the car, then I get his water bottle, leash, and put his seat belt on him (this he does not like very much, but it's for his safety and ours because he tries to climb in my lap when I'm driving when I don't put it on him! eek!). Once we are all in the car, we make the 30 min trek there. When we arrive, Koda waits patiently in the car while I unload everything. He is such a good boy! Then I setup his bed and he hangs out with me for the next 5 hours! It sounds boring for him, but he LOVES it because all the people pet him, some feed him, and sometimes he meets new friends of the four legged kind :) Here is a picture of Koda at the Market enjoying his bone ( I took it with my camera phone):

If you are ever in the Mesa area on a Saturday, stop by and say hi! we are on the corner of Main st and Macdonald just east of Country Club from 9-2pm.

Pregnancy Calendar

Pregnancy Calendar for Dogs
Sire: Koda Bear

Dam: Sweet Sophie

Breeder: Sweetie Pie Labradoodles

Mon 1 Mar 2010 First day of mating.

48 hours after the first mating the bitch should be mated again. Subsequent matings occurring over a period of time enhance the chances of fertilaziton taking place.

The spermatozoa migrate up through the cervix.



Tue 2 Mar 2010 Sperm travel searching for a mature ripened eggs.



Tue 2 Mar 2010 -

Wed 3 Mar 2010 Spermatozoa reach the eggs in the oviducts.



Wed 3 Mar 2010 -

Thu 4 Mar 2010 Fertilisation occurs in the oviducts which lead from the ovaries to the uterus.



Thu 4 Mar 2010 -

Sat 6 Mar 2010 Fertilised eggs migrate down the oviducts and into the uterine horns.

The migration continue to enable even spacing of the embryos.

During this migration the eggs will grow into a blastocystes.



Fri 12 Mar 2010 -

Sun 14 Mar 2010 The blastocystes implant in the wall of the uterus.



Fri 12 Mar 2010 -

Fri 26 Mar 2010 The blastocystes will grow into an embryos.

During the next two weeks the important organs will develop.



Mon 15 Mar 2010 -

Mon 22 Mar 2010 Dams nipples begin to pink enlarge.

The fur on the dams belly and around the nipples may become thinner.



Sun 21 Mar 2010 -

Sun 28 Mar 2010 Morning sickness might occur due to hormonal changes or stretching and distension of the uterus. Dam may appear a bit apathetic. She may be off her feed for a while and vomit from time to time.

Feeding the dam several meals spaced throughout the day might help.

Your veterinarian may want to prescribe a drug to relax the uterus.



Fri 26 Mar 2010 -

Tue 30 Mar 2010 An experienced person (a breeder or a veterinarian) can tell by careful palpation whether the dam is pregnant.

It's now the best time to do this because the embryos are walnut-sized now and easy to count.



Mon 29 Mar 2010 Start to increase the dams food ration.

Don't overfeed, excessive weight gain should be avoided.

The foetuses are now and are fully developed miniature dogs.



Sun 4 Apr 2010 The Dams abdomen starts to get larger.



Wed 14 Apr 2010 It's very easy now to feel the puppies, counting them might be a bit more difficult.



Sat 17 Apr 2010 -

Sun 25 Apr 2010 Dam begins to spend a lot more time in self-grooming.

Her breasts become even more swollen.

She may become a bit restlessness and begin to search for a suitable place to have her puppies.



Mon 19 Apr 2010 The dam might lose her appetite during this period. Her abdomen can be crowded with puppies.

It is better to feed several smaller meals spaced throughout the day.

You can easily detect abdominal movement now.



Mon 19 Apr 2010 -

Tue 4 May 2010 Nipples and vulva should be gently cleaned with warm water, you might want to trim the hairs surrounding the nipples, to allow easier access for the puppies to suck.



Thu 29 Apr 2010 -

Sun 2 May 2010 Milky fluid may be expressed from the nipples.



Fri 30 Apr 2010 You might want to start taking the dams rectal temperature each morning and evening.



Mon 3 May 2010 Twelve to 24 hours before she is due to deliver, the dams rectal temperature may drop from 101 to 98 degrees.

Clear discharge from the vulva might occur.



Tue 4 May 2010 Expected date of whelp. Of course this is just an average. Whelping may take place from the 59th to the 65th day. Puppies born before the 58th day will probably be too young to survive.

Ryan's Pet Supply

We groom our own dogs (otherwise it would cost a fortune!), so a couple of weeks ago we went to Ryan's Pet Supply to get our blades sharpened. We had never been there before, but it turned out to be a pretty neat place. If you wait for the blades, it takes about an hour. So to pass the time, we checked out their wholesale warehouse right next door that is open to the public! Most of their business is from online orders, so there were employees (who were also super nice and helpful) running around "picking" orders while we shopped. We found toys for 50% off (or more) regular retail and other misc. items such as ear cleaner and a dematting rake. It's also where we found Frank a new firehose (pictured in the previous post) since he had loved his other one to death, a cat toy for a friend of ours, a bear that makes a grunting noise that Sophie loves, a big ball for our goats to play with, and other random items for a bargain. They weren't cheaper on everything (compared to other websites, not brick and motar stores), but you don't have to pay shipping so you come out ahead. Another neat feature, much like Petsmart, you can bring your pet shopping with you! :) So if you live in the Phoenix area, it's worth a trip! Here is the website that has the address and hours on it: http://www.ryanspet.com/

Our Frank

I know many of you probably check this blog daily in anticipation there will be some recent news. Therefore, like I said on the other blog, I will try to post random things while we wait for the puppies!




Today I'll tell you a little about our dog, Frank.



Frank came to us by accident. We weren't looking for a dog, nor did we need another one. Every month our friends get together and have a "game night" where we play board games and it's usually at our one frieinds house. This fateful month however, it was moved to someone else's house who I had only met once. When we arrived at the house, the first thing that caught my eye was Frank. He looked so much like my Mandi/older puppies it was uncanny. He had the sweetest face :) Frank was outside so I only saw him through the sliding glass door and started to inquire about him. They said that he was a Goldendoodle and then let him inside, but straight to his cage. For the first part, I thought his name was cantaloupe (yes, it's a weird name, but I've met some with stranger ones) Turns out they kept telling him to "kennel up" and his name was actually Frank. Confused at why they couldn't leave him out I asked and this was pretty much their response "he stays outside (mind you this was in July), and when he comes in he pretty much stays in the cage because he's too hyper". Well of course he was hyper, they don't stimulate his mind! The poor dog had no toys and no buddy to play with. Talking to them a little longer they revealed to me that they are actually looking for a new home for him cause they don't like him. People like them just make me so furious. Well we went home that night talking about Frank and how sad it was he had to live like that. The next day I was talking to my friend about it and she mentioned again that her friend would love to get rid of him. That's when the idea hit that Roswell could use a buddy! Roswell lives with some friends of ours and other than two little dogs he doesn't have a dog to romp around with. Two days later, I picked Frank up and later that day our friends came and got him. However, Roswell and Frank did not mesh well together as Roswell thought Frank was a female (since he's fixed) and constantly was trying to hump him! Frank wanted nothing to do with that and it became clear that Frank wasn't going to live there. So back to our house he came. Poor dog couldn't catch a break..originally Frank came from a puppy mill who sold him to a pet shop. Then the inlaws of these friend of friends bought him and another one just like him (not sure if they were brothers or not) Turned out they liked the other one and not Frank so he was set to be dropped off at the pound since "it just wasn't working" (that makes me even more furious!) The friend of a friend didn't think he should go to the pound so she kept him at her house ( I commend her for that, but not the way she treated him afterwards). I did not want to rehome him again, so I hoped he would get along with our dogs. Everyone was ok with him for the most part, but Sophie did not like him at all (she's our alpha dog). Hoping it would pass, as it often does, we waited it out a few days. In the mean time, my dad took Frank to the lake. My dad had always wanted "a dog of his own" that he could take fishing and for rides, and that lake trip sealed the deal. He was ours to stay :) Frank will turn two this year on April 16th and while yes, he has A LOT of energy (which is part of being a puppy), we love him and would never trade him in or give him up. Here are a few pictures of Frank. Yes, we have a dog chair. We also have a dog couch that we don't sit on just the dogs :)

Who could not love that face? :)

This is Frank with his favorite toy in the whole world: a fire hose that has squeakies in it.

We've Moved!

 Our blog has moved! While fiddling with my website I figured out how to add a blog to it :) The link can be found on the website's navigation bar or here is the actual URL: http://sweetiepielabradoodles.homestead.com/Blog.html