LizT

Long winded and rambling perhaps, but definitely informative!

Me too...my parents are Austrian and Arnies dad was the local cop in Dad home town. But remember......."It's not a Puma!" (read tumour)

Does that mean they need to take a handful of anabolics morning and night to stay big? Arnie wasnt called the pharmacist for nothing. Interesting article though No.... it means they will be running for Governor of Florida!

My two Cavalier girls were roaring up and down the house on Tuesday night, my OH was sitting at the computer, he turned in his swivel chair and yelled at them to "cut it out" or "stop that you two"! The younger one, Crissy, got a fright, turned around very quickly and slammed head first into the wall unit. I wont go into detail about what I said to my OH suffice to say he feels like "sh12" and is kicking himself about what happened. I know he has a loud booming voice..but really there is no excuse and he agrees. He's big, she's little, shouldn't have happened like that. I was outside at the time and my son (age 20) came out to tell me that "Something had happened" (my OH wouldn't tell him more than "the dogs were mucking around??) and that Crystal was 'squinting' alot. She seemed okay except for the fact that when she stares at you, after a few moments she closes both her eyes most of the way and squints at you. There was no swelling or visibly damage and I had a 4am start and a 4 hours each way drive to Gippsland the next morning to collect a pony so my son was looking after her and the puppies until my return at about 3pm. She seemed bright and her usual self still in the morning but was still closing her eyes on occassion. My son texted me several times to say she seemed better and was keeping her eyes open so that was good. However when I returned home I found that she was 'light sensitive' and her lids were droopy still and she was still closing them on occasion, so I rang the Vets and off we went. Seems she had coped with the natural filtered light of day but when house lights were switched on she was uncomfortable again. After examining her thoroughly he declared she had some 'blunt trauma', her pupils were not responding as quickly as they normally would to light and that she was 'light sensitive' at present, hence the partial closing of her eyes. Fortunately there is no major damage to her eyes or socket area. She is now on on pain killers to make her more comfortable (Rimadyl 1/2 morning and night) and eye drops 3 or 4 times a day (Maxidex) until the weekend and twice a day on Saturday and Sunday. She should be okay after that. I was relieved and told the Vet I was worried she may have done some serious damage like broken an eye socket or detached a retina..and he laughed at me as he knew I was laying a huge guilt trip on my OH. My Vet knows me well. I was. OH actually took us to the Vets AND paid the bill. My youngest daughter (age 10) said he was patting Crystal before we left and promised her he would never yell at her again. So maybe next time they are being silly and running up and down he will just quietly stop them.

That's very sad, unfortunate part of being in a large litter, even small litters have their squashed babies I'm watching my five chubby girls lying side by side at mums teats, I can't even see where the 6th we lost would fit in now!! Can't begin to image the bun-fight your mob will be having in two weeks time! ;) Sometimes one of my pups is laying over the top of another, one has an 'upper berth teat' and the other has a 'lower berth teat'. I'm picturing a double level of Rottie babies neatly stacked in a row!

Interesting...I guess a lot of it depends on the size of the breed and the quantity. I couldn't imagine 8+ very smart, active Border Collie pups in my family room!

Oh you poor thing, don't let sleep deprivation get the better of you. Believe me it's very dangerous, particularly with small children to look after. I work night shift and sometimes only get 3 hours of sleep at a hop, 3 during he day and 3 again in the evening...broken sleep is the pits, but I have to get my youngest from school, feed animals, people etc. and just do general 'stuff'... so I need to be up in the afternoons. It might seem harsh but this is a common theme for large litters and you've probably saved many over the last few days on repeated occassions. Try and rest when the babies are (yours and Jetts!) Remember this too will soon pass. Bonnie post puppy farts were far less worse than her pre natal ones....probably because she only had 5 placentas (I managed to get one away from her) I'm sure Jett had way more LOL

Hmmm..she's my favourite too! ;) When she was born after the three Blenheim girls I said "Here's my girl"..who knows...maybe if all the boxes tick.....

Easier than a ransom???? ;)

Interestingly, in book I recently read on "Breeding Purebred Dogs", Hybrid Vigour is referred to as a way of strengthing a line that is weakened by repetative line breeding. Basically 'out-crossing' on the occassion, rather than constant random out-crossing or constant line-breeding. It was stressed that they were not referring to cross-breeding of different dogs though. I think with the pumas if it is a 'sub-species' of the same breed of animal only indiginous to another area, although there will be differences in the breed due to it's environmental evolution, it is still more of an 'out-cross' than a 'cross-breed"? However, either way you look at it, it's not the same animal. I mean wouldn't this type of thing happen, in part with migratory animals who all travel to the same breeding grounds? Also interesting, is the fact that some male Florida panthers are travelling out, probably looking for new bloodlines and mates in which to continue their lines, as males do. Better watch out for those idiot "Deer hunters" who don't know the difference between a puma and a deer!

Can someone clarify....I know the reward was $5000 but one news report also stated the dog is worth $5000, which is it...both? Just wondering what the thieves motivation was...stud fee...ransom....Oh, well...the important thing is he is back with his family!!

Such a relief for all concerned. A happy ending........finally some good news!!

Bonnie had a very inverted upper nipple, but the girls took care of that. Within a week of sucking, it had come out fully.

2 week old pictures of my baby girls!

That's terrific news for both dog and owner!!! Such a relief for them both. ;)

Gee, some good ideas here...mine are just over two weeks and I've had many "ideas" pre-mating about how I was going to do it all. I have polished timber boards in my family room which is where they are going to move to (in my 'parents retreat/study in my room still)...was thinking of some kind of floor cover and was going to go to Clarke Rubber or Bunnings but the Lino sounds the best! Thanks So... start the 50/50 in the Whelping box once they are mobile?? Mums being doing most, if not all of the clean up so far. I've just changed the Vet bed a few times because of smears and 'poo crumbs'. The upside of a Toy breed The problem with taking them outside to toilet here in Melbourne is the wet grass for most of the morning and/or rain. I think we have had one nice day in 3 weeks! Would a puppy getting saturated to go to the toilet be a health risk even with towelling off? The grass is mowed but there is a lot of condensation overnight and often rain in the mornings lately.

Firstly...CONGRATULATIONS!! I'm so glad it all went well. Well done Jett! So sad about the lost babies, very difficult with so many of them. I had to revive one of our little girls that got flattened but she was okay and there was only 6 of them at that stage! Can't begin to imagine how difficult it is with double that number! Don't beat yourself up...your kids are actually more important and needed you at that time...you can't be watching every second. They'll get stronger day by day.

I do absolutely nothing. I carry on as per normal. This is virus that hits you weather you leave your property or totally isolate your self. Also you don't want to deprive your puppy of early socialisation or "Puppy Pre-school" types of activities, which IMO are very important out of fear of catching something which you could get in your own back yard.

I totally agree, Liz. I know most people are just blowing off steam when they come out with that attitude but I just find it so damn uncivilised and really quite immature. It comes up on this forum constantly. Sure we all love animals and find animal cruelty totally abhorent but I mean really - it looks really bad when people wish death on another human. Hmmmm....it's the kind of attitude you expect to find if they had been affected personally..ie. done to someone they know. I personally couldn't say for sure how I'd behave or what I would threaten if someone say, hurt one of my kids for example. As you say, it looks bad, and leaves me feeling "very uncomfortable' about people in general. Hopefully it is mostly "letting off steam" but what some people will "say" out loud is scary.

I think it's time people dropped the bla bla bla mantra of kill the person who is cruel to animals. It's boring and just plain primordial - and yeah it really does put you on the same level as animal abusers. I like to think we live in a civilised society until I see the same old claptrap on this forum. Grow up or move to somewhere like China where you can enjoy watching public executions. Well said Raz...I mean who are they trying to convince anyway? Clearly someone who is inflicting pain of any other creature needs to be stopped and held accountable but those with a "blood lust" are in the same category IMO. Just to add... I do understand the anger and frustration associated with these scum getting off scott free...time after time...it does make your blood boil...but it does not excuse a mob getting their pitchforks and torches and going nuts.

Yes, true and all from random breedings of wild dogs in the early, early days to very selective breeding following on. You are right it is quite amazing the differences and how little squirmies go on to get long ears, or short erect ears, long coats from short newborn ones, broader faces, longer muzzles etc. At the moment my babies more resemble pandas than dogs LOL

There must be at least one boy in the "cricket team" your waiting on! LOL How's she doing?

Don't you just love it when those eyes open They look like little teddy bears!

It's very sad about the puppy We take the precautions we can but unfortunately some viruses ar very virolent. Sadly, one can pick up an airborne virus just standing near someone in a supermarket queue and walking where they have stood. Sometimes the immune system is just too immature to deal with it.

Good Luck, and don't worry so much.... if it doesn't happen it doesn't happen...this time. I'm sure your mum understands that she's not there to help this time so it might be a miss.