Adorable GSD baby pictures

See See’s puppies are 10 days old today. Eyes aren’t open yet, but they will open any day now. If they are not eating, they are sleeping!

I couldn’t have arranged them better myself.
See See is always watchful over her babies.
In this pic you can see the cardboard underneath the bedding that I use for added insulation. We have had some super cold nights in the past week.

A bit of early socialization

My friend Sharon came to visit, and she held all of the puppies and talked to them. In this video you can hear Clyde whining in the background, wanting to join in the fun.

You can see a splash of white on this boy’s chest
Sharon helped with the birth of the puppies and aftercare of See See. She was glad to hold each one, and to know they have doubled their birth weights in a week.
A pile of contented puppies

5 Out of 10

There are 5 beautiful healthy puppies. See See gave birth to 10 puppies today, but, despite my diligence and the help of very knowledgeable friends, 5 could not be saved. This is the heartbreak of being a breeder. It happens in large litters sometimes, and in a way, it is good for See See to have only 5 to keep track of as a first time mom. She is an excellent mother so far, as was her mother, Jane, and grandmother, Nellie. See See is so instinctive and just plain wonderful.

I’m planning on revamping this website in order to focus on this litter. I will be able to add video as the puppies are growing like I did for my last litter, three years ago. Here are a couple of pictures of See See with her 5 babies with a promise of more to come! I gotta get some sleep!

The answer is: 9 OR 10

See See is going to have 9 or 10 puppies per Dr. Miller at Crossroads West Veterinary Center! When there are that many, it really is hard to tell. See See seems fine with all the fuss! Due date is approximately January 10, 2024

Dr. Miller and See See on the X-ray table
Dr. Miller counting puppies
How many do you see?

See See is pregnant!

All the signs are there! She will get an x-ray on January 2nd to count puppies. (It’s important to know how many to expect so we know there are none left inside.) I’m so excited! I will be right there with her through the whole thing, and if she is half as good a mother as her mother, Jane, I will be happy. She is getting rounder by the day and has a great appetite. Due date is January 10th.

Fibrocartilaginous Embolization in GSD

My German Shepherd, Jane, is 10 years old. A couple of weeks before Thanksgiving, she started having some trouble with lameness in her hind legs (especially the left) and sometimes her legs would really sag, and she seemed to have no strength in them. Then, the next day, I would see her trotting effortlessly. I thought she probably had a disc problem, so I gave her Rimadyl, which seemed to help.

On Thanksgiving, after going up and down stairs with no problem, I found her completely paralyzed in the rear. She could not move her back legs at all. However, she could wag her tail and maintained bowel and bladder control. The vet, Dr. Kara Kolster, did multiple x-rays but did not see evidence of a disc rupture. Jane was positive for Lyme disease, although that could have been from long ago past exposure. Dr. Kolster put her on doxycycline, gabapentin, and prednisone. We decided to do supportive care and wait and see, rather than doing very expensive further testing, which would be hard on Jane. Also, I decided that I would not put her through back surgery at her age and with an uncertain outcome.

Stan, my boyfriend, said he would help. Because of my own back issues, I could not constantly lift her to take her outside. I am deeply grateful to him, because without him, I would have had to put her to sleep.

Gradually, Jane has improved to the point that she is supporting weight on her rear legs when standing, and even moves them slightly in a walking motion when her rear is carried in a sling. This is by no means functional yet, but I am really floored by her never give up attitude and desire to move, play, and be near me and her brother Johnny. She has a great appetite and loves to be petted and groomed.

I had myself and all the other dogs tested for Lyme disease. We were all negative.

Based on her very slow improvement and her previous symptoms, along with consultation with a neurologist and radiologist, Dr. Kolster believes Jane has Fibrocartilaginous Embolization (FCE). Here is a link to a description of the condition. https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/neurological/fce-fibrocartilaginous-embolism-dogs

There is no known hereditary component to FCE. Jane may not improve to the point of functionality, but we are giving her every chance.

Jane, recovering, very slowly.

Happy 10th birthday to Johnny and Jane

Johnny and Jane playing at Bethel Beach

I can’t believe how warm the weather was today. It got up to 85 at least. The dogs got hot, so we had to keep going back to the car for fresh water. Lots of nice wading to do, and we will have to go back. At 10 years old, the dogs can’t take the heat like they used to.

Johnny and Jane are Nellie’s puppies, from a litter of 10, born 10/30/2013. Jane is the dam of See See, who I will be breeding next.

See See fetching at the beach

The last time I took See See to the beach, she lacked the confidence to go in the water on her own. Last Thursday was a different story! After a few minutes, she decided she loved the water. Fetching a ball was the perfect incentive.

At Piankatank River Beach
From the sandbar to the beach

She’s not swimming yet, but she will get there! I love this dog. I can’t wait to breed her. She should produce lovely and loving puppies. She will be coming into heat any day now.

See See got a bath as soon as we got home. Somehow, she smelled like dead fish! Her coat is coming back in nicely after shedding out for the season. Shiny and thick!