Puppies

Friday morning I woke up to a basket full of puppies. Four to be exact. And before I left for work an hour later, two more had arrived with it looking like there might be more on the way. Luckily, there was just one more bun in the oven, bringing the total to 7 puppies. Poor Shaki is just a puppy herself, being under a year old still. But she was amazing and knew exactly what to do and popped those seven out without any assistance. Broke the amniotic sac, licked the babies clean, chewed over the umbilical cords and cleaned up the whole mess.

The puppies weighed between 395 and 450 grams on Friday afternoon after about 6-8 hours outside the womb - my kitchen scale came in handy.  There are four girls and three boys. Three of the puppies have an extra dewclaw on each back paw (kind of like a fifth toe). Their poppa is actually double dewclawed on each hind leg. Dew claws are common on the front paws of dogs but more rare on back paws and apparently more prevalent in some races (commonly agility, herding and racing dogs). Tanzanian mutts seem to be one of those races. 

Anyway, they're gorgeous little puppies and their momma Shaki is doing great so far. Poor girl is super skinny now that she's given birth, despite being fed more under her pregnancy, so I'm super-upping her food while she's lactating to make sure she says healthy. I did a puppy weigh in this afternoon and they're all gaining weigh well and everyone seems to be nursing regularly. 

Cicero, my kitten who has been part of the household for just about a month now, is interested in the whole affair. Shaki snapped s at her once but has since be okay, although her ears perk up with he comes too close. I'm hope they'll learn to live with each other. If nothing when the puppies are a little older and she's less protective. I'm traveling for work the next 4 days and this is the first time I've left Cicero "out" while I've been away. He usually gets to spend a little outside time in the mornings while I get ready for work, then is inside while I'm away and comes out again in the afternoon for some quality exploring and leaf-hunting. BUT he's started to be more and more interested in the outdoor world and I thought Sunday-Thursday was an awfully long time for him to be cooped up, so I left the window a crack open and instructions with the guards to keep an eye on him and help sliding the widow open and shut when he's wanting in or out. Let's hope he survives the next few days.