Babe

It is a bare week, less than even, until Karma pops. In case you haven't been over to her blog recently here's a photo of her in all her ... wait, is that a pig?  

Karma has had an xray to get a puppy number but it wasn't very accurate since they are jumbled together and it was hard to count, but the consensus is at least 8 and almost certainly 9. Eight or nine puppies is a good number for a first litter, not too stressful for a maiden bitch, offers a good selection of choice for show potential even if there are ridgeless and incorrect ridges.

After a minor debacle at work with my schedule we have managed to secure me time off as 'on call' for when Karma will be whelping. I am laying bets that she will experience her temperature drop on Tuesday May 4 and actually have the puppies May 5th - for her that would be day 60.

A dog's gestation (time from conception to birth) is 63 days, or 9 weeks. You start counting the day the bitch is bred because she obviously cannot conceive prior to that date and although some bitches whelp early the puppies are rarely born before they are ready (premature puppies are actually not very common). Using Halo as an example; for her first litter she went to exactly 9 weeks - in fact I'd guess her first puppy arrived within an hour or two of her very first breeding 63 days prior, but for her next two litters they were both two days early.  It's all very technical but as with people the actual date of birth is always a complete guess unless it's a planned c-section. Adine and I just tell each other 'she'll have them when she has them!'. In actual fact Karma doesn't even decide when they come out - the puppies do! 

Anyway, next week is the Big Week. I am really excited about this litter! Karma is doing so great as a new mom-to-be and Adine and family are being incredibly diligent about puppy homes, preparation, researching  (she has the Myra Savant books and is studying them as hard as she studied for her finals) and making sure Karma gets the very best care.

Here's Halo on day 61 or so for her first litter. She was almost exactly where Karma is right now and she had eight puppies. This would have been Raimi's litter - he is in her tummy! That is Petal on the ground, she was a great Nanna to that litter.

Not to worry Karma, at 6 years young this is what Halo looked like a couple days ago. Your trim figure is still in there somewhere!