I know I said I was going to wait it out but I couldn't help it, plus I was keen to try a smaller, closer vets as thinking of switching to them instead of using Braids. They re-iterated the warning that exact numbers are very hard to see with an ultrasound but this time I was able to look at the scans with the vet and he showed me at least 4 distinct puppies. It's not very clear especially as jess was panting like a steam train moving everything around inside but you got glimpses of spines and heads :) Vet confirmed timings, that Jess is nearly 7 weeks pregnant - 2 weeks to go ! They like to see both Mum and the pups the day after to make sure everyone is doing ok and offered plenty of advice at a leisurely pace rather than Braids where the whole thing seemed very rushed. Plus, while Braids scan cost £80, this one only cost £36 !
Got the puppy advert up on Champdogs website now - cost for a years membership was £32.
http://www.champdogs.co.uk/puppy/17854.html
Made another purchase yesterday in preparation for the puppies - a Lindham gate and extender to be able to keep them confined to the dining room area (well, what was once a dining room area !). Cost of gate and extension was £33
Costs : Second scan £36, Champdogs membership £32, Puppy gate £33
Friday, 30 April 2010
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Pregnancy confirmed !
Jess has been to the vet and had an ultrasound which confirmed that she was pregnant :D Yay ! Unfortuantly the vet had some stupid rules about not being allowed in the room where they do the scans so I was unable to pester them about trying to see how many pups she might have. By the time I got handed the scans in the waiting room the vet wasn't prepared to offer more information then the fact that heartbeats had been seen and she was definitely pregnant :(
Still, ultrasound is known to be somewhat unreliable for determining the exact number of pups partly due to the size of them - at 4 weeks old they are only one inch long ! Still, would have been nice to have a "rough indication" eg 2 or 12 :) Another scan could be made at a later time (or a x-ray) but I think we'll just "wait and find out".
I've uploaded the pictures from the 2 scans - you can see them in the section on the right hand side "Photos - Pregnancy". I'm going to take some time-lapse photos of Jess so I can see how her body shape changes over time (nothing obvious at the moment). Just have to get her to stand still in the same place each week :)
Time for some more research now into what else is needed for the whelping process. We're borrowing a whelping box from a friend so that saves some money - otherwise this place looked excellent, I liked the idea that they were designed to be thrown away after the event
http://www.petnapwhelpingboxes.co.uk/
They've got a number of other things which I may get from them : Whelping kit and heat pads for starters. Not sure what if anything else is needed/recommended.
Cost of ultrasound : £73, total now past the £1300 mark ! :(
Still, ultrasound is known to be somewhat unreliable for determining the exact number of pups partly due to the size of them - at 4 weeks old they are only one inch long ! Still, would have been nice to have a "rough indication" eg 2 or 12 :) Another scan could be made at a later time (or a x-ray) but I think we'll just "wait and find out".
I've uploaded the pictures from the 2 scans - you can see them in the section on the right hand side "Photos - Pregnancy". I'm going to take some time-lapse photos of Jess so I can see how her body shape changes over time (nothing obvious at the moment). Just have to get her to stand still in the same place each week :)
Time for some more research now into what else is needed for the whelping process. We're borrowing a whelping box from a friend so that saves some money - otherwise this place looked excellent, I liked the idea that they were designed to be thrown away after the event
http://www.petnapwhelpingboxes.co.uk/
They've got a number of other things which I may get from them : Whelping kit and heat pads for starters. Not sure what if anything else is needed/recommended.
Cost of ultrasound : £73, total now past the £1300 mark ! :(
Sunday, 28 March 2010
Puppy development - the early days !
If you're at all like me, it's not enough to know that she's pregnant and then then sit back and wait for the delivery. I want to know what's happening throughout the whole process, especially cause the wonders of embryo/foetal development amaze me - it's a true miracle :)
The development is split into 3 stages : Pre-attachment, Embryonic and Foetal.
1. Pre-attachment
After fertilisation there are two nuclei in each egg, one from each parent carrying half of their chromosomes. When these fuse, the puppy is created carrying the full complement of 78 chromosomes (as opposed to humans with 46, sheep 54, horse 64 and a Kingfisher at 132 !). 8 to 9 days after fertilisation they travel down into the uterus.
2. Embryonic stage
Placentas start to develop about 17 days after fertilisation and at around day 20 the embryos (less than a half an inch long) begin to attach themselves to the walls of the uterus. The central nervous system is developed at this stage. Over the next week the brain and spinal cord develop along with the rest of the organs, limbs, head, eyes and face.
3. Foetal stage
At around 30 days after fertilisation, male and female characteristics show. Over the next few weeks rapid development of the foetus occurs and from day 57 (after fertilisation), live full term puppies can be born. The normal duration of pregnancy is 60 days (+/- 1 day) from fertilisation (or about 63 days from ovulation).
The development is split into 3 stages : Pre-attachment, Embryonic and Foetal.
1. Pre-attachment
After fertilisation there are two nuclei in each egg, one from each parent carrying half of their chromosomes. When these fuse, the puppy is created carrying the full complement of 78 chromosomes (as opposed to humans with 46, sheep 54, horse 64 and a Kingfisher at 132 !). 8 to 9 days after fertilisation they travel down into the uterus.
2. Embryonic stage
Placentas start to develop about 17 days after fertilisation and at around day 20 the embryos (less than a half an inch long) begin to attach themselves to the walls of the uterus. The central nervous system is developed at this stage. Over the next week the brain and spinal cord develop along with the rest of the organs, limbs, head, eyes and face.
3. Foetal stage
At around 30 days after fertilisation, male and female characteristics show. Over the next few weeks rapid development of the foetus occurs and from day 57 (after fertilisation), live full term puppies can be born. The normal duration of pregnancy is 60 days (+/- 1 day) from fertilisation (or about 63 days from ovulation).
Pregnancy diagnosis
It's been 2 weeks now since Jess was mated, and another 2 week until we're off to the vet for an ultrasound, so another 2 weeks to wait to find out if she is definitely pregnant or not !
Unlike humans, there is no immediate test that can be done to check pregnancy in dogs. The options available are :
1. Wait until visible signs appear - these are not going to be visible until 35-40 days into the pregnancy though and can be :
- darkening colour and development of the teats
- enlarged mammary glands
- opaque or white mucus vaginal discharge
- morning sickness (as well as refusing food till midday - with a Labrador ? yeah right :)
- abdominal enlargement - this is not likely until day 40-50. When the uterine horns become very full with the developing foetuses they fold back upon themselves and drop lower into the abdomen. This may not happen if the litter is very small
2. Abdominal palpitation. This involves the vet trying to feel the tiny marble-sized foetuses in the uterus, strung out like a bead necklace. This is possible at around 20-30 days post mating but not on all bitches and it depends on the shape of the bitch
3. Measuring levels of hormone relaxin. This hormone is produced by the placenta and begins to appear in the blood stream at the time when the fertilised eggs become implanted in the womb (usually between 17 and 19 days post-ovulation). This test is normally carried out around 30 days after mating.
4. Ultrasound. Using the same ultrasound imaging equipment as used for women, foetal heartbeats can be seen from days 20-25 of pregnancy. The accuracy of the results though depend very much on the equipment being used and the skill and expertise of the operator. It is more useful than other tests as it can help to indicate the number and size of the puppies. Pregnancy diagnosis is said to be 94% correct through the use of ultrasound (not sure of the reliability or sample size of that statistic though !), but assessing the number of pups in the litter is not so accurate, especially when there are more than 6 foetuses.
So, it's ultrasound for us (at the preference of the vet) and in 2 weeks time I will be able to post the results :)
Unlike humans, there is no immediate test that can be done to check pregnancy in dogs. The options available are :
1. Wait until visible signs appear - these are not going to be visible until 35-40 days into the pregnancy though and can be :
- darkening colour and development of the teats
- enlarged mammary glands
- opaque or white mucus vaginal discharge
- morning sickness (as well as refusing food till midday - with a Labrador ? yeah right :)
- abdominal enlargement - this is not likely until day 40-50. When the uterine horns become very full with the developing foetuses they fold back upon themselves and drop lower into the abdomen. This may not happen if the litter is very small
2. Abdominal palpitation. This involves the vet trying to feel the tiny marble-sized foetuses in the uterus, strung out like a bead necklace. This is possible at around 20-30 days post mating but not on all bitches and it depends on the shape of the bitch
3. Measuring levels of hormone relaxin. This hormone is produced by the placenta and begins to appear in the blood stream at the time when the fertilised eggs become implanted in the womb (usually between 17 and 19 days post-ovulation). This test is normally carried out around 30 days after mating.
4. Ultrasound. Using the same ultrasound imaging equipment as used for women, foetal heartbeats can be seen from days 20-25 of pregnancy. The accuracy of the results though depend very much on the equipment being used and the skill and expertise of the operator. It is more useful than other tests as it can help to indicate the number and size of the puppies. Pregnancy diagnosis is said to be 94% correct through the use of ultrasound (not sure of the reliability or sample size of that statistic though !), but assessing the number of pups in the litter is not so accurate, especially when there are more than 6 foetuses.
So, it's ultrasound for us (at the preference of the vet) and in 2 weeks time I will be able to post the results :)
Thursday, 18 March 2010
Second mating
Yesterday I went back down to Brigburn kennels. Jess did less complaining this time and was far more relaxed once Reed was in. They tied again for 20 min so hopefully as I sit here typing, Jess has a number of fertilised eggs in her uterus :D. Now comes the next wait - it's about 3 weeks before any sort of pregnancy diagnosis can be made. I'll cover the various options in a later post.
Cost : Petrol £35
Cost : Petrol £35
Monday, 15 March 2010
First mating
Well after what seemed an endless parade of testing, the day finally arrived for Jess to mate with Reed. Knowing that Jess has never been very keen for anyone paying her too much attention round her back end, I was a little concerned that she might make it very difficult for Reed to do the deed ! We introduced the two together and Reed wasted no time getting down to business :) However, Jess was not impressed - seemed she expected some wining and dining from her men first ! We let them wander round and attempt things on their own for a while and after about 10 min Jess started to warm to the idea so Lynda steadied/assisted things from the back while I kept Jess from wriggling too much from the front. There were a few yelps and squeals from Jess but once Reed was in and the tie started, she seemed perfectly calm about it all. They tied for about 20 minutes and Jess was happy to stay still for the whole time (although I sat with her holding her collar).
It was great to experience, to see mother nature at work with the dogs natural instincts guiding them through the process.
I'm going to go back again on Wednesday for another mating. I'm wondering whether Jess will be more receptive towards the process this time, or whether once she realises where she is, refuse to get out of the car !
Cost : Petrol (£35), Stud dog fee (£400)
It was great to experience, to see mother nature at work with the dogs natural instincts guiding them through the process.
I'm going to go back again on Wednesday for another mating. I'm wondering whether Jess will be more receptive towards the process this time, or whether once she realises where she is, refuse to get out of the car !
Cost : Petrol (£35), Stud dog fee (£400)
Saturday, 13 March 2010
Day 11 - Second progesterone test
Second progesterone test was done on Friday (Day 11) - used my own vet this time, bit more expensive for the consultation but they were able to spin the serum out from the blood for me so Croft would be able to obtain a better reading. Sent sample off Saturday next day delivery and had the call from Croft at 11am on Saturday.
Reading this time was 7.1 nmol/L which was exactly what I was hoping for. This indicates that the LH surge has taken place, and has elevated the progesterone up from it's Monday level of 1.6 nmol/L (and also indicates that ovulation not yet occurred). The blood sample was done at 10am on Friday, so LH surge probably occurred late Thursday/early Friday. From this, the date of ovulation can be determined as being Saturday or Sunday (remembering this is not an exact science down to the nearest hour but can probably pinpoint events within 24 hours if tested at the right times).
The recommendation for the best time for mating is 1 and 3 or 2 and 4 days post-ovulation. So assuming ovulation is taking place on Saturday or Sunday, I'm going for a mating on Monday and Wednesday. The eggs take approximately 2 days to become fertile after being released (at ovulation) and then remain fertile for another 2-3 days. Fresh semen can remain viable in the reproductive tract for 5-6 days so the combination of the mating days above will provide maximum contact between the fertile eggs and healthy sperm.
So, science and testing takes a rest now, and Mother Nature is being called in :) Jess has no idea what's in store for her ! Time to refresh myself a bit more about the mating process but luckily I'll have Lynda there with her wealth of experience to guide us through the process !
Cost : £30 for the test, £30 for my vet to collect the blood sample and £5 postage (£65).
Reading this time was 7.1 nmol/L which was exactly what I was hoping for. This indicates that the LH surge has taken place, and has elevated the progesterone up from it's Monday level of 1.6 nmol/L (and also indicates that ovulation not yet occurred). The blood sample was done at 10am on Friday, so LH surge probably occurred late Thursday/early Friday. From this, the date of ovulation can be determined as being Saturday or Sunday (remembering this is not an exact science down to the nearest hour but can probably pinpoint events within 24 hours if tested at the right times).
The recommendation for the best time for mating is 1 and 3 or 2 and 4 days post-ovulation. So assuming ovulation is taking place on Saturday or Sunday, I'm going for a mating on Monday and Wednesday. The eggs take approximately 2 days to become fertile after being released (at ovulation) and then remain fertile for another 2-3 days. Fresh semen can remain viable in the reproductive tract for 5-6 days so the combination of the mating days above will provide maximum contact between the fertile eggs and healthy sperm.
So, science and testing takes a rest now, and Mother Nature is being called in :) Jess has no idea what's in store for her ! Time to refresh myself a bit more about the mating process but luckily I'll have Lynda there with her wealth of experience to guide us through the process !
Cost : £30 for the test, £30 for my vet to collect the blood sample and £5 postage (£65).
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Laboklin results back
Got results back from Laboklin today - great news. Jess tested clear for both EIC and CNM - Yay !
So in total, Jess' health checks were:
Hips : 0/0
Elbows : 1/0
prcd-PRA : Clear
EIC : Clear
CNM : Clear
In combination with Reed :
Hips : Jess 0/0, Reed 4/4
Elbows : Jess 1/0, Reed 0/0
prcd-PRA : Jess Clear, Reed Clear => All puppies clear by parentage
EIC : Jess Clear, Reed Carrier => Approx 50% puppies clear, 50% carriers
CNM : Jess Clear, Reed Clear => All puppies clear by parentage
So DNA testing confirms that Jess and Reeds puppies will never be affected with prcd, EIC or CNM - how comforting :) There's probably not many litters out there that can claim that (prcd and CNM probably, but not all three).
Of course, Jess still has to get pregnant ! I'm getting a little ahead of myself :D
So in total, Jess' health checks were:
Hips : 0/0
Elbows : 1/0
prcd-PRA : Clear
EIC : Clear
CNM : Clear
In combination with Reed :
Hips : Jess 0/0, Reed 4/4
Elbows : Jess 1/0, Reed 0/0
prcd-PRA : Jess Clear, Reed Clear => All puppies clear by parentage
EIC : Jess Clear, Reed Carrier => Approx 50% puppies clear, 50% carriers
CNM : Jess Clear, Reed Clear => All puppies clear by parentage
So DNA testing confirms that Jess and Reeds puppies will never be affected with prcd, EIC or CNM - how comforting :) There's probably not many litters out there that can claim that (prcd and CNM probably, but not all three).
Of course, Jess still has to get pregnant ! I'm getting a little ahead of myself :D
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
Results back from first progesterone test
Wow, hats off to Croft. I posted the sample at 3pm yesterday and had a call from Crofts with the result today at 12pm :) The results were to be expected, progesterone levels at 1.6 nmol/L (day 7), indicating that the LH surge is not yet happened (on average day 10).
To avoid the cost of a third test, I really want the next test to at least show that the LH surge has happened (progesterone levels will be > 6.0) mol/L) so then I will know when ovulation will/has occurred and I can plan the visits down to see Reed :) Friday this week will be day 11 which "should" be in between the days of the LH surge and ovulation. Thankfully Croft is open on the weekend so a next day delivery on the Friday will see me with the results around Sat lunchtime (day 12).
To avoid the cost of a third test, I really want the next test to at least show that the LH surge has happened (progesterone levels will be > 6.0) mol/L) so then I will know when ovulation will/has occurred and I can plan the visits down to see Reed :) Friday this week will be day 11 which "should" be in between the days of the LH surge and ovulation. Thankfully Croft is open on the weekend so a next day delivery on the Friday will see me with the results around Sat lunchtime (day 12).
Monday, 8 March 2010
Day 7 - First progesterone test
Jess and I are off to the vets today to take the first blood sample for Croft. Will post the sample down via next day delivery and find out tomorrow the results of the progesterone testing. I expect it to be low (< 2 nmol/l) indicating that the LH surge has not yet happened. They will advise when I should do next test - probably Thursday or Friday (day 10/11) - at which point levels should indicate the LH surge has happened.
Cost : £30 for the test, £20 for my vet to collect the blood sample and £5 postage (£55).
Cost : £30 for the test, £20 for my vet to collect the blood sample and £5 postage (£55).
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