Martha and the pups are doing well.Martha is a devoted mom. She has a favorite bear (with a heartbeat) that was given to her when she was a pup. Martha has made a wonderful nest for this stuffed creature! Martha was quite upset about the loss of the pups, but then seemed relieved that she no longer has to care for Daphne. Shortly after the pups were born, Martha took Daphne off to the side and lovingly sat with her--no one was allowed to share the moment. Later, she tried to bury Daphne in the blankets. Martha obviously checked the pups and realized early on that this little one wasn't going to make it. Of course, humans try extraordinary procedures. Martha kept looking at me with wonder, "Why focus all your attention on her when these five are so lovely?"
Four pups are silver; one may be blue.
Martha was from a litter that was hand-raised. One week after whelp, her mom, Ripley, had a series of ugly seizures, presumably from post-partum metritis. The delivery was by C-section. Because phenobarbital was the only way to control the seizures, we had to hand feed the puppies, and keep Ripley away from her litter. The heartbeat bear was her way of thinking mom was near.Grandma Ripley after her first litter (left). And Great-Grandma Hope in her Front and Finish Open Honorable Mention photo (right).
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