Bambi's puppies to Santee: The Goldmali U litter is born

Bambi was scanned on the 11th of August 2023. The lady said she could count to 8 pups.

I took this photo when we came home after the scan. Bambi was actually already looking rounder.

15 days later, on the 26th of August, Bambi looked very pregnant. (And Fen, her half brother, kept photo bombing!)

On the 9th of September Bambi was trying the whelping box out. Complete with a cat as company. Just like great granny many years ago. By now Bambi was looking rather like a whale!

The next day, Sunday the 10th of September, Bambi's puppies were born. 8, just as expected.

I was ill and unable to get out of bed. Luckily John is Bambi's favourite person and he oversaw the whelping which was quick and easy with one pup born every 15 minutes! She did however have the first on the couch, before John convinced her that the whelping box was safer!

I had a quick look at the puppies late in the evening. There were 3 bitches and 5 dogs.

The pups are still a bit wet here.

Dry now and looking more brown than black!

11th of September

The bedding in the whelping box was changed. The puppies were weighed and had coloured collars put on so they can be told apart easily. Pink, red and purple are girls, brown, blue, orange, yellow and green are boys. Blue is the biggest.

12th of September

Yesterday I found that one of the dog pups, green collar, has a twisted right hindleg and paw. It's very similar to club foot in newborn babies. I researched and talked to people. It is caused by the pups being overcrowded in the womb. Bambi isn't a big dog and 8 were a lot of puppies for her.

Green's right hindleg was crossed over like this, all the time.

Most of the time his right hindpaw was like a fist. (The top one. You can tell as the white toes are not visible.)

Puppies, like newborn babies, have very soft bones that are nowhere near fully developed. I started gently massaging green's paw and lower leg, like physiotherapy. If he was going to be able to walk, the leg needed to change back to its intended position. Green isn't in pain and doesn't mind the physio.

13th of September

3 days old

14th of September

Green is having cuddles and physio in bed.

The paw knuckles over easily. The tendons are too tight.

Obviously, I can't home a puppy that might not be 100 % okay. And obviously, I have already fallen in love with green.

He might never be able to be a show dog like his mother, but as long as he will be able to walk normally he can be my next assistance dog, for when Fen has to retire. Fen is a RAD Assistance dog for mental health, fully qualified. The pups' father Santee is already the sire of several assistance dogs for owners with various disabilities.