About meLiz~ Shih tzu lover, mom to kids, wife to a great guy Archives
March 2012
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Puppy day for Breeze10/28/2011 Looks likely that today is puppy day for Breeze. For the last couple of days she has been "off" and I really thought that we were going to see puppies last night, but after a few hours of anxious behavior she settled down and slept well. (something that this dog midwife was very grateful for) However about midday, labor has set in and she is now busily digging in a pile of towels, pacing, and panting. Looks like it is going to be a long labor, so will probably be tomorrow before I update. This is the first litter for Breeze here at Orchid Stars. She has previously whelped at Grandma's Shih tzus. I am hoping for spotted pups, seems like we have had lots of solid pups lately and I am eager to see something different.
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Feeding them up.10/15/2011 With winter coming, pups coming, and nursing mamas nearly everyone is on "feeding up" protocol. This involves a whole counter full of individual bowls as I hand mix each bowl to fit the unique nutritional needs of each dog.
All of our dogs have standard dry dog food available 24 hours a day. This meets their nutritional needs most of the time. However, our nursing moms and pregnant moms need more nutrition than they can take in with just dog food. So they get a mix of raw eggs, cottage cheese, ground meat, infant formula, and vitamins. Nursing moms also get additional calcium supplements. (We never give calcium to pregnant moms as it is a sure fire way to induce eclampsia) Summers involve lots of extra running around, walks, camping, and general play. Which results in trim dogs come fall. Because of the long cold winters we experience, I always try to get a bit of extra weight on my dogs to help guard against the cold of winter months. All of our animals have access to a dog door and despite cold and snow they love to be outdoors. So even our studs and "resting" females are getting special food these days. It is so fun to take each dog his/her special food dish. Their whole bodies wag and wiggle with anticipation. Their little eyes are just filled with happiness and they bounce around waiting their turn. Fun, but busy times at Orchid Stars.
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Website Launch10/14/2011 I am so thrilled to be launching a website. Our customers and prospective buyers have been asking us for years to provide one. I really don't know why it has taken me so long, but here it is at long last. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.
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