A Day of Miracles

Today was a day of three miracles. First Ch. Sunchase Hero's Ruby whelped out 6 ridged and healthy pups sired by Ch. Calico Ridge the Warlord, ROM. Tamerlane has been dead for 5 years now and this was our first attempt at a frozen semen litter.

I was not comfortable with Ruby after she said she was through whelping. She had contractions and would produce a lagging placenta after each session but something kept after me and I gave her oxytocin. Nothing. 3 hours later, another shot and still nothing. Still that nagging feeling. Palpated her and if she had another pup it was around her tonsils, but still that funny feeling.

Waited until the vet opened and set up an x-ray. Last pup born 10 PM and this was 9:30 when we got her on the table. Sure enough, one very long puppy left inside. You could see that he wasn't alive as the little mouth was open and there was no response to pokes and palpitations. I left Ruby in line after two Bull Mastiff spays and came home to feed and potty her 6 pups.

I was to pick Ruby up at 2 PM but got sidelined and didn't get there until close to 3 and they greeted me with what a wonderful girl Ruby was and how well she did with the C-section. She was up and ready to go wanting her new toys she left at home. Imagine my surprise when they brought out Ruby all wiggly and awake and following her was the "dead" puppy in a blanket screaming his little head off. The techs were smiling and calling him the miracle puppy. Said they worked a while to bring him around but once at the party, he hadn't shut up since.

Oh yeah, miracle #3 is that Paladin is still alive. He who decided to chomp down the chicken bones and left over sweet and sour sauce while I picked up Ruby and her puppy. Sweet and sour sauce from one end of the van to the other and shreds of paper, but worst of all, the napkins that he neglected to use! Then he sits there looking insulted that I would accuse him of doing such a thing when everyone else knew it was the 'other' dog. (He was the only dog in the van.) Hard to be so mad when you have a beautiful gift in your hands with a perfect ridge and all parts working. Besides Paladin looked kind of cute with sweet and sour sauce on his eyebrows.