Safe Hands Animal Rescue: August 2009

Monday, August 3, 2009

What puppies do best - Day 26

Our big guy is quite handsome

He has decided he likes belly rubs before bedtime

So tired

Can barely hold my head up

Getting that glazed over, sleepy time look

And we are out! What do puppies do best? Naptime!

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Day 26 - It's Good to have Friends

Babies start to play with each other and pal around

Baby boy says, "let me help you with that blanket there."

How innocent, "who me"

Yes, you there, biting your siblings face!

Mischief Maker

Little Miss Mischief what goes on in your pretty little head?

Look at the brown pup in the background, see that glint in her eye?

Oh yeah, wonder what this pool tastes like?

Hmmm, it's sort of...hard

Mmmm, a nice blanket to chew on, now that's what I'm talking about...

When you change with every new day...

The puppies seem to change daily. Each day they are a little more alert, ever so slightly more coordinated, they can stand longer, walk further and they are seeing better each day. This is our big guy. The biggest of the pups, at just under 4 weeks old he already weighs 4 1/2 pounds. He moves around the best and is a sweet boy.

Day 25 Photos

This is our littlest girl

She is impossibly cute

But then, they all are really...

Ice Cream Sprinkler Puppies

Day 25 and the puppies are more fun than the sprinkler on a hot day, the ice cream truck and fireworks. If they were at my house I am sure I would get nothing done. Watching them is so much better than Top Chef or Army Wives or whatever else you might find on TV these days. They are ambulatory, all but one. One little girl still flops about like a seal. She can get her legs under her but can not make them move. She tries valiantly, but sadly her back legs just splay right out. I am hoping she is just a Leo(na) the late Bloomer. All but two are eating their supplemental food with vigor. And today, they discover toys. So many times we see adult rescue dogs who do not know what a toy is or how to play with one, and yet these babies know. It's amazing.

Day 25 Feeding Time at the Zoo

Piggy trough - this is what Ruby nursing looks like on

Day 25

Puppies all in a frenzy to feed

Day 20 Photos

The Chipmunk

Little Brown Boy

Puppy Bowl

Puppy Bunch

Momma Ruby!

Day 20

Day 20!

Puppies were 20 days old on July 26th. They had open eyes although they had that sort of glazed over morning after a long, hard night look. Some of them are standing on wobbly little legs and taking a few wobbly little steps before tottering over. They plop to the ground or slowly tilt over to one side then push up to sitting and look around trying to figure out what just happened. Non-plussed they'll start all over again. Today was a Very Big Day. Today babies got their first non-mom food. Eleven babies is a lot for Momma Ruby to support and she needs some help. We mixed up puppy formula and some baby rice cereal and introduced it to the babies. We had to put it on our fingers and put it in on their tongues at first but when they got a taste look out! They could quite figure out how to lap it out off the plate but most were frantic to lick it off our fingers. They made a big mess walking through the food dishes, toppling over into them and getting formula all over their faces. I really regret not getting pictures but my hands were full of formula. Momma Ruby was only all too happy to come in and clean off babies after their big adventure. Exhausted from the effort and excitement and will full bellies our babies promptly fell asleep. There is still a lot of eating and sleeping and eating and sleeping.