The Big E – Essential, “Quinntessential”

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144 – October, 2024

By Elaine Lessig

She was born on her sire’s birthday–a little miracle weighing just 3¾ ounces. The repro vet worked a bit of magic with five breeding straws which bore no resemblance to the report that came with them from another practice. She had to spin down the contents of all of those breeding units to attempt a surgical implant with degraded frozen semen. She was quite frank with me, “There is little chance of this insemination being successful. Under the microscope, I saw debris, hair, and other oddities. I will proceed if you want, but we need all the semen that was sent.” I gave my permission with my heart at the back of my throat. This was the last of the semen from the stud dog. It was now or never.

I waited the requisite number of weeks, made an appointment for an ultrasound, and waited for my husband to share the news. Although she showed promising signs of being in whelp, it was essential to know if she actually was. Of course, I was off on a judging assignment and waiting for the fateful text. When it came, I wasn’t surprised or disappointed. The text read, “One puppy, right side, good heartbeat; make an appointment for a c-section when you get home.” All I could think about in the next few weeks was maintaining the pregnancy and bringing a puppy home.

The time leading up to the c-section was uneventful. Mom ate very well, found cool floors for naps, did the usual progression of scattering the bedding, and then digging at it like crazy. Her shape chang-ed, especially her undercarriage. We went back for some progesterone tests just to get the optimum timing for the birth. I set up the “nursery” with all the towels, heat pads, cameras, and the whelping box. My supplies were all at the ready for my singleton when I got the call from the receptionist, “Tomorrow–be here at 8 AM. No food or water after 8 PM tonight.” “I will be there!,” I quickly confirmed. At 7:55 AM, I arrived. At 8:05 AM, I was in the car on my way home to wait.

Click here to read the complete article
144 – October, 2024

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