Sometimes I make a wrong decision and two weeks ago I did just that. Teena was scheduled for her spay but the white border collie had a home so I bumped her. Teena was supposed to be 7 months old. Her teeth looked right for her age. I figured I had plenty of time. She should be coming into heat around 9 to 10 months of age based on past experiences. But I forgot that this is a weird year. Dogs are going into heat right after the pups are weaned. There is an influx of winter puppies and unfortunately – the female dogs are going into heat younger! Teena started labour yesterday. She wanted to have them in the corner of the kitchen in Aardvark’s spot. I put her into an oversize crate. She objected. One puppy was born at 6 pm. She protested, she cried, she stopped her labour. I thought she would settle and let nature take its course. Not so. She is one stubborn dog.
This morning I let her out of the crate. She grabbed her one baby and went to the corner. I gave up. I covered the bed with a soft fleece and she settled down. She now has 4 black and white pups. She is happy. Aardvark is not but I put a rug down near the cupboard across the room from Teena for her. She is lying there. At 17 years of age – she is adaptable.
Aardvark ,Squire and Mandy’s pup meet Dagmer
Who is Dagmer, you ask? He arrived yesterday from Hazelton. He is a 10 month old cocker/shih tzu. He is a nice little fellow who will make someone a very personable companion.
And a wonderful update from Trixie!!
Hi Yvette,
It’s now four weeks since we were excitedly anticipating Trixie’s arrival and she began her long journey to Vancouver Island. She has fit in here so well that it feels as though she has always been part of our family. Our vet was really impressed with Trixie. He checked her out from stem to stern, including a good deep ear cleaning and some vile looking green eyedrops. Trixie was completely cooperative throughout. The bad news was she had two bad molars, one severely decayed and one cracked. They have now been extracted and the remaining teeth cleaned and polished so Trixie now has a dazzling smile! While she was under for her surgery her tear ducts were flushed so she is now rid of her goopy eyes. Healthwise everything else was top notch. Your vet estimated Trixie’s age at four. Our vet thinks she’s probably more like five or six. Trixie, being a lady, refuses to disclose her true age. Whatever her age, she’s a doll and you can’t have her back!
We thought she might be lonely for dog company after being with so many dogs at Turtle Gardens. She’s friendly and polite with other dogs but seems to be just as happy hanging out with us, going for walks, etc. She likes to tear around the back yard and make the wild birds fly but is respectful of our aviary. I think, in her past life, she had limited contact with water. She is entranced by our fish pond and enjoys standing at the edge and watching the gold fish. (The pond is quite large and deep and has a small fence around so she doesn’t venture in.) But she goes “fishing” at any opportunity. She loves the ocean, especially when the tide is out and there are lots of pools of water. Ditches are fun too. She goes in up to her belly and watches for critters with her tail wagging a mile a minute. When she sees some action she pounces like a cat and makes a huge splash. So far all she has managed to catch is a leaf. She is definitely a candidate for a kiddy pool this summer.
Another of her really fun things is her appreciation of good food. We usually mix some goodies in with her chow. If she gets roast beef, she eats about half her dinner then lets loose with a wonderful howl before finishing her food. She is such a happy, joyful dog.
Again, thank you for Trixie and thank you for all you do for all the animals.
Margaret & Hubert
P.S. Photos attached of Trixie with her new Mum, Trixie with her new Dad and Trixie “fishing”.
©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.
