Kate with her heated Bear and ticking clock in purple sock!
I want you all to know that as an experienced Emergency Nurse, one of my strengths is that I can look at a situation, pick up on the visual and subjective clues, understand the problem and move forward within seconds. So, what's that got to do with Mallyree Kennels you might ask? Well obviously not much- lol. Ch. Mallyree Rosa A'Mhara just had a "baby girl"!! And I didn't even know she was pregnant!
Let's back up a bit--to February 28, 2011. Ch. Mallyree Range O're the Land, aka Ranger, worked at and pulled out a section of fencing separating Rosa (in heat) from her buddies, Ranger and Topper. I heard some commotion, and suspecting mischief, I immediately raced downstairs out into the kennel area and found Ranger and Rosa grinning like idiots, wagging tails and standing side by side. I pulled Ranger out of there, re-placed the fencing and felt very sure I had gotten there "Just In Time!!" The very next day, Ranger tried to get into Rosa again, but this time he caught the corner of his right eye on the fence and ripped open a 6+ inch laceration from that eye to the beginning of his topknot! He was in surgery for 40 mins so the Vet could sew the area back together-- 8 stitches "inside" - dissoluble and 12 stitches outside, that would have to be removed in 10 days! Just another story for Ranger's life experiences book!
Kate is very relaxed now!
Fast forward to April 23rd, a week ago this past Saturday. It suddenly dawned on this "experienced" emergency nurse, that my Rosa was ravenous!!! She was eating anything she could get to and trying to finish the boys dinners. Then I noticed that her back tits were enlarging ---HARK! AN EPIPHANY! Could it be? Could she be pregnant--NO NO--probably just false labor, after all nothing happened right?! Well after chatting with the vet on that Monday, I decided to have an xray done Tues, April 26th. Sure enough, plain as day, you could clearly see 1 puppy. Denial stuck around for a second or two, then reality struck and areas were cleaned thoroughly, whelping box brought down and cleaned, then the back quest bedroom rearranged. Meanwhile, Rosa was given the usual pregnancy vitamins, and extra meals. I consulted with my "OB/GYN" vet who is 1+ hours away in Claremont, NH and he looked at the film. His concern was that with her first "litter" and the fact that it was a singleton litter, not to mention that the puppy's head was big and it probably weighted around a pound, she might not be able to deliver it easily. Sooooo, Friday (after watching Kate and William get married-didn't stay for the service) I brought her to the vet for an exam. He confirmed that he felt it would be a hard delivery for her and with only one pup, she might not be inclined to push and we might lose the pup. So he did a C-section and we now have a beautiful baby girl! She weighed in at 14.5 oz. Her call name is Kate. Ashley, my granddaughter, has been a great help, making the trek to Claremont with me, making sure the pup was warm during the ride and that Rosa wasn't unduly stressed.
Ashley with puppy Kate.
Kate and Rosa had a rocky start, learning about motherhood and nursing, producing milk and the need for sleep and quiet, but as of today, Monday, they are doing beautifully!
Just to put the finishing touch on this long story, "Rev. Ellie", the wonderful Episcopalian priest who led our Celebration of Life for my mom, had called mid February to let me know that her Irish Water Spaniel Branden had passed over the Rainbow Bridge. She and her partner Betsy have said for a while now that they wanted to get another IWS as their boy Bailey had died and they only had Branden and Zeke the poodle, they needed another dog. She asked if there were any litters planned. I responded that I was hoping to breed Rosa in late August. She was thrilled and put in her bid for one pup! I emailed her immediately after the xray to let her know that Rosa would be having a (one) pup and would she and Betsy be interested? Their immediate response was YES, YES!!!
So here are the pictures of Kate. Our plans have changed re: Rosa's next litter. Life is truly very good, snow is melting (can still see some on the mountains and along ski slopes), plants are blooming and my good friend, Sylvia and her friend, Beryl, will be coming from England for a 2 week visit!
I'll post more pictures of Kate as she grows. As of Saturday she weighed 15 oz, so we are on the right path!
Pam
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