Bridget and the pups are doing great. The biggest challenge raising a big litter is keeping everyone fed. It quickly becomes survival of the fittest, and the bigger stronger pups get most of the milk. Without intervention, the smaller pups would likely not survive. Weighing the pups daily is the single best way to assess health and keep everyone on track. This morning, 5 pups had gained and were all over 1 lb each, and 5 pups had stayed the same weight. So I will be providing private nursing sessions to the smaller pups by putting their bigger sibs in a tub periodically for long naps. The little pups fully approved of the new arrangement and dived right in for a meal. Bridget also approved - so much more peaceful having 5 calm contented nursing puppies than a rugby scrum jostling around for the best spot at the milk bar. Bridget was also pleased that her food amount was increased this AM. She was at 4 cups/day, and is going up to 5 c today and will be up to 6 c by the weekend. And this is higher calorie performance kibble + getting suppliments like hard boiled egg, chicken, canned food, etc. Lactating retriever dams typically max out at around 1 c of kibble per pup per day by peak lactation - so I expect Bridget will soon be consuming 10 c of food per day!
The pups are currently residing in a small wading pool. For privacy and warmth, I have the pool encircled by an ex-pen that is covered with blankets creating a tent.
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