Birth of New Stars

Fact: Female dogs go into heat.
Fact: Dogs will find a way to mate when in heat
Fact: Best be prepared for incoming puppies if mating occurs

And that's what happened!

My little star gave birth to 4 puppies who we have named Saavik, Sulu, Shinzon and Sela.

Lessons learned from the pregnancy and birthing experience:

• You don't need to have your dog give birth at a vet clinic. Just as long as you are prepared.
• Your dog will tell you she's about to give birth. I swear my little star tried to talk and let us know this was it. Pay attention!
• Have a birthing place ready for your mother to be. It's bound to get messy and she'll feel the change in temperature so a warm place with lots of clean cloth on hand is great.
• Have a water bottle on hand. My little star got really thirsty after the birthing.
• Have a great vet you can trust. Just in case there is an emergency, you may need help. I got lucky we had no need for one but it was reassuring that we had our vet aware and one phone call away.

Dogs in Heat

When you have dogs of different genders in the home, the period where your female pet is in heat can be quite trying. As said in Jurassic Park, "nature finds a way" or in this case, the dogs will find one in order to mate.

With the way things are progressing, the chance of my little star getting pregnant is very high. In a way, this is a good thing as the vet said she must have at least one litter to avoid certain diseases caused by "un-use or disuse". No more need for her to be spayed!

Lessons learned:

1. A diaper will not work as a barrier. They managed to tear off the critical parts and get the deed done anyway.
2. Separate rooms don't work. Somehow they still managed to meet up and get it done. Not to mention the scratching and whining at the doors can drive one nuts!
3. A really crate is needed for both to keep them separate (and better pray that your fur baby isn't a smart one like mine who actually manages to open the door). Better yet, board one of them til the heat passes
4. No use crying over spilled milk. Once the deed is done, best prepare for puppies in 60 days.

At the Beach

We finally took a vacation and no way was I leaving the fur babies behind. Since we were going to the beach, I decided to do some research first. The last thing I wanted was for my dogs to get sick while we were out of town and the vet so far away.

My vet checked both of my pets over and said both were ready to travel since they had all their shots and we were going by land. We made sure we had their food and water (the place we were going to used well water so we figured better to use bottled water). They had their own suitcase of paraphernalia! Here's what I found we really needed:

• Food and water bowls - they feel better with their familiar bowls
• Fresh water - salt water is definitely bad for them if swallowed (which happens when they swim). Better have fresh water on hand to help them wash it out and keep them from dehydrating
• Water dispenser - this is a handy way of keeping sand away from the water.
• Towels - the fur babies get cold after swimming and the heat of the sun doesn't always dry them fast enough. Like after a bath at home, rub them down. 
• Shampoo/Soap - Be prepared to give them a bath as soon as you get back to the beach house or hotel and help them get the sand out.
• Beach toys - a stick is fine but a frisbee is always fun for a dog that loves to jump and catch and fetch.

I love that my pups both went in and swam but my little star did not like the salt water much. My Ensign was more inclined to play tag with the waves and swim back and forth between those of us swimming. Once they got out, they found spots in the shade of the overhang and went to sleep til it was time to eat lunch.

Trimming Your Dog's Nails

I am still not comfortable doing this. I dread the thought of injuring or scaring my pet - even accidentally. Thank goodness for how to videos on the internet. Here's one that I find really helpful.

I'm still at the desensitizing stage and I'm looking for the alternative to clippers that will last long. The filing process looks less traumatic than clipping, that's for sure!

My 1st Pet Trim

We decided that it didn't make sense to be spending so much at the local groomers if we could do the work ourselves. So while we were at the vet last week, we asked our vet to recommend the equipment we'd need to take care of grooming our fur babies at home. This is what he suggested:

I am so thankful that the kit included a disc on how to give my poodle and shih-poo the "pet trim" as well as how to use and care for the items in the kit. I was expecting a razor and the combs but was happy to find that the kit also had a scissors and 2 combs in it (and the disc). All I needed to do after was watch the videos until I felt comfortable enough to try and do it.

It helps to have assistants - and I had 4 taking turns. 1 helped me bathe the 2 puppies and dry them. 1 to help hold the pets as we did the trim. Hubby had to help me hold the muzzle since I was so worried about nicking the sensitive areas I couldn't hold properly.

Both were okay with the trimming of most of their fur. Both did not like having their paws done. I was too scared of nicking the webbing to really get the paws clean. I'll have to practice more and build up to that. I also wanted to make sure that Ensign didn't get scared because it is his very first trim. A cooperative dog makes the entire experience easier for both me and them, that's for sure.

Feedback: Great kit! Really easy to use and the video is spot on. 

All that's left to do is practice and get really good and comfortable at it.