1 week already!  Wow, that went quickly.  I am happy with how the Canadian Litter is thriving.  The big 4 (Ms Orange, Ms Pink, Mr. Orange and Mr Blue) have been gaining at a fast rate from day 1.  Ms Yellow and Mr White had a slow start but are now gaining at a good rate...i supplemented for a few days and they are now good without my help.  Ms Purple and Ms Green are still needing me to supplement every 3-4 hours.  I am syringe feeding them about 60ccs daily and also giving them extra time on mom....what is happening is because they are so small, the big 4 can nudge them over easily, taking over their spot.  I see good gains during the day but when I weigh them in the morning, there is a small loss in weight...that tells me they are not getting time on mom during the night....I am going to add a 3 am feeding to see if I can turn things around....they are still doing well...just would like to see bigger gains...with their low birth weights there is a very small margin for error.

Ms Orange and Mr Orange are very chunky - they are also quite vocal...they make a lot of noise when they're hungry and mom isn't close by.

The puppies are still in our sunroom and most likely will be there for another week.  That means I hear every squeal and squeak and get up many times during the night to make sure no puppy is under stress.  So feeling a bit sleep deprived right now....that too will pass...I've been able to adjust my work hours so am going in to work later and coming home earlier with  a trip home in between. My husband Bruce is also helping with the monitoring of mom and the pups.

Dion is a great mother...cannot ask for more.  She has a good appetite and quite enjoys being in the sunroom...she comes out to visit quite often...just wanting a quick cuddle and hug.

Next week will see their eyes open - usually by day 12.  They are still deaf at this point..their ears will open by 2 weeks of age.  The pigment on their noses and pads are already almost black....they were quite pink at birth as they always are....more pink because they were early.