My Days with Buddy...day one

2:55 am....(pant pant pant).... (dig dig dig)
        "Lucy!  Stop it!  Go to sleep"

- didn't stop - didn't sleep

Fully awake...  "Dan, Lucy's in labour!"

This is the first time that my beloved has been around to experience the miracle of life - at least with Lucy.  Actually, come to think of it, he was only around for Alyssa's birth too since Riley was born half way between the ambulance and the delivery room...

"How long does this usually take?"

"A while"

"I'm going back to bed"

So I began my long night with Lucy.  She has had some pretty bad luck with her babies.  This is her 3rd litter of pups and has up until now, birthed 6 puppies - with only 3 surviving.  I was not looking forward to digging another grave through the snow.

6:17 am..."Dan!!  Here comes one!"  Out plopped a little girl.  She has Lucy's face and white little paws.  Her coat is a warm, rich brown.

Perfect

Alive!

6:29 am..."There's another one coming...breech...shoot!"  Watching for the right signs in Lucy, I grab the back end of the next puppy - another little girl and gently...pull (and pray).

She starts kicking right away.  She is jet black with a white face, white paws, and a beautiful white circle on her tummy.

Perfect

Alive!

Is that it?  Lucy seems more relaxed and she tends to the cleaning of her beautiful little girls.  If she has any more in there, she doesn't seem to be ready to deliver it any time soon.  I decided that she was done.

7:32 am...was that another contraction?  Absolutely.  Lucy starts to squirm and push and I see him.

so tiny

too tiny

Oh Lucy, I'm sorry.  My eyes are clouded with the tears I didn't want to cry, when suddenly he kicks at the membrane enclosing him.

Alive!

I quickly pulled off the clear sac and coaxed him to breath.  "Come on buddy, you can do this... come on!!"  There is a little squeak - hardly audible, but I heard it.

Buddy

Little bitty thing.

While his sisters figured out the whole food supply thing just moments after birth, Buddy is not catching on.  I call Dr. Kathy - friend and vet - and I tell her what was going on.  "Just bring him over - I will take a look"

First vet visit at only moments old.

She weighs him.  50 grams.

Anything under 100 grams is not considered viable.

Not considered viable.  But he is alive - just tiny.  What do I do?

"Are you up for a challenge?" she asks.

To make him live?  "Yes!".  She then proceeds to give me instructions on how to help my little buddy survive.  Make this formula up - feed with a dropper, 1-2 mls every 2 hours (EVERY 2 hours) - keep him warm (at least 95 degrees) - Best if he stays right next to your skin, especially if you are getting hot flashes - he'll like that!"

Funny.

"Will he survive?"

Maybe.

"What if I don't do this?"

He will die.

Kathy said that there is usually a reason that these little ones are born so little.  It could be what takes him eventually. Even if he lives past the first few difficult days, he could die of something else down the road...

...after I have truly grown to love him.

"Why would you do this?  Why not let him die?"  you might be asking.

Because all God's creatures deserve a fighting chance.  He could have been still born or gotten stuck, but no - he was strong enough to take his first breaths.

I respect that kind of strength and I will do all I can to help him live.

So thus begin my days with Buddy.

Happy Birth-day sweet boy!