Puppy breath

While I was down in Kentucky remembering how to be a paramedic (after 38 years one does sometimes forget ;) ) Chetan decided it was time to whelp her litter. That was sometime during the early morning hours on September 29th. She gave us a litter of 6 healthy puppies. One puppy was stillborn.

Of course, it wasn't quite THAT simple. A pre-whelping X-ray showed 8 puppies on board, and we could only account for 7. Fortunately, our friend Anita Fowler of Sirius Sled Dog Tours and a member of our Hedlund Husky Preservation Project, was willing and able to provide some assistance. Trish was at work, so Anita drove down, picked up Chetan and the puppies, and trundled them off to the after hours veterinary clinic to ensure that Chetan hadn't retained a puppy or other products of conception (very dangerous for a bitch), and to get the little ones all checked out. They all received a clean bill of health.

Chetan X Phoenix litter, October 5th, 2014 (6 days of age)

The puppies are all thriving under the very watchful eye of Mama Chetan, while all the other dogs in the kennel maintain an intense interest in the new little Stardancer Historical Sled Dogs.

The puppies were born just in time to welcome the first significant snowfall of the winter season. In my mind, that bodes well for their future as sled dogs.

Trish and I are sorting through a list of suggested names and will announce those at a later time.