May 20th, 2023 was a big day at Van Isle Doodles. The mini labradoodle puppies from the Paws On Your Heart litter arrived!
Remember when you guessed how many puppies there would be? 7 was the popular choice; did she surprise all of us? Did everyone arrive safe and sound? And how did Mama Noisette handle everything?
In today’s episode, we share all the details of Noisette’s whelping journey. Plus, we’ll introduce you to each of the adorable puppies. Sit back, kick up your feet and join us as we uncover the adventure of a Labradoodle puppy delivery.
It's Time
Noisette’s due date was May 22, 2023. Like humans, it’s an estimated date. Did you know dogs are only pregnant for 9 weeks? A lot happens quickly from conception to birth for a puppy.
On the morning of May 20th, Noisette showed signs that the puppies were coming. Her roached back, slightly stiff legs and grimace seemed to say, “It’s time”. During the first stage of labour, puppies move down the uterine horns (dogs have 2 tubes/horns that connect to a short uterine body which is the puppy incubator) in preparation for their grand entrance into the world. Noisette’s tummy had some odd bulges as the puppies descended. Noisette had a funny expression while they happened, probably because it felt pretty strange.
Noisette’s contractions began in the afternoon. The tense moments began. Would Noisette’s contractions be strong enough and consistent enough for the puppies to be delivered safely? Would Noisette be interested in her puppies and willing to care for them? And, would the puppies be healthy?
If you’ve ever wondered why dogs have multiple puppies? It’s because the puppy mortality rate at birth is 30%.
Blue Collar
At 1:25 pm the first puppy was delivered. Blue Collar was a boy, born head first. But Noisette’s hormones were in flux and she wasn’t interested in getting him out of his birth sac. There was a short window to get him out of the sac and breathing for him to survive.
Each puppy has their own birth sac and placenta. When it is time for the puppy to be born, the placenta detaches and the puppy is delivered by Mom pushing the puppy out with her contractions. The birth sac is connected to the placenta by the umbilical cord. The placenta is usually delivered right after the puppy.
When Noisette didn’t get Blue out of his birth sac, we supported her by removing Blue from his sac. Without having done this, Blue would have died. Opening the sac with Blue’s head facing down was important so he didn’t ingest or inhale amniotic fluid. A puppy can drown if too much fluid enters their body. Everything went well and Noisette had a healthy 213 gram boy who was a chocolate sable. Blue latched on immediately after he found the milkbar. We hoped Noisette’s hormones would settle from Blue nursing. We also gave her some calcium paste to encourage her maternal instincts.
Silver Collar
Noisette didn’t wait long to deliver the second puppy. She had regular, strong contractions and at 1:40 pm, Silver Collar was born head first. Noisette’s hormones had settled enough, so she was happy to look after things when Silver arrived. Silver was a boy and either a chocolate phantom or a sable pattern. Silver weighed 236 grams.
Puppies are wet when they come out of the birth sac. After Noisette had licked Silver all over and severed the umbilical cord, we took him and towelled him off. Silver let out a healthy wail to let us know he was in good health. He latched on at the milkbar immediately and slurped with gusto. Things had started to go more smoothly.
Purple Collar
After another short wait and the next puppy arrived at 2:15 pm. Purple Collar was the first girl in the litter. Purple was born hind feet first, with Noisette looking after everything again.
Puppies are born head first, front feet first or hind feet first. All 3 positions are considered normal delivery positions. Purple Collar weight 196 grams and was either a chocolate phantom or a sable. Her white nails against her chocolate made her look like a bear rather than a Labradoodle puppy! Purple Collar let out a robust yelp after Noisette got her out of the sac and headed toward the milkbar. This girl was in a hurry to tank up! There was no doubt this puppy knew how to satisfy her hunger. 2 smooth births in a row. We hoped the trend would continue.
Green Collar
At 2:23 pm Green Collar arrived. Green was an ebony boy. He was born head first but had fluid in his nasal passages. Noisette couldn’t do anything about that, so we used the mucus trap to clear his nose. When a puppy has fluid in their nose, it can quickly move into their lungs and drown them. We can quickly clear the fluid out with the mucus trap to keep the puppy from danger.
Once his nose cleared, Green didn’t worry about good manners as he plowed into the milkbar and knocked Purple off her spot! At 230 grams, Green had enough heft to pick and choose his spot. Not completely smooth sailing this time, but we felt comfortable about how things were going for Noisette.
Red Collar
Noisette was doing great. She still had good strong contractions and at 2:49 pm delivered Red Collar. A girl, Red was a chocolate phantom weighing 230 grams. The same size as her brother Green. 2 heavyweights! But Red was quiet once Noisette had her out of the sac. Noisette kept nudging her and licking her to get her to breathe. It wasn’t working. Red just stayed motionless. She had been born head first and was not congested. Everything looked to be in the right spot when I picked her up to do a quick check.
I took Red from Noisette and gave her a vigorous rub. A strong towelling off helped Red to breathe faster and take deeper breaths. Before long, we heard some healthy wails. Noisette’s tail thumped in approval! She knew her puppy would be ok.
As soon as Red was placed near the milkbar, she began the hunt for a good spot. She latched on right away without a problem. Red also had prominent white nails that looked like grizzly bear claws! Crisis averted with 1 or 2 more puppies still to go.
Pink Collar
Noisette’s contractions continued to be regular, although not quite as strong. I gave her a small drop of glucose to boost her energy. Soon after, 3:01 pm, she delivered Pink Collar. Pink was an easy delivery for Noisette as she only weighed 190 grams. She was the smallest and the lightest coloured puppy. Pink was a caramel tuxedo pattern.
Pink showed Mama Noisette there was nothing to worry about as she immediately latched onto the milkbar with gusto. Pink also had big white nails. The entire litter looked like it had just had a French manicure!
Noisette put her head down after Pink was born so we had an idea that Pink was the last puppy.
Nap Time
We took Noisette for a quick bathroom break and moved her puppies into the pre-warmed maternity ward.
When she returned, Noisette’s gentle nature was evident as she made sure not to step or lie on any of them as she curled her body around them for warmth. Delivering 6 puppies in just over an hour and a half was a lot of work. The pride and joy Noisette had for her new family was evident in her smile. After being fed a light meal and a good long drink of water, Noisette gave the puppies a final check and put her head down to rest.
During the next week, many things will happen with the puppies. Not all of it is visible on the surface. Follow the puppies’ journey to their new families on our weekly YouTube updates and the Blog Posts. You will also find lots of bonus pictures and reels on our Van Isle Doodles Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VanIsleDoodles