Photo of Fiia taken at Crufts 2013 ©Metro Newspaper. This image was syndicated around the world after the show. It was with some considerable sadness that I learnt last week that Fiia wasn't in whelp.
She was to be scanned whilst on a long holiday with Peppi, whilst her humans were lying on a beach somewhere rather lovely. At the time of going to stay, she hadn't been exhibiting much in the way of symptoms - it was too soon to tell.... The people looking after her had been told that she had been mated, but that it shouldn't affect them or their care of her. Sam the Scan was given the address and details so that she could scan her and was asked to text me the results. I always use Sam as she is very good at counting the whelps (puppies).
If any of you have ever experienced the disappointment of discovering that your bitch isn't actually pregnant after all, you will understand how completely crushing it is. I had pretty much cleared my diary for the summer and had some really excited people waiting for a puppy. I received the text 'no puppies in her' whilst I was walking and afterwards I just plodded around Hankley Common, feeling really dejected. When I got home I began to email everyone to tell them the bad news and I had a drink, a big one. My next litter was already fully booked - there wasn't much I could do to ease their disappointment and some had been waiting since last year :-(
Ellie, Fiia's owner had already told me that both Peppi and Fiia had gained weight whilst on their 'holiday' and that the people with whom they were staying couldn't believe the news, as they'd felt sure she was pregnant as some days she hadn't wanted to walk and had been acting strangely. Yesterday Ellie noticed that Fiia's nipples were enlarged, in fact they had grown significantly since Monday when she first noticed it. She started to wonder what we had both wondered all along but honestly didn't think could be possible ......... She rang the girls' 'holiday home' and asked which bitch had they thought was pregnant? The response ......... PEPPI !!! I text Sam - 'what colour was the Lapphund you scanned?' - the answer....... BROWN !!! Now don't go asking me quite how this complete farce came about, but suffice to say that it had been Peppi exhibiting strange behaviour that had made them think it was her that had been mated *sigh*. It does beggar belief that the wrong bitch was scanned, but there you go, she was. Next we had to rule out a phantom pregnancy - so today Fiia was scanned at the vets who confirmed that yes, she is definitely in whelp, but the pups are now too big to be able to count.
There were several things I realised I wouldn't be able to do if Fiia was in whelp, such as my sponsored parachute jump for Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice and working at The National Funeral Exhibition, where my Company A Giving Tribute are exhibiting. The only silver lining to Fiia not being pregnant after all had been that I would now be able to do all these things. Once I had adjusted my mind to the situation, I had cracked on and organised them and was starting to get excited about the jump and the exhibition instead. Now I'm back to square one and I need to get my head back into puppy mode and cancel the jump and make other arrangements for my stand. Hey ho, it's an wonderful problem to have! Salo is going to be a Daddy after all! The puppies are expected in around two week's time :-D
Salo as a puppy.
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