This is from last night after the puppies were getting ready to call it a day…
I got up this morning and thought Daisy looked a bit subdued. Dear Husband puts her with the Wildflowers when he goes to bed at about 2 — I was up before 5:30.
When Daisy turned down breakfast, I knew something was wrong and immediately checked her breasts — we have a mastitis going on in one breast.
UGH!
I put warm compresses on it, did massage, and expressed some milk. Then I brought in the troops to help…
The biggest puppies started things off — that breast needs to be drained. I then put a fresh and hungry puppy on that nipple every 15 or so minutes. Once everyone was full, I added a warm pack…
Daisy had a temp of 104.4 — yikes.
Luckily Daisy has a veterinarian in her family who is in a different time zone and so was awake. We had one dose of a safe antibiotic in our dog medicine chest and so Daisy has had that. The various interventions seem to be helping — she is already brighter…
She feels well enough to eat and drink now — whew.
The breast is 90% better than it was but I will be managing this closely and constantly, and calling her regular veterinarian later this morning. Mastitis is not uncommon — but it can go south in a big hurry and it flipping hurts.
The Wildflowers are perfectly fine.
Mallow
I am managing this Lactation Speed Bump in the nursing alcove, which is next to my desk. I created a barrier to try and keep them contained — of course it was Clarkia who tested it.
Back to the secure jail for her!
And of course I am doing a Zoom webinar in 45 minutes — as in, I am the presenter! —because that is just how things go, right?!
It is all fine — this is just a speed bump — and yet another reminder why breeding dogs well is really not as easy as it might seem.
A Wee Bit Later
Daisy’s temp is down to 103.2 and she just ate her favorite meal of the day: Three eggs fried in olive oil with two pieces of soaked (in goat’s milk/water) whole grain toast — with FortiFlora added.
That was actually her third meal since I got up and so she is definitely doing better.
I spoke with her veterinarian and we have a plan. Of course, the plan does NOT include interrupting nursing — in fact, that impacted breast needs extra nursing.
Daisy will get an easy-on-the-puppies antibiotic and the puppies will get a dose of Bene-Bac, which I have on hand just in case of a need such as this. A bit of exercise for Daisy, boiled cabbage leave compresses, and continued targeted nursing round out the plan.
I did a short video this morning — you can watch it HERE.
EVENING: Photos from the Day
Daisy’s regular veterinarian suggested a bit of exercise as something that can help with mastitis — and so off we went on a short walk.
The puppies have been happy to help keep the milk moving and that one breast is markedly better — not 100% yet but clearly better and Daisy is so much happier.
The big accomplishment today is that the Wildflowers are erupting teeth!!
Today’s new thing was a few hours with these cool new blocks to climb on.
They are soft and the covering is easy to clean — and they are in cheerful colors. I think the Wildflowers will enjoy these more in a week or so but they did some interacting and it introduced that all-important element of “novel.”
The play structure also made an appearance for a couple of hours this afternoon.
Sage — I think
Mariposa
The mastitis made the day a bit stressful but we all managed — and the Wildflowers continue to thrive, and that is what matters.
Clarkia
Good night, Friends!