“This is a good sign, having a broken heart. It means we have tried forsomething.” Elizabeth Gilbert

This is a sad story. It is one I debated on even writing, but there are lessons to be learned here, so I decided to share. This is Mojo's story. 

Mojo is a very special puppy born on July 28, 2014 from Cinder. Even though he is gone, I cannot bring myself to write about him in past tense. 

His father, Elrond, is a champion lead dog from the home of one of my best friends, Sharon Curtice, up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Mojo is a runt, like his father. 

I hate that word - "runt." Runt, small thing, weakling, underling. Such a negative connotation. There was nothing small about Mojo. There is nothing small about his father either. 

From the very beginning, Mojo was special. I called him my little freckled boy. 

Mojo at one week

He had the most adorable speckled nose, and seemed to be split with a little stitch from God right down the center, from the middle of his forehead, right down his belly. And he was super relaxed and flexible. 

Puppy Yoga, Mojo style

From the very moment Mojo was born, he was different. When I first wormed the puppies at 10 days of age with Pyrantel, a relatively well-tolerated, gentle wormer, he reacted strangely. His belly became distended and he cried and cried for hours. I felt helpless. Finally, he settled down.

When his eyes opened a few days later, I noticed something else that was different about Mojo. 

Mirage (left) and Mojo (right). His right eye was "off" - puppy "lazy eye"

 And yet, he grew and thrived at the farm. 

Mojo at two weeks

Mojo at four weeks

Mojo at seven weeks

He still had that "lazy eye" but he was thriving and blossomed into a gorgeous boy who wasn't that much smaller than the others. Suddenly, he was my favorite pup. He had a fantastic attitude, and though he was small, he was always at the front of the puppy pack on our jaunts around the puppy paths. Before long, Mojo quickly stole my heart. 

He quickly became Elise's favorite too, and we doted over him, bickering over who would get to hold him. She usually won :)

Handsome Mojo at 8 weeks

I gave the puppies their first vaccinations on September 22. By September 30, I noticed Mojo was off.  He had loose stools, and seemed listless, stopping to nap soon after I let the puppies out of their pen. While the other puppies were busy racing around, Mojo found quiet places to rest, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of puppy playtime. I brought him inside, kept him warm, fed him bland foods like rice and chicken. He was still eating well, He would perk up, only to fall into a slump again.

Finally, last Sunday, I contacted friends and race veterinarian husband-wife team, Kathy and Phil Topham. Phil was kind enough to see us on a Sunday morning. I suspected something called coccidia, which usually presents with foul-smelling, sometimes bloody diarrhea and lethargy - Mojo's symptoms. Dr. Topham ran a test for coccidia and it was positive. He opened a can of Prescription Diet A/D and Mojo lapped it up heartily. We left with Albon, several cans of A/D and were relieved, ready for Mojo to be on the mend. Mojo weighed 8.5 pounds.

Only things got worse. He stopped eating almost completely. We began force feeding/hydrating him. After several days on Albon, his condition deteriorated. We switched to Metronidazole.

I made an appointment with my regular vet for some tests and subcutaneous fluids for Mojo. A test for giardia came back negative, but what I feared the most - the test for Parvo - came back positive. And not just a little positive. The test operates like a pregnancy test, with a bubble turning blue if positive. It was bright blue. In the words of our vet, it glowed.

A blood panel also showed his white count was two, and the vet was concerned he was already septic. He had a heart murmur - something that had developed since Sunday.

Still he fought. We gave him 50 ml of saline fluids at the vet's office, and he sat up and tried to scratch the needle away. We flushed Amoxicillin and B-12 vitamins into the IV to try to jump start therapy. Mojo was down to 7.4 pounds.

We went home with a bag of fluids, lots of needles, and Amoxicillin prepared for a long night.

Only Mojo had other plans.

When we woke at 7:15 this morning, Mojo was gone. His little body could take no more.

Burying a puppy is just ... wrong. And yet, the deeper I get into dogs, the more of a reality it seems. Stuff happens. Life is fragile. Tenuous.

What I know is this: when Googling "Parvo Symptoms," vomiting invariably comes up. This symptom doesn't necessarily have to be present. Mojo's symptoms did not include vomiting at all - only very foul-smelling watery diarrhea, anorexia (lack of appetite), and lethargy.

What I also know is Mojo became sick despite being vaccinated.

What I also know as of the time of this writing is: all nine of Mojo's litter mates are thriving, with voracious appetites and minds full of mischief.

What I also know is, I keep replaying the last two weeks of Mojo's life in my mind, wondering if there was something I didn't do, should have done differently, could have done better.

But what I am left with are sad thoughts of a future lost. Mojo will never get to know what it's like to run with a team of sled dogs on the beautiful snow under the night stars. I'll never get to see him blossom into the leader I had a hunch he would have become. I'll never get to see him grow into his big feet.

I am so sorry, Mojo. You fought valiantly, and I did all I could. I love you.

Elise holding Mojo

For Mojo. July 28, 2014 - October 11, 2014

“When you leave,
weary of me,
without a word I shall gently let you go.” 
 -- Kim Sowol

Puppy Update

I'm beginning to think the Ohio tourism slogan "so much to discover!" was written with puppies and not Ohio in mind. The puppies - a.k.a. the "little monsters" - were seven weeks old this week and have settled into their home outside in their own private kennel run with mama, Cinder. Every day they spend hours outside of the dog kennel ...discovering. And it seems, like some fish and reptiles do, the puppies have also grown tremendously to adapt to their bigger space.

Halo, also sleeping in the dirt under the propane tank...

And they are increasingly adventurous. On our daily puppy outings at the ranch, they venture around the property, wagging at the other dogs...

Buddha brazenly barks at kennel patriarch, Yeti

...running along the puppy paths ... 

Elise: official puppy trainer/herder

and making other discoveries like garden hoses...

Halo and the garden hose

...giant holes dug by the other dogs out of summer boredom ...

Buddha and Halo rest inside one of Tosh's giant excavation projects

...chickens...

"Come here, chicken!"

...and even coffee! 

Blaze slurping from my coffee mug

They have discovered that pulling on your sister's tail is great fun....

BIG BROTHERS! UGH!

...and how to annoy your very big brothers...

Three-year-old, Tosh, rolls his eyes at me as if to say, "mom, can you make the toddlers go away?"

...and the joys of running...

Cisco 

There are more puppy portraits on the Diamond Dogs Facebook Page

Sweet dreams ....

and, as always...

Struggle in the Whelping Room

There is a struggle going on in the whelping room. These 10 spirited tiny canines may be blind and deaf, but they are certainly not helpless!

Newborn puppies are born functionally deaf and blind with their ear canals and eyelids sealed shut.  They are essentially mostly mouth and programmed instinctively to do one thing: eat. At all costs.

Cinder and her family resting on day two

The gestation period for dogs is short: just 63 days on average. Dogs are hunters by nature, and part of the reason they are born deaf and blind can be explained by their hunting instinct. Simply put, getting the pups out of the mother's belly and onto the ground as quickly as possible aids in mom's ability to hunt and feed herself and her offspring. When pups are born, their eyes, ears and critical parts of their brain are still forming. Despite their birth, the eyes, brain and hearing still needs about another 10 days to two weeks to develop. Even when the eyes and ears do open, they're not perfectly formed yet and will require another few weeks to fully develop.

Newborn puppies are born deaf and blind. Pictured here is Halo, center gray pup

Cinder's pregnancy lasted exactly 63 days from the first breeding. But her kids are hardwired for survival, as this video will show. Right now, 10 pups are competing for eight nipples, and sometimes things get tense. Even while nursing, the puppies growl and push each other off the nipple, each jockeying for the lion's share of Cinder's milk.

from the whelping room. Kinda...grrr!


YOU CAN WATCH VIDEOS FROM THE WHELPING ROOM! CLICK HERE!

Happy Birth Day to Cinder!

Please help me welcome Cinder's babies who were very long-awaited!

Cinder, tired after whelping NINE little ones! 

Cinder wasn't hugely pregnant. I thought there were maybe four or five pups. 

After the fifth was born, I could still feel a puppy lump inside of Cinder's belly. Okay, I thought. Six is a good number. 

But they kept coming. And coming! 

By this afternoon, Cinder finished with nine new babies - six boys and three girls. They all seem to be about the same size and are doing well, as is mama. 

There are three who are a very different shade of silverish-gray who look very unique. One already has a name: Mirage. 

Mirage resting peacefully in Cinder's bunch of puppy love

All is well, and good night...shhh, puppies are sleeping. 

 from the whelping room. 

CORRECTION: there are now 10 puppies! 4 girls and 6 boys 

What's up with whelping: we're itching for puppies!

With puppies due in a little over two weeks, Cinder has been readying herself for motherhood. Mother Nature does a fantastic job of equipping animals with all they need to take care of themselves and their offspring when they have babies. But there's nothing wrong with a little help, so I have also been preparing for Cinder's babies. When the Reggae Litter made its debut at the Ranch in July of 2011, Tak welcomed our assistance.

Mama Tak nursing her litter, the Reggae pups

Some have asked what is needed to prepare for a litter of puppies. So I thought I would prepare a list of supplies I use to prepare for tiny furry canines to make their entrance into the world.

My 10 year old, Elise, and I recently finished building a whelping box that is simple in design, affordable (about $50), and made from one sheet of plywood. Here's what you need:

• One 4x8 sheet of plywood (you can use any variety and grade of wood; I chose a mid-grade for durability). $25 
• 16 feet of 1 1/2 inch PVC pipe $6.50
• 8 Metal "L" shaped brackets to connect the pieces of the whelping box $8
• 8 Plastic "J" shaped brackets to fasten PVC to the sides of the whelping box $8
• 1/2 inch decking or wood screws $5
• Circular saw
• Jigsaw
• Drill

You can cut the plywood, or have your local hardware store make the cuts for you when you purchase  it; they have the ability to make more precise cuts than I can, so I usually have the hardware store cut it for me. Cut the plywood in half, and then cut one of the halves in thirds. Now you have a 4x4 piece for the bottom (if you choose to have a bottom; I prefer not having a floor for easy cleaning) and three 1x4 pieces for the sides. You can purchase the extra 1x4 piece or do what I did, which was to cut it from the bottom...which I didn't use for a bottom. Ultimately you need four sides of 1x4 pieces. Attach these pieces together with the "L" brackets.

I borrowed a friend's whelping box when Tak had her pups three years ago. It had pig rails made the old fashioned way out of slats of wood. I chose to make pig rails from PVC pipe. Pig rails are important because, should a pup get between mama and the side of the whelping box, the rail prevents the pup from being accidentally squished.

When Elise and I were all done piecing our whelping box together, this is what it looked like. My office has now been transformed into a whelping room.

My tiny office, which is now back to being a whelping room. This is where two litters have previously whelped, as well as numerous baby chickens

Some sites suggest a huge laundry list of supplies needed to assist mama during labor. I like to keep it simple. After all, animals are keenly aware of what needs done during labor and delivery.

Here is my simple list of supplies I have on hand during labor

• Thermometer & Petroleum jelly - when mama is getting close to her due date of 63 days from the day of the first breeding, I begin taking her temperature rectally. A dog's normal temperature is around 101 degrees; just before the onset of labor, mom's temp will drop sharply to around 98. When this happens, labor is about to begin. 
• During the actual birth, I prefer to have puppy pads, the disposable pads normally used for puppy potty training, on the floor. No mess! Just toss them in the trash when mom is done giving birth.
• Clean blankets and/or towels for after the pups are born, and also for rubbing newborn pups to help stimulate breathing. I purchase the ones we use for whelping at local Goodwill or thrift stores. 
• Unwaxed dental floss - this is for tying the umbilical cord in case, for some reason, mom is not chewing it. Normally, the mother will instinctively chew the umbilical cord in half releasing the pup from its placenta. BUT if mom isn't gentle, the chewing can pull on the belly of the pup causing an umbilical hernia. Our own leader, Ruffian, had this when she was a yearling and had surgery to correct it. I like to assist mom with this part of labor when at all possible to prevent the risk of umbilical hernia. If nothing else, I like to hold each pup close to mom's mouth as she chews the umbilical to prevent too much pulling. 
• Sterile surgical scissors - for cutting the umbilical cord. These are also used later to remove dew claws. 
• Bulb syringe - Mama dog knows to lick each pup and chew the sack of membranes from its face. If, for some reason, she isn't, I like to have a bulb syringe handy to suction the mucus from each pup's nose and help stimulate breathing.
• Nutrical - this optional dietary supplement is loaded with calories and nutrients to help mom maintain strength during the hours of laboring. 
• Calsorb - like Nutrical, Calsorb contains extra calcium. When a dog whelps, if they don't have enough calcium, several things can go wrong, including postpartum eclampsia.  As a precaution, I like to give mom a little bit of Calsorb between the birth of each pup. Some substitute vanilla ice cream as well. 

Optional Whelping Items

• Digital scale for weighing puppies
• Different colored ribbon or yarn for distinguishing puppies from each other. Usually Alaskan husky pups are a wide variety of colors so this isn't necessary. 

The average gestation for a dog is 63 days from the time of breeding. Cinder was first bred on May 26, making her due date July 28.

Sled dog litters are traditionally named in themes. For example, the Reggae litter were all named after Reggae musicians, another litter born here, the Jazz litter, were all named after Jazz musicians. We have a handful of name themes rolling around, but would love suggestions! If you have a theme suggestion for Cinder's litter, please let us know in the comments section on this blog! I look forward to reading them!

Two weeks and counting...

 from the whelping room!

We're Expecting!

It's been a hot summer, and the dogs have been enjoying their time off with lots of free runs, play time and romps in the kitty pool at the Ranch. We are counting down the days until fall training starts (only about six weeks now!) but before training starts, we are counting the days for something even more exciting: puppies!

It has been three years since Diamond Dogs have had babies, and I decided it was time to expand the kennel once again. I am super excited about the gene pool chosen! 

Cinder, who is 4 years old, came to Diamond Dogs late in the 2012 season but quickly proved herself an amazing athlete. Though she had been off training for about six weeks when I acquired her, she jumped right in with the team, started running and never looked back. She ran lead with my gee/haw leader, Yeti and ran the Midnight Run that season. Last season she ran in the Tahquamenon Sled Dog Race and The Midnight Run. She is a beauty to watch run: smooth, straight gait, and light on her feet, she makes loping look effortless. What's more, she always has a smile on her face and gives everything she has on the line.

Cinder this past spring

Cinder's bloodlines are pretty sweet. Her dad, Hobo, is out of Iditarod and Yukon Quest champ, Lance Mackey's kennel. And her mom, Bruny, is out of Beargrease Marathon veteran, John Stetson's kennel. 

I put a lot of thought into choosing a stud. Despite Cinder's bloodlines, which are primarily distance dogs, she is fast. But I wanted a male who could contribute an added element of speed, preferably one who was a lead dog. After talking with a few mushers, I decided to add the speed of Swingley into Cinder's solid endurance lines. The natural choice was Pete and Sharon Curtice's Elrond. 

Elrond has been a natural leader for the Curtice's kennel since he was a yearling. He was on their winning Midnight Run team in 2006 as a yearling, and ran lead on their 2nd place Beargrease 150 race. And his genetics are impressive. Elrond's mom is leader, Hurricane; his dad is  Ceasar who was also a leader (both Swingley origins). It is interesting to note Elrond is also the grandfather to my last litter, the Reggae Litter. 

I made a quick trip up to visit the Curtice's over Memorial Day weekend where Cinder had a date with Elrond. She should be due around July 26th. She is starting to show, and Elise is super excited to help with puppy socialization. 

Elise helping pose Cinder for a photo

We will be at the Green Branch Library tomorrow, July 9, at 1 and 3 p.m. for a presentation of Backyard Iditarod. If you're in the area, stop by! Hopefully my next post will be about tiny little toes!

Tak's babies are coming!

Birth in the age of technology! Wow, we are super excited to be able to share the miracle of birth with you, live from our streaming web cam! Tak is in labor now and we're hoping for healthy babies tonight. Watch now!


Live Video for Mobile from Ustream

The "life is what happens when you're busy making other plans" litter

Chow hounds

Field of puppies, with Lucy in the center

Given that this is the first litter at the ranch, I wasn't really sure when to introduce food other than what was presented to the pups from their mama. I figured they would let me know.

When they were just two weeks old, I was holding Kerouac while mixing up some food for his mother, Gwennie, when he made it clear it was time. At least he was ready. He stuffed his face right down into Gwennie's food, practically inhaling it. So I decided to introduce the pups to some Eukanuba canned puppy food...

The following video is what ensued.



As I type, Lucy is sprawled on my lap, content after eating her "40" - 40 ml of formula, that is. She looks like a normal puppy now.


Lucy the Luck Dragon after eating her "40"

This morning when I went out to the whelping room to feed and clean up, eight tails swarmed me, wagging happily. So much love and puppy breath.

It's hard to believe they are almost four weeks old.


Lucy (left) and T.S. (center) lay with Sophie after school. Notice how much smaller Lucy is. Also notice that big pink belly of hers!

"Happiness is a warm puppy. " ~ Charles M. Schulz

Sophie and Ginsberg

This last Saturday, we celebrated.



We frolicked and we remembered.


Maggie and Annie "mouth sparring"



We sniffed the sweet puppy breath and gazed into their soft blue eyes.



Happy Three Week Birthday, Puppies!

Exceptional dogs

This is my favorite time with them: when all is quiet, late at night, after everyone else has fallen asleep. They wake up, make some feeble attempt at play or practice walking on their wobbly little legs before nursing and stumbling over, drunk on their mother's love. They sleep wherever they land.


Pile o' puppies

They twitch in their sleep, tiny feet, ears, eyes, whole bodies spazzing out. They huddle together - one twitching, sleeping mass of sweetness. Occasionally, one looks up at me with a cloudy purple blue eye. Someone growls. They dream.


Ginsberg is the hub of the mass of puppies tonight

Gwennie also twitches outside of the whelping pen, opting to sleep on the cold concrete than on the soft straw with her brood. Her eyes roll back in her head as she sleep, high on oxytocin delivered to her brain during nursing. Oxytocin, it's been found, is the feel good chemical of the century. It is excreted during lactation (of humans and animals) and helps us to relax; during nursing, oxytocin is the chemical that stimulates the "let down" response in the breasts that encourages milk to flow. As I watch Gwennie, I remember feeling that oxytocin rush. Though relaxed, she still rests with both paws guarding the beef shin I bought her today at the butcher.

Sometimes Gwennie tires of motherhood.


Gwennie looking a little stir crazy

After all, the pups are already cutting tiny teeth through the tops of their little mouths. In a frenzy that can only be described as having the same fervor as fish spawning in shallow water, the pups rush toward their mother's nourishment, little feet scrambling clumsily, mouths tenaciously hanging on, only to have her stand abruptly and walk away.

She is not indifferent, however; she is simply teaching little future sleddogs to eat when the window opens, and eat heartily.


Kerouac howling at only two weeks

Even little Lucy has found her way to the warm mass of puppies, hugging her sister, Maggie, in sleep for warmth. And she has found her way to Gwennie to nurse too, finally.


Little Lucy (rear, with the diamond shape on the back of her neck) rests with her litter mates

This experience - or any experience with baby animals - softens you. At least it has me. We all seem to be feeding off the oxytocin and feelin' the puppy love.


Elise in puppy Heaven: here at the Lazy Husky Ranch, we visit puppies in our nightgowns!

Gwennie and I have grown so close through the birth and whelping of her puppies; I know we won't ever part. She is an exceptional dog in all ways.

And now a quick update about Lucy

Lucy, actually content after a feeding on the eve of her two week birthday

I've been trying to figure out what character Lucy's little face reminds me of. I figured it out today!


Falcor, the luck dragon, from the 1984 film, The Neverending Story

I'm happy to report Lucy is up to 15 ounces and is doing well!