BessBree Miss Maggsie (aka Moozer)
Well, what a surprise this girl was. I had mated her mother to dog I co-own (Blake). The mating took place just before Christmas and it was at the end of a very stressful year. I was only able to get one mating in and even though I had done a prog test and I knew I was close to the right time for mating, I was not able to get another prog test done due to the public holidays, so I took a chance. I got one good mating in, but was not able to get another mating due to Possum (BessBree The Dame) mucking around and not cooperating. I tried several times, but in frustration I decided that it was not that important, and I did not care if the mating didn't take. Looking back at it now, Possum was probably feeding off my own feelings and was not happy with the situation.
Anyway, the story goes on. Possum lived with my friend Maggie (it is such a good name) in Lakes Entrance, so I returned Possum back to her seaside home. Come 3 weeks later, Possum was taken down to my favorite Vet, and he declared her empty. No pups. Not to worry, it was not the end of the world, and I was suspicious that the mating was a bit early anyway.
One day Maggie rang me and said that she had taken Possum back to John because there was something different about her. Her nipples were sticking up and she was a bit bigger around the tummy, but don't worry, John said it was probably a phantom pregnancy, because he could still not feel any pups. OK, that can happen. Possum is healthy and that is all that mattered. A couple of more weeks went by and I decided that I would head to Maggie's place and have a look at Possum. There was just a little voice that was saying, go and see for yourself. By this time, it would be close to her due date.
As soon as I saw Possum, I said to Maggie, she looks pregnant to me, but she was not big, she had just lost her hourglass waist, but was not fat. I felt her tummy and I said, she feels pregnant to me. If John had not declared her empty, I would say she was in pup. I sat on the floor with her, and I was feeling her tummy while Possum was relaxed and I thought I could feel two pups. I would need a second opinion. Now this was in the early part of the evening on a Saturday night, who else do I call, but a good friend of mine who was a very experience Vet Nurse before she retired. So Sue came down to have a look at Possum, and almost as if it was an echo in the room, Sue said, "She looks pregnant to me", then she felt her, and said "She feels pregnant to me". Sue thought she could definitely feel one pup.
First thing on Monday morning Maggie and I went down to see John to get an xray. Off course as a comedy of errors go, John's xray machine was on the blink. Not to worry he says, I have the old portable one in the car. John takes that out to his farm visits. So in comes the old portable machine, and Possum is laid on the plates. Oh hell the plate is upside down. Re-position everything, and another try. John heads in to develop to the film, but first he had to clear out the room that he used as a dark room and a storage room. Well, out comes John cursing because he had over exposed the film. I tell you what John says, come back in a couple of hours and in the meantime, I will see if I can get the bigger machine going. I had to head back to my mothers house to help her, so Maggie took Possum back in a couple of hours. Low and behold, the xray machine was working and there were two puppies on board, but tucked up high. Possum was going to be a mum any day now.
I talked to Maggie about Possum, and we decided that it was too close to whelp to move Possum into my place, so I would bring all of my whelping equipment out to Maggie, and we would be prepared for whatever eventuated. I checked Possum again while I was there, and I could tell that birth was not imminent, so I left her with a very excited, but very practical Maggie. Thankfully Maggie had a background in pediatric nursing so this was the perfect place for Possum. I will also qualify right now that Maggie was not a breeder, and this was a very new experience for her.
The next day, I was helping my mother again, and I got a phone call from Maggie. "Do dogs waters break like humans" I AM ON MY WAY!
When I got to Maggie's place, her husband was outside with his friends playing guitar and singing, and it was the most peaceful place around. What a perfect place to give birth. Possum looked very relaxed, and yes she was contracting. I thought it was best to take her outside for a wee before things got more serious, and what would you know, as she hit the grass, she let out a yelp and I caught her first puppy. It was a little girl. Closely followed by a boy. Possum had had her two BIG puppies naturally and in her own environment. Well, that was a good day. We decided to leave this new mum with Maggie so she could get comfortable with these funny little things that she had just delivered.
Maggie was so attached to Possum, and she was loving having the puppies there, so we decided to leave Possum and the babies with Maggie. Maggie and Possum did a fantastic job raising these two babies. They were happy and healthy and well socialized, enjoying all of the comings and goings of Maggie's house - a perfect start for them all.
With Maggie's love and care, I thought it was most appropriate to call this little bundle of fun Miss Maggsie out of respect for all that Maggie did for them.
Moozer had grown up to be the most loving of girls, she is always up for a bit of fun, and she adores people. She is such a considerate girl, she has even organised for her coat markings to put her initial on her side ;)
Every one who meets Moozer always comments on what a beautiful nature she has, how happy she always is, and how gentle she is. Possum and Maggie did a really good job with this girl.
Anyway, the story goes on. Possum lived with my friend Maggie (it is such a good name) in Lakes Entrance, so I returned Possum back to her seaside home. Come 3 weeks later, Possum was taken down to my favorite Vet, and he declared her empty. No pups. Not to worry, it was not the end of the world, and I was suspicious that the mating was a bit early anyway.
One day Maggie rang me and said that she had taken Possum back to John because there was something different about her. Her nipples were sticking up and she was a bit bigger around the tummy, but don't worry, John said it was probably a phantom pregnancy, because he could still not feel any pups. OK, that can happen. Possum is healthy and that is all that mattered. A couple of more weeks went by and I decided that I would head to Maggie's place and have a look at Possum. There was just a little voice that was saying, go and see for yourself. By this time, it would be close to her due date.
As soon as I saw Possum, I said to Maggie, she looks pregnant to me, but she was not big, she had just lost her hourglass waist, but was not fat. I felt her tummy and I said, she feels pregnant to me. If John had not declared her empty, I would say she was in pup. I sat on the floor with her, and I was feeling her tummy while Possum was relaxed and I thought I could feel two pups. I would need a second opinion. Now this was in the early part of the evening on a Saturday night, who else do I call, but a good friend of mine who was a very experience Vet Nurse before she retired. So Sue came down to have a look at Possum, and almost as if it was an echo in the room, Sue said, "She looks pregnant to me", then she felt her, and said "She feels pregnant to me". Sue thought she could definitely feel one pup.
First thing on Monday morning Maggie and I went down to see John to get an xray. Off course as a comedy of errors go, John's xray machine was on the blink. Not to worry he says, I have the old portable one in the car. John takes that out to his farm visits. So in comes the old portable machine, and Possum is laid on the plates. Oh hell the plate is upside down. Re-position everything, and another try. John heads in to develop to the film, but first he had to clear out the room that he used as a dark room and a storage room. Well, out comes John cursing because he had over exposed the film. I tell you what John says, come back in a couple of hours and in the meantime, I will see if I can get the bigger machine going. I had to head back to my mothers house to help her, so Maggie took Possum back in a couple of hours. Low and behold, the xray machine was working and there were two puppies on board, but tucked up high. Possum was going to be a mum any day now.
I talked to Maggie about Possum, and we decided that it was too close to whelp to move Possum into my place, so I would bring all of my whelping equipment out to Maggie, and we would be prepared for whatever eventuated. I checked Possum again while I was there, and I could tell that birth was not imminent, so I left her with a very excited, but very practical Maggie. Thankfully Maggie had a background in pediatric nursing so this was the perfect place for Possum. I will also qualify right now that Maggie was not a breeder, and this was a very new experience for her.
The next day, I was helping my mother again, and I got a phone call from Maggie. "Do dogs waters break like humans" I AM ON MY WAY!
When I got to Maggie's place, her husband was outside with his friends playing guitar and singing, and it was the most peaceful place around. What a perfect place to give birth. Possum looked very relaxed, and yes she was contracting. I thought it was best to take her outside for a wee before things got more serious, and what would you know, as she hit the grass, she let out a yelp and I caught her first puppy. It was a little girl. Closely followed by a boy. Possum had had her two BIG puppies naturally and in her own environment. Well, that was a good day. We decided to leave this new mum with Maggie so she could get comfortable with these funny little things that she had just delivered.
Maggie was so attached to Possum, and she was loving having the puppies there, so we decided to leave Possum and the babies with Maggie. Maggie and Possum did a fantastic job raising these two babies. They were happy and healthy and well socialized, enjoying all of the comings and goings of Maggie's house - a perfect start for them all.
With Maggie's love and care, I thought it was most appropriate to call this little bundle of fun Miss Maggsie out of respect for all that Maggie did for them.
Moozer had grown up to be the most loving of girls, she is always up for a bit of fun, and she adores people. She is such a considerate girl, she has even organised for her coat markings to put her initial on her side ;)
Every one who meets Moozer always comments on what a beautiful nature she has, how happy she always is, and how gentle she is. Possum and Maggie did a really good job with this girl.
