Day 42

We are now two-third on our way. 3 weeks to go until the delivery. The puppies have yet again grown quite significantly. Last week they measured around 3 centimeter. This week they are approximately 4,5 centimeter and they weigh about 6 grams.

The kidneys are working. This is why the eyes are now closed. The inner ear is formed and the nose is ready! When they are born the nose will be their most important sense. They are born with the eyes and ear canals closed. They find their mother and brothers and sisters by smell. Skin colour, hair, nails and eyelids can be seen. The skeleton will calcify from now on. From this moment up until birth growing is all they have left to do. For nutrition they depend on the placenta and their lungs are not ready yet to inhale oxygen.

Lucy is still very calm and cuddly. She sleeps a lot. Outside she is still very active and I notice no changes. She still wants to play and run, like there is no growing belly in the way.

I do notice it is harder for her to reach if she wants to clean herself. She can not sleep rolled up in a ball anymore, then her belly gets in the way. Every now and then she has some slimey discharge.

Lucy is also weighed and measured again this week:

In total Lucy gained 800 grams. She grew 14 centimeter on her ribs, that is just as many as Yara grew up until day 56 of her pregnancy. Quite a lot!

For outsiders it is visible now too that Lucy does not have just a little extra weight but that she is pregnant. Her belly does not fit her legs and head anymore. When we walk outside she wobbles a little.

Yesterday we set up the whelping box in our living room. Lucy has had a nice nap in it already.