Today is the final day if ESI/ENS. Hard to believe that we have been doing this for almost 2 weeks already. The last scent is Lemongrass. No one really seemed to hate the smell, but they weren't overly fond either. Everyone has their eyes open now and Rex escaped the whelping pen today. We are so excited to watch them progress and grow in the coming weeks.
Where's Perry? Watching puppies today apparently. Our resident feline is finally deciding the new additions to the house are finally worth his notice. It was nice of him to make an appearance and give the puppies an introduction to another scent today.
Day 15 smells like Cloves! There were quite a few puppies interested in this one. Everybody is getting so big so fast, some of these exercises are getting to be a bit difficult.
Day 13: Chamomile! Hard to believe we only have a few days left and that puppies are almost 2 weeks old already. Time really flies. Everyone is becoming quite resistant to being restrained, some more than others. Eyes are a bit more open today and everyone is showing progress now vs just a few.
Rabbit is the scent for day 12. Rex REALLY liked it, and Soria also seemed to enjoy it. Everyone else didn't seem to care much. Big development today is that some of the pups have started to open their eyes! They are also trying out this walking thing more and more, sometimes all the way across the pen.
Day 11 is Leather! Soria was the most evident reaction (at least from my side) and she loved it. She even went so far as to want to taste it a bit. They are certainly getting their legs under them more! It won't be long now before we start to see some eyes opening too.
Day 10! Most of the pups were pretty indifferent to the coconut smell. Soria seemed to really enjoy it though! They made good gains today and we were able to move them into their big kid collars. It will be much easier to tell them apart now.
Scent of the day is Tennis Ball! Most of the puppies were pretty indifferent to the smell today.
Pups are become more mobile in their whelping pen and their range of vocalizations is broadening. There aren't just grunts and groans anymore. We've heard real puppy barks and a tiny awoo or two.
I hope you all had an amazing day filled with family, related or chosen, and great food. Obviously, the puppies don't know it's a holiday and their development doesn't take them. So, today was day 8! Some pups seemed to really enjoy the scent of Black Tea, while most were indifferent. No huge 'ick' reactions today.
Enjoy the rest of your holiday!
Day 7! Hard to believe they are a week old already! Today the scent was Lavender, which the pups had mixed reactions about. Some came back for a second sniff and some took one whiff and wanted nothing more to do with it. Everyone's gains are between 3oz and 4oz, and, if they continue that way, they will double their birth weight by tomorrow.
Day 5 is Cinnamon! You won't be able to hear it, but I sure could hear the deep sniffs some of the pups took. No one seemed to mind the cold towel today, and a couple got very relaxed in the head down position!
Star anise is probably one of my least favorite smells. Not just in the context of ESI, but in general. Some of the puppies definitely shared my opinion, some stronger than others, but some seemed to enjoy it. I think Lophus was my favorite reaction today. He summed up my feelings exactly.
Day 4 brings the scent of Pine Shavings! Most of them weren't super interested in the Scent of the Day, but I did notice that some of them actually seemed to enjoy the cold pack. Mama Mia was decided to check in on the process today before going and settling with the rest of the litter.
