denali – May 14, 2008 12:00 AM

The pups are 17 days old today. Here are some notes from the observation data sheets: <br> <br> 12:20 am – Woke from deep sleep to sound of Jess's motorcycle, stood up, walked around then curled up and fell asleep <br> <br> 3:39 am – Discovered bad nipple- excessive flow caused Pup # 1 to aspirate and refuse to feed, changed nipple, note to staff…always check flow before feeding <br> <br> 10:24 – After much shopping and testing, Playtex Drop In "Variable Nipple" seems to be working. <br> <br> 3:10 am – Took bottle well w/ "Variable Nipple" No coughing. <br> <br> The bottom incisors have erupted on both pups, the pups have begun to start the jaw sparring behavior, which includes wide open mouths, grabbing back and forth with their heads turning at an angle. Pup # 1 was a bit shy when he first arrived, crawling to the corner and trying to escape people. Since the socialization process began, he has now become accustomed to handlers and seeks them out to sleep on laps. It is noted that when he lies on someone’s lap, he submits without stimulus. If the human moves, he throws up his head to reposition himself on his back. The video you see for Pup # 1 today is shows him investigating some branches and logs brought into the pen today for stimulus. It is critical that the pups begin to associate the smell of the adults, so we gathered items from the Exhibit Pack enclosure. The audio clip demonstrates the struggle we face when bottle feeding, it’s a case of the hiccups. It is critical to get the right flow, and reduce the air consumed when the pups feed, they can get over excited about the feeding and aspirate fluid in their lungs which is very serious or get the hiccups, which is uncomfortable.