Hello All,

Between the hours of 11:20PM February 17 and 4:30PM February 18, my best friend, Stella, a 2-year old cream poodle, delivered 15 healthy, vigorous, amazingly large, standard poodle puppies -- 4 boys, 11 girls. It was her first litter, and mine too. The last 48 hours have been an astounding experience, and the ride has just begun. As happy as I am that Stella and the puppies are alive and well, I will share that it's been terrifying too.

When I bred Stella, I was told to anticipate 5 - 6 puppies max, based on family history, first breeding, only 1 really successful mating (2 total). A few weeks later, I had an ultrasound done, and they saw 7 puppies. The week before her due date (2/21/02) I had an x-ray done and they saw 12. I was floored then, and solicited, and received (thank you very much), some much needed advice about dealing with large litters.

Stella began to deliver the pups Sunday night, and had 11 of them though the night. Number 12 was not appearing, so Monday morning we all bundled up to head to the vet. Number 12 arrived on the way. When we arrived, I and everyone in the office was delighted that all had been born safely. In the post-partum exam, my vet said, though she couldn't believe it, that she felt another skull. They did an another x-ray, and said there were 3 more puppies, one of which did not have a visible spine. A shot of Occitocin (sp?) and number 13 arrived, the biggest puppy in the litter, 12 ozs. We then spent a very harrowing day, trying to induce my exhausted friend to deliver the last 2, fully expecting that they might be at best, weak, at worst -- well you know what was worse. After having the vet (an angel) come to my home, with no luck inducing with more injections, a c-section was looking likely. Two minutes after leaving my house, with me and Stella to follow back to the office, number 14 was born, an 11.5 oz boy, healthy and wriggling. However, number 15 wasn't coming. We spent another 2 hours at the vet, preparing Stella for the c-section with IV fluids. As she was walking through the clinic, number 15 just popped out, a perfectly formed 9.6 oz girl. The vet did have to resuscitate her, but in a few minutes she was fine, wriggling and crying.

I am now at home, alone, with my new enormous family. Stella is an exhausted, but a digilant and loving mother. I will have some help, mercifully, including having 3 of the pups go to live with the owner of the stud who has a bitch that was due a couple of days ago with a very small litter (1 or 2 puppies), and lots of milk to share, thereby lessening the load on my poor girl.

I am very happy for the miracle of this birth. I drove my friends, and perhaps some of you, nuts with my obsessive questions about how best to care for Stella during the pregancy, and how to be a responsible breeder. I would like to especially thank a couple of people who have helped guide me through this; Sandy Manning, a kind, funny, infintely knowledgeable breeder here in Austin, and Carolyn Carroll, the owner of the sire, a lady with an endless capacity for my questions, and a true love of poodles.

I will never breed Stella again. I will never risk Stella's life on another litter. But, for the moment, we are all safe and happy, and thankful that everyone is healthy, even though I know there are still risks ahead. Thank you to all of who who have shared your knowledge and experience with me. I need it now more than ever, so please feel free to contact me either through the list or privately. Wish me luck!

Cathy, Stella, and 15 of the most adorable black, silver, and (maybe) blue puppies we've ever seen

-- Anonymous, February 19, 2002

Answers

Congratulations on your litter. Do hope you find wonderful private homes for the pups. Very sincerely, Heather

-- Anonymous, February 23, 2002

Congrats on the new members of your family. Although I have never had poodle pups we too have had an amazing delivery at our house...we own clydesdale horses and recently delivered unexpected twins. Although we lost one of them to a rare blood disorder the miracle was a once in a lifetime experience. We wish you the best!. The Whitesel's from Ohio.

-- Anonymous, March 24, 2002