Long Day Sunday night thru last night ....

ok, I (& my dad) kept Facebook and a Sheltie group posted as to the happenings, so sorry, but will just copy/paste those updates in here with timestamps. Was way too overwhelmed and tired to do anything with it last night ... So, here goes...
Kylee had 5 puppies - 4 were delivered via Csection (emergency); 3 females, 2 males; all sables.

Sunday night ~1030, contractions started and continued on at varying intervals for 4 hours without producing anything.
Monday morning ~ 230am, the first visible sac appeared after a set of about 5 minute STRONG contractions. yay!
Monday morning ~ 430am, this sac has just elongated to the length of over 4 inches, Ky stopped having contractions after it first appeared - 2 hrs with no contractions had me worried. Off to the ER vet we go...

Vets take ultrasound (determine there is still fetal heartbeats), take x-ray (doesnt appear to have a large puppy 'stuck'), do bloodwork (everything was normal, incl calcium), suggest give a couple doses of Oxytocin to treat for her uterine inertia.

Somewhere around 6am, it is determined that Ky very well may need a c-section as the oxytocin seemed to not be working. Me, freaking out (of course), start to panic and finally just gave them the permission to go ahead and do it (quoted 2-3k for Csection alone, not including other exam/diagnostics performed!)-eek, especially with me not really working. But, do it, I'll find a way to get the money, I've got too. (~630am).

Shortly after MSU was given the "ok", the techs started to prep her for surgery, while the vet came back out to tell me the general timeline of how she expects the rest of the morning to go... Suddenly, vet got a call on her cell and looked at me and said - "SHE JUST HAD A PUPPY!" Then ran back to the treatment room. Didnt take the paperwork I had just barely signed for the csection...

~715/730, vets (& surgeons) came out to say the puppy was not doing that well, and they still wanted to give the others the best chance at survival, so it meant deliver the others via csection instead of waiting longer to see if the oxytocin was just slow to respond. Ok, do it, I already approved it! Plan was Id probably be able to pick her and the pups up around 10am.

10am, head back to the vets (my cells were dead, so didnt know anything else about surgery at this point) ... I was told that the pup who was delivered naturally was doing alright, but the others still had anesthetic in them as well, so were kinda slow with the suckling. They requested keeping Ky and pups for a little while longer to make sure Ky would let them and encourage them to do their duties, while she did hers (cleaning, etc).
(managed to get *a little* sleep between the phone calls) ;)
About 230pm, I got a phone call they believed the pups were ready to come home with mom! We had a pretty likely probability they'd make it, but may need supplemental feedings.

Got the pups home around 330-4pm Im thinking it was? Ky was exhausted and basically slept until 7pm. I had to force her on her side and put the pups on her. The vets were right, some really did need help, and I was tired & stressed & frustrated I could not 'help' everyone suckle on her - or a bottle. Again, freak out on my part ... This also encouraged ME to get sick a few times (lack of sleep, lack of eating and drinking, stress/nerves), plus I had to care for the pups and Ky first. ...

She got up to eat, drink, and potty - then I noticed ... Blood all over her back end. Uh-oh! Called the vet, and they said if it appeared to not stop, was bright red, go ahead and bring her back in. Could be hemorrhaging, could be from her bladder being moved around during surgery to get the pups out, could be normal discharge after a Csection... So, hubby and I packed Ky & pups up into his car, and he drove us to the vet.

They did a little more bloodwork, protein, calcium, all values normal (doesnt appear to have lost 'too much' blood), and her vitals were also normal. They took her in back, shaved her up for a better view and reassured us, it was normal for her to have some bleeding over the next 2 weeks. It wasnt coming from her incision site (shes actually left that alone very well now). Better to be safe than sorry, and again reminded both I & hubby of the warning signs. Headed home, and did another nursing/supplemental feeding (with Goats milk & esbilac this time, not water, worked MUCH better). And left the dog room light on all night long so I wouldnt fall into too deep of sleep. Woke up periodically and checked on everyone.

Ky's a good mom, shes cleaning them and trying to nurse them (although some pups are a little confused as to where the *milk* comes from) , I couldnt be more proud of my girl after all she went through.

So, thats the story! Hopefully today will be easier than yesterday! :)

THANK YOU to everyone for your support and prayers. They seemed to have worked, all pups are still here and doing well from what I can tell :)

Pictures to come later!!!!