A dog from the Yekaterinburg kennel claims to be the champion of Russia – and all thanks to fertility: on December 10, she became a mother of 17 puppies at once. Not a single American Bully can boast of an even greater number of babies born in one litter, and this is a rarity for other breeds.
Record-breaking, dog gave birth to 17 puppies
The name of the mother of many children is Felicita, our colleagues from E1.RU say. So much happiness came to her unexpectedly: neither the owners nor the veterinarians expected such an offspring. The dog’s belly began to noticeably grow only a week before the birth.
“We went to ultrasound twice, and never once could we count the exact number of puppies,” said Alexandra Stepanova, a breeder of American Bullies. The first reaction, of course, was shock. How? Why, where so many? Well, of course, these are all our kids, and we are all very happy with them.
Typically, American Bulls give birth to three to eight puppies. In order for 17 babies to be born, my mother had to do a caesarean section. Despite this number, all were born in standard sizes, about 400 grams each.
– The operation itself lasted 40 minutes. The whole clinic took part, all the doctors came, all the assistants who were on the shift. Visitors to the clinic at that moment were sitting and waiting for the caesarean section to end, and holding their fingers , ”said Olesya Busse, head of the surgical department of the Khachiko veterinary clinic. “The anesthesia was perfect. We used epidural anesthesia and gas anesthesia during cesarean.
A large dog has to feed the babies in turn. But she does not shy away from her maternal duties. The puppies have a good appetite, in a couple of weeks they will be introduced to complementary foods – and then Felicita will have less trouble.
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The mother dog is doing well. Now she is recovering from childbirth, and her owners have already submitted an application to the Russian Book of Records. Felicita claims to be the most prolific American Bully.
– The number of puppies in a litter does not depend on the breed or the age of the parents. This is physiology. How many eggs are fertilized, so many puppies will turn out, – explains Olesya Busse. – The most important thing is that my mother is healthy and able to endure them to the end.
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Owners are already being selected for record offspring. In March, when the puppies are firmly on their paws and have been vaccinated, they will leave for new homes.