Following 24 hours of intense labour, Cali, a two-year-old Alapaha blue blood bulldog, gave birth to 20 puppies, surpassing the predicted six.
The challenging labour began on Wednesday (18 March) evening and concluded the following Thursday evening. The 20-year-old owner, Amber, swiftly took Cali to the vet after she naturally birthed 12 puppies but seemed uncomfortable.
Amber from Swindon, Wilshire, stayed up with Cali during the birth period. “‘It’s been chaotic and crazy but quite fun,'” said Amber to Metro UK.
“Seeing all those puppies together has been really heartwarming and sweet, but it does test your patience sometimes,” stated Amber. “When we first took her for a scan, the vet told us to expect six or at most eight puppies. I was shocked but delighted.”
“She calmed down a bit after the first 12, so we rushed her to the vet. They gave her an injection to help give her contractions and push the last six out,” continued Amber. “The others are happy and healthy, fortunately, and we’ve stocked up on beds and dog food for them.”
“We are so proud of Cali; she’s done well, all things considered,” said Amber. “This was her first litter, and it was tough to see her go through so much effort, but she’s been such a good mother. I’m running on empty now, but it was so worth it. Even though they are only a week old, they have grown so much.”
Sadly, nine of the puppies died, but Amber still has eleven puppies.
Amber works as a payroll and tax consultant and runs Blue Blood Empire, a company specializing in rare breeds. Although saddened by the deaths, she said they were not unexpected.