Maks is one of a small number of Dalmatians worldwide that carries two copies of the desirable SLC2A9 gene therefore every puppy he produces will have one copy of the gene and therefore Low Uric Acid (LUA)! Emily has one copy of the LUA gene so we expect some of these puppies to have two copies! This beautiful litter is the result of breeding an outcrossed female back to her sire. I believe that homozygous puppies from this litter will be very useful in incorporating the LUA gene in other bloodlines. They are very healthy and consistent.



Thursday, September 15, 2011

Day Four

Today the puppies had a very busy day.  First thing in the morning they went for a car ride to the Vet to have their dewclaws removed. I have always removed dewclaws but this litter I contemplated not removing them. There is a growing number of people who believe that performance dogs benefit from having their dewclaws. I can certainly see merit in this so I was undecided as to whether or not to have them removed. Maks still has his dewclaws and I find them harder to grind than his other nails. I prefer to keep my dogs nail very short but I seem to be in the minority on this issue. I do know that long dewclaws can get torn out which is very painful. Also, long dewclaws can leave a rather painful welt on you if the dog paws at you or jump on you. Because I will have no control over the length of these puppies nails when they leave the nest I opted to have them removed. Below is a picture of the puppies after they filled they bellies and before they went to the Vet.
In the picture below you can see an ever so faint hint of spots starting to be visible!
Below is Lila looking at the new babies while Maks and Gambit play with a toy.
I believe Gambit remembers when she spent time in the pool with her babies. 

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