It's time for your weekly pupdate! Mama Juliet's puppies are now 4-weeks-old and growing fast! This week our 13 furry friends got to enjoy their first taste of solid food and were introduced to the world of toys. Boy, do they love toys! Each pup is developing its own adorable personality and becoming more independent each day. However, they are still nursing and will not be available for adoption for several weeks.

While Mama Juliet is now healthy and doing great, we wanted to share her incredibly difficult delivery journey. The sweet German Shepherd was in labor for almost 24 hours birthing her puppies, including one with a serious complication known as placental abruption. HSVC’s Dr. Christina Sisk was called in during the early hours of Easter Sunday to tend to an exhausted Juliet and her newborn puppies. However, an x-ray at Matilija Veterinary Hospital showed two more puppies still waiting to make their debut!

Mama Juliet was taken to Horizon Veterinary Specialists for continued care, as it was obvious she was running out of steam. She delivered one more puppy before transfer and nearly had to undergo an emergency C-section to deliver her last pup. Miraculously, Juliet found the energy to naturally deliver lucky puppy number 13 just in time!

We share Juliet’s story as a cautionary tale to illustrate the complications that can come with your pet having puppies or kittens. It is very common for new mamas to need expensive emergency medical care. Please consider this when deciding to breed your pet or when choosing to keep them unaltered. The HSVC Spay & Neuter Clinic provides low-cost spay/neuter services to help prevent overpopulation in our community. No animal should have to go through what sweet Juliet experienced. Call the shelter at 805-646-6505 to book your pet for a spay/neuter appointment today!