Day Two Hundred and Eight One - Insemination Day!!!

Today was the big day!

Emmi had a lunch time vet appointment and I snuck out of a work Christmas party to shoot across town.  When I got there she had been tested already, and the decision made that she was ready for the insemination.

We had planned on a TCI (trans-cervical insemination), which was a fascinating procedure to watch.  Everything was hooked up to video monitor, and once the catheter had been inserted through her cervix and into the uterus it was time for Ressi's part of the process :-).  Luckily the semen on thaw still looked great, with a 70% motility, so given all the stars being in alignment we are very hopeful for a successful outcome.

We will know if it has been successful in about three weeks time.  And if it is, we will have Diamonds for Valentine's Day (her due date).

Day Two Hundred and Eighty - A Very Busy Time

Well Emmi seems to be in quite the hurry to get pregnant!  We started progesterone testing at Monash Veterinary Clinic on Tuesday morning.  Given her usual pattern, I fully expected it to be fairly quiet this week, maybe a couple of tests during the week, with next week requiring the more frequent testing as she got closer.

However, it has been frantic quite quickly.  Her level on Tuesday was already 13.2, necessitating another early morning visit on Wednesday where she had hit 23.8.  Back there again this morning (Thursday) where she is at 42.3!!

Emmi has been staying at my parent's place closer to her vet, and I have been meeting her and my Dad (thanks Dad!!) there (an hour and a half drive away with early morning traffic) for her appointments, before driving from there straight into work.  Those 5am alarms are certainly getting the better of me, but the excitement is helping me through the exhaustion.

Not very long to go now!

Day Two Hundred and Seventy Two - Day One All Over Again

The day is finally here!  After what has seemed an absolutely excruciatingly long four months since the all clear, Emmi is finally IN SEASON AGAIN!!!

And so we go ahead ... stay turned for more news over the coming days.

Emmi certainly hasn't been lazy over these long 272 days we have waited to get her ready for this litter.  She's earned her CCD title in obedience, her HT title in herding, and her JD title in agility, had a hugely successful show year, and is significantly closer to that grand champion title.  Hopefully we'll be entering 2012 with another great achievement ..... the arrival of the Diamond litter!

Day One Hundred and Seventy Three - Great News!

We were finally off to Monash Veterinary Clinic today for Emmi's ultrasound.  This was the big one; to let us know if the treatment had worked and whether she could now come off her medication, so lots of toes and fingers were crossed.

The fantastic news is that we got the all clear!  Her uterus is now cyst free and looking as healthy as a young girl's :-).  So now all we need to do is wait for her to come into season again.

It is hard to know how long that will be.  It can be as early as two weeks and as long as nine months, although the average is about two months.  I'm hoping for the average so we can get through the Royal season and then prepare for the next big adventure - hopefully the pitter patter of Diamond feet!

Day One Hundred and Seventeen - An Achievement

Just a brief interlude to announce that Emmi successfully gained her CCD Obedience title today.  She earned her second pass just a fortnight ago, with 89 and a 4th place in ring, and then today earned her final required pass with 95 and 1st in ring, and promptly followed it up this afternoon with a bonus pass of 93 and another 1st in ring.

I'm very proud of my girl, who will now be known as Aus Ch Lumiturpa Emmi CCD (Imp Fnl).

Day Ninety Four - Stage Three Commences

Back to the vet again today - I'm starting to think I either need to move in there - or perhaps just hand over my credit card for permanent keeping! 

But the good news is, Emmi now has the all clear to move into stage three of her treatment.  So we are armed with the last of the medication she needs to go on - yes, I'll admit, my eyes did blink when I got the bill.  She will be on this for three months now, so it will be a while before the next update.  But this is the one that really counts, so I'm feeling like we're finally on the homeward bound.

Day Seventy Eight - Moseying Along

Life has been fairly busy lately, so I didn't get a chance to update after the second of Emmi's progesterone tests last week.  The good news is her levels were right down, which has us now at stage two of her treatment plan ... which is pretty much doing nothing! :-)

In three weeks time we'll be back at the vet to hopefully move into stage three.  But in the meantime we wait.  With Emmi's levels back down again I have been expecting her to bounce back out of her post-season hormonal slump, but she still seems in it a bit.  The last few days Louis has been determined she is coming back into season, which is frustrating the life out of me, because she is certainly showing no other signs, and I'll be in a complete panic if she does.  Of course, Louis is often a bit "screwy" with his thinking, and maybe it is just the antibiotics he is on at the moment messing with his mind!  One can hope!

Given this period of time before the litter, that I didn't plan for, we have been working at a few achievements for Emmi to rack up.  Over the last month she has achieved a Best in Group (Group 1 for USA/UK/European readers) in the conformation ring, as well as her first pass toward her CCD title (beginners obedience level) which was gained with a first place in her ring!

So given there are no puppy photos to share ..... I'll have to tide everyone over with an Emmi photos!  Here she is with her class winner ribbon from the obedience trial:

Day Fifty Six - Feeling the Frustration

The next of the "things not going as smoothly as planned" moments hit today!  Emmi finished the course of the first of her medication last week and we were off to our local vet for a blood draw for a progesterone test on Saturday.

When I got the phone message on Saturday night to tell me her levels, along with the "you had better ring us, because she's probably just peaked", aside from a giggle - because if Emmi is in season it sure is a surprise to my boys - I knew it wasn't what we were wanting. 

It wasn't until today that I was able to get the message through to Dr Mason.  Although the medication has lowered her levels, it hasn't been quite enough, so we're going to have to continue for a little longer.  Of course, I have no tablets left, so we were arranging express post deliveries today.

It's not the end of the world, but it is a bit frustrating not to have it all go perfectly!  Not that Emmi will mind.  She was loving her "special treats" each evening!

Day Twenty Eight - A Vet Visit

We were off to the vet tonight, for Emmi's post season check up.  Another ultrasound, much to her disgust, to see how things are looking now that her season has finished (although don't tell Louis she has finished - he REFUSES to believe it!).  Although, looking a little better, now that her uterus has contracted again, there were still the same signs.  The good news is there is no sign of any fluid build up, which would be occurring by now if she was developing pyometra.

We went away with the first of Emmi's medication, which she will start on in a little over a weeks time.  This will shorten her period of dietrus, and she will be on this for two weeks before having a progesterone test to ensure her levels are right down low.

Day Seven - Some Sad News

Well it wasn't the news I was expecting and hoping for today.  We went off for Emmi's first progesterone test and ultrasound this morning. The ultrasound was to double check that her uterus is all healthy before going ahead with the AI, particularly given she is a bit older, at almost six years of age.

Sadly, it showed that there is some thickening of the uterine wall and some cyst development, indications of a mild level of cystic endometrial hyperplasis, not unusual in older girls.  Although not remotely severe, Dr Mason believed we would be safest not going ahead this season, and risking the loss of a litter, given how precious Ressi's semen in.  Instead, he advised treating her, with the aim of getting her ready for her next season.

So sadly, there still won't be Emmi x Ressi babies for a little while to come, which has left me rather depressed today.  But as Dr Mason said, better to be a little disappointed now and still have a good chance than a lot disappointed in a couple of months time.

Once Emmi has completed her season this time around we will commence her treatment plan.  I did consider deleting this blog and starting again down the track, but in the end, I guess this is all part of the process.  So I will keep it going - although news won't be all that frequent for a while.

Day Six - The DNA Stuff

I remembered to order a DNA kit today so it is here in time for the insemination date.  Generally I have all of my dogs DNA profiled already, so it is not something I need to think about.  But with Ressi on the other side of the ocean, things are a little more complicated.

Luckily they will profile from an empty straw once the insemination has taken place, so the pups can all have their parentage checks done as per normal.  That's the kind of thing I am likely to remember after the fact, and be kicking myself over!  So I'm glad I remembered in time.

I wonder what our poor Australian Post staff members would think if they knew what they were carrying around in that envelope?! :-)

Day Five - Moved and Ready

I didn't post last night, because we were busy moving!  Trying to work out what we will all need for a three week period is quite the challenge - and my car was full to overflowing.

But Emmi, Louis and I are now settled in to my parent's place.  Kulta was very very happy with our arrival.  I think he thought I was bringing him an early birthday present!  Louis thought otherwise!  I haven't had the heart to tell them yet that they are both going to be disappointed.

The crates are all set up ready, but it is still too early to need to separate anyone when we are home to supervise.  After Kulta's initial excitement he has just settled in to his usual sleep ..... "wake me up when it is time."

As for Emmi, I think she has decided that she is already pregnant.  Either that or she thinks she needs some extra fat reserves.  She's always wanting food at the best of times, but there is certainly an edge at the moment.

Day Three - A Reprieve

Today was Emmi's last outing before the door closes on her extra-curricular activities, with us heading off to a dog show for the day.

Emmi wasn't entered.  If she had come in season on time, she would be peaking right around now, and I'm personally not to keen on showing my girls during their seasons at any other time other than the very beginning.  So she sat ringside while Louis and Taija went into the ring - with a rather dirty look directed my way when she realised they seemed to be getting more treats than her.  She made up for it later, though, hunting down any poor unfortunate who looked to have their hand in their pocket, and putting on her very special flirting language!

Louis was Best in Group today, so it was a pretty special day for us.  He seemed a bit distracted in the ring today, though, not his usual self.  And if the extra sniffing is anything to go by, Emmi is becoming more and more interesting each day.

Day Two - Getting Organised

I spoke to our reproduction vet today, to make Emmi's first appointment and to prepare both them and me.  We will be going in next Wednesday morning for what will be the first of a number of progesterone tests.  Emmi hates this bit, and so I don't think the next few weeks are going to be too good at convincing her that vets are nice places to visit!

Our repro vet is Dr Stuart Mason at Monash Veterinary Clinic, here in Melbourne.  I love how he is so calm and unflappable, and seems to find much to laugh at in my own anxieties!

Right now it is the lull before the storm.  Emmi traditionally doesn't have very "obvious" seasons, so if I hadn't been so observant the last couple of days, you wouldn't even know she was in.  Although her daughter Taija is visiting for the weekend, and where normally Emmi would have put her in her place within two seconds of her arrival, there was none of that tonight.  Perhaps she is feeling a little more mellow?

Day One - The Adventure Begins!

I thought I would start with the big announcement - EMMI IS IN SEASON! 



Ch Lumiturpa Emmi (Imp Fnl)



Of course, that is good news, and she only made me wait 10 days longer this time, rather than her usual 30.  But boy oh boy I am really not looking forward to the next three weeks.  I do hate it when she is in and we are juggling her and the boys.  Everyone is miserable (particularly the humans!), and the stress levels have us all reaching for the pain-killers on a frequent basis.



Last time was an exercise in bliss.  Between my parent's house and mine, we had the boys in one and Emmi in the other with Schatje for company.  No stress, no confinement!  With me thinking "Wow, this is what people who don't have males must experience when their girls are in! This is EASY!"

Not so this time around.  Emmi's repro vet is on the other side of town, and so over the next few days we will all move in with Mum and Dad for a couple of weeks.

Sorry Kulta!  Sorry Louis!  And there isn't even any fun in it for you this time.

Of course, the reason we need to be near her vet .......... is this time we are planning her last litter .......... and FINALLY Emmi x Ressi pups will hopefully be a reality.

This is potential Dad ......

Fin Ch & Fin Working Trial Ch Lecibsin Kultakuono

The handsome Ressi lives with Taina and Ari in Peikkovuoren Kennels in Finland.  I visited in 2007, enjoying a lovely few days and being very warmly welcomed .... and of course meeting Ressi in the flesh (which seemed to involve a fair bit of laughing at his antics!).  Frozen semen from him followed a little while later, and we have just been waiting for the right time.

So finally ..... those long ago plans start to become a little closer to reality.

Just to get through the next few weeks!