It’s not unusual for us to hear about dogs giving birth to more than one pup. But a dog giving birth to 21 puppies in one delivery is definitely unique!
One mama dog in Australia did just that and broke the current record in the said country. This amazing mom is a Neapolitan mastiff named Shadow and on April 20, she broke the record of the highest number of puppies given birth to in a single delivery. The current record is 19.
Usually, dogs give birth to around six to 10 puppies, but Shadow is definitely not your usual dog. With 21 little doggies to be delivered, Shadow had to undergo an emergency C-section delivery to bring her furry babies into the world.
Before Shadow got to the veterinarian, she has already given birth to three of her pups at home. With four hours already passed and no more pups coming out, Shadow’s owner decided to bring her to the hospital. Unfortunately, one puppy died before Shadow reached the hospital.
When she arrived at Underwood Hospital, the doctors on duty immediately did scans and tests to ensure the dog’s safety, and if there were still more puppies on the way.
“We took radiographs straight after Shadow’s arrival to see if any more puppies were on the way and made the amazing discovery of 10 plus puppies inside,” Dr. Patrycja Zimmermann said in the post. “We quickly checked the fetal heartbeats, and were praying for the best outcome for her.”
All in all, 10 vets were needed to assist in the dog’s C-section. They helped to deliver a total of 21 puppies. Sadly, three of the pups did not survive, leaving Shadow with 18 alive pups.
Animal Emergency Service shared an adorable video of the puppies who were sleeping next to each other inside cardboard boxes right after birth. The tiny, adorable mastiffs are the cutest things ever!
As a breed, Neapolitan mastiffs or Mastino Napoletano are widely considered to be guard dogs. Their massive built accompanied by strength makes them perfect protective companions.
Neapolitan mastiffs originally come from Italy and are easily recognized because of their very loose skin that falls in large wrinkles, especially in the facial area. They weigh around 60 to 70 kilograms and stand at about two to three feet, making them bigger than most dog breeds we know.
In Australia, two dogs used to have the highest number of pups given birth until Shadow snatched the title. Melody, the Dalmatian in Albury, and Minnie, the American bulldog, had litters of 19 pups.
In terms of the Guinness world record holder for the said category, the holder is actually another Neapolitan mastiff named Tia who gave birth to 24 puppies in 2004.
Female Neapolitan mastiffs are quite large in size and are almost as big as the males of their species, which is probably why it is not so surprising that record holders for the most litters of puppies are from this breed. They are certainly capable of bearing a lot of tiny mastiffs because of their physical attributes.
Sizes and breeds aside, female dogs can be easily aggravated after giving birth. They are overly protective and very sensitive to their puppy’s needs and may not be as friendly during this time.
Shadow must have gone through a lot and we are certainly glad that this super mom is happily recovering at home with her furry bundles of joy.
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