Porsche is going to be a first time mom. She is four years old and weighed about 4.5 lbs before pregnancy. Do you have any tips for now or for when whelping day arrives. She is due Jan. 14th. Needless to say I am very nervous since I've never assisted a whelping before. Help!

I would have the vet x-ray her about 5 days before delivery date to see if she can pass the puppies or make an appointment for a c-section. 4.5 lbs is a little too small to breed and she may have some problems. That way you will know how many she will have also. good luck!!!

good advice, also an ultrasound shows if all are alive. i like to do both, the xrays show how many and if mum can pass them, the ultra sound shows heartbeats..
good luck and keep us posted on this thread. pooh's mum

new pups
 

hi! roxie is expecting pups mid january! here is some of the advice given to me as a "new mom":

go for x-rays right before due date- estimate how many pups there are so you know when mom is done whelping.

assist mom with pup cleaning if needed - some moms do it all, but others that are struggling may need help. Have warm water, wash cloths, digital scale, unwaxed dental floss (to tie umbilical cord) handy.

do not let mom nurse until all pups are out. She may start closing up if she nurses too soon.

have vet's number handy in case of emergency.

visit vet next day for cleanup shot for mom and tail docking for pups. Some also like to remove dewclaws at this time. Doing any surgery later costs more.

Send any other advice my way - we are sharing the same "new mom experience" - all help is welcome!

How old was your yorkie when you bred her? Did you have her xrayed? I'm just wondering?

Thank you so much for all your help. Everyone has been very supportive. I only ask these questions because my DH is griping about the expense. I want to have her x-rayed next week. I have to present some good arguments in favor of this.

Thanks again...:D

Someone posted not to allow the mother to nurse the pups while she is in whelp.
Actually the puppies nursing will help her to contract.
Which is a good thing.
One great thing to have on hand is Calsorb, I use it only after she has delivered at least one pup. It will help to give her stronger contractions because they do tend to be weaker as time goes by.
They say the Calsorb doesnt taste good and some dogs will vomit after having it so alot of people mix it with nutrical or pudding etc.
I have not yet had one to vomit from it.

Deana
Prestigeous Yorkies

Thanks
 

I'm glad you said something. I had read to let the puppies nurse ASAP to help with contractions. Thanks for the clarification!

Deana, I saw that too and was going to post differently. I am glad you said something. I have also found out through experience that letting the pups nurse too as soon as possible also allows the pups to clear their throats. This is a good thing.
T.

nursing while whelping
 

Thank you for the updated advice! Some people give wrong advice, and I do not want to risk the health of my girl or her pups! Let me know where I can purchase Calsorb quickly - she is due in a few days! Monday we go for x-rays.
She is about 5 1/2 # now - I'm worried she hasn't gained enough weight. What is the avg. weight gain for a 5# yorkie during gestation? Does it depend on sire size, or just number of pups? I may have her fixed after, just in case.
I don't want to lose my girl!

Roxie and Sasha's mommy

http://www.revivalanimal.com/store/p/1889-Calsorb.aspx

Some gain more than others and depending on the number of pups etc.
Some will loose a lil bit in the beginning of the pregnancy so you also have to take that into consideration.
You don't want them getting too fat either that can be a risk of big pups causing for a hard delivery.
Let us know how she does.
Deana
Prestigeous Yorkies

I am discouraged that I need to quote myself again on WHY this section is here. If you have personal agendas or vendetta's against people this is NOT the place to make those public.

I WAS TOLD BY MY BREEDER THAT IT IS ACTUALLY HEALTHY FOR THE BITCHES TO HAVE A LITTER IN THE FIRST SEASON.. AND TO LET THEM BREED EVRY TIME.. IS THERE NEW INFORMATION OUT THERE ABOUT THIS SUBJECT. BECAUSE THE OLD SCHOOL WAYS SAY WAIT FOR 2 YEARS AND THEN LET THEM REST BETWEEN LITTERS AND NOT BREED EVERY TIME.. WHO KNOWS THE ANSWER????

I was told by numerous vets and breeders that it is always a good idea to skip the first heat cylce and breed and the second. the reason is because during the first cycle the femal is too imature. So during the second heat cycle she'll be more emotionally prepared. with my female i skip one clycle then breed her the next. So she only gets pregnant once a year! Hope this helps!:)

i agree with that advice.. :aimeeyork

I do not believe that your breeder gave you the approval to mate on first heat. I think you are saying that to create controversy.

breeding father to daughter
 

At one time this was a perfect breeding to do if all was well but today with livershunt being so bad in the yorkie breed I would never line breed any yorkie....if you breed please be sure to bile acid test the adults to be sure they do not have livershunt and also have the trachea and stifles checked as these things can also be passed on ......if breeders were more careful in their breeding practices then some of these health risk would not be happening.......I am not talking about any one breeder in particular but why bring sick puppies into this world......life is hard enough ........I must stress that bile acid testing the breeding stock will only tell you they do not have livershunt but it will not tell you if they are carriers.......in my opinion breed two yorkies unrelated and possibly you can avoid livershunt but not all thinks are in stone...........whelping yorkie puppies is a hard thing and not kowning what you are doing could cause you to lose your pups and your momma dog......but we all need to learn......please feel free to ask questions and if i can help at all I will greatly steer you in the right direction....
Gloria

Good Article
 

good article

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