need help on what to do when my yorkie delivers
 

i am new to all of this and i have my baby girl exspecting soon and ive been doing a lot of research on what to exspect when its time for her to whelp and my main concern is what if she dont know what to do and she doesnt cut the cord how do i do it i have read to use thread or a clamp but how long do i leave it clamped for or how do i do it i just want to be prepared for when this time comes can someone give me advise

Maybe someone can move your post to the breeders section so you can get more help from those "in the know".

You should find someone experienced with whelping small dogs to be there with you.

This is information you should have had before you bred her. What if you miss a sign off her being in distress and she dies and or the pups do too?

You have no idea what you are doing....you have no idea what to expect, you have no idea what to expect momma to do, you will not even know when you are in trouble. For the sake of the bitch and the babies she is carrying, please take her to a vet and leave her there until she delivers. SOMEONE that has a general idea on how to whelp a litter, or at least knows when it is a catastrophy unfolding right before their eyes, MUST be present with this unfortunate soul. Good luck to you, and I am praying for momma and her unborn litter. And AFTER they are born?????? I am SURE you are prepared for any events that can/will unfold for you. You know all about orphaned puppies and how to care for, feed, and raise them....mastitis in the momma????? Mom that turns on her litter and either kills them or eats them.....I feel some comfort knowing you are knowledgable about these issues as well as others that occur commonly and can effectively and successfully work thru them.

I received a pm from this poster. To keep things above board and transparent, I have copied and pasted her pm to me....she wrote below....
"***************
i dont need the negativity that u wrote me back all i asked for was help and good advice i didnt get her to breed it just happened i thought this was a forum for help not to put someome down i didnt ask for this to happen and now im dealing with it i just dont want to see anything happen to my baby girl i cant afford her to be boarded at a vet she is fine i just wanted to make sure everything i researched was rite but thanks for worrying me more than i already am"
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I was going to include my response to her in that pm, but it went and I cant see where to retrieve it....perhaps she will copy/paste it here for us all to see.

Unfortunately, you are in a swamp and you are up to your nose in gators and you need direction on what to do. You have cause to be concerned. I did not "put you down"....you need help and I hope you get it from someone that knows what they are doing. The TRUTH is, you may breeze thru this like "you know what thru a goose", but you just as easily could end up with a momma in crisis and loose the entire shooting match, momma and all the babies. And the vet/emergency hospital bills could easily be well over $2000.00. THAT is a truth. It would be MUCH cheaper for you to board her at a vet when the litter is due to be whelped.

Breeding yorkies is NOT fun and games, all warm and fuzzy...it is an ENORMOUS amount of work and a ton of worry and days/weeks of no sleep.......and that is even for those of us that have been doing it for many, many, many years and know exactly what we are doing. THAT is the truth of the situation you are in.

I am about to upset a few people here but I have to say what I feel. I know that every person on this board loves their dogs and wants nothing but the best for their furbabies and every one else's furbabies. When posts like this are made a lot of folks first thoughts are this could have and should have been prevented. But people come here for help, not to be told they made a mistake. They already know that or they would not be here asking for help. I read the responses on this board and I am amazed at the knowledge here. But when someone comes here and asks for help and what they receive is criticism, they are going to go away and all the good that can be done through YT is lost. PLEASE keep this in mind when responding to people asking for help. I know that the well being of our furbaby is always the # 1 priority of everyone here but we must be aware of how we dole out this help. After the collective knowledge of all the wonderful people here has helped someone get through a tough situation, then let them know how the situation may have been avoided. In a perfect world no one would need help, but YT is here because ours is not a perfect world.

One last word from my soap box. PM is short for PRIVATE message.

This is a really great message and I thank you for posting it. I always say, if you can't bring yourself to help the person - at least instead think of helping the dog behind that person...bc they desperately need help!

It's very difficult for members here, often, to hear of unplanned and unprepared-for pregnancies - we all understand this and many of us feel the frustration, on so many levels. But when a *dog* needs our help, we should try to help if we can - no matter how we feel about the situation...after all this is why YT is here.

It's fine to express your feelings, respectfully and kindly, about a situation you don't like -- we're not asking that you don't. But please do it with the goal of education and support at top of mind. If we instead alienate the person, then we fail that helpless innocent dog at the other end. That's not anyone's goal here.

To the OP - have you tried contacting your vet at all to see if they can help you with this specific question? If not, I do hope you get the information you need prior to this whelping so that this precious dog is safe and lives through it. Whelping can very easily become life and death for both the Momma and the puppies, so I'm quite scared for you due to your inexperience.

Please, do get her spayed asap after the whelping so that another "oops" pregnancy doesn't happen.

Breedings don't just happen I don't believe in accidental breeding but in very rare cases. She chose to have an unaltered female. I sure hope the female makes it through this and dosen't need a c-section which will cost a lot. It's also going to cost a lot to take care of the puppies for 12 weeks. I'm sorry if this sounds bad but she needs to be worried losing the female and even the puppies is a very real posibility especially when you have no idea what your doing.

I agree with this reply, and I'm sorry that the op sees it as negative. Yorkiemom1 happens to be a long time breeder and is much more aware of all the things that can go wrong. Yorkies aren't wild animals, they are much more likely to need help when whelping. I think even large breed dogs much be easier to whelp because a cesarean section seems so common with Yorkies, but you don't even know all the signs of distress. Is there anyway you can check with your vet to see if he knows of birthing coaches that could help you? I too wish you the best of luck, but breeding dogs is a lot like being a pilot of an airplane, 99% of the time the plane drives itself, a pilot is trained for all the possible emergencies!

Other people will read this post, people who read this post might even be thinking about breeding. In my opinion posts like this help the thread go to a different direction and cause bickering. The help this poster needs can not be given on the internet. They need to know the risks are extremly real and can be devastating. The best thing for her dog is to be with someone who knows what they are doing. Breeding is not just a simple thing it is a big deal and it is risky and dangerous especially if you don't know every little sign that could lead to complications and death. Giving birth is painful for humans who generally have one baby try doing that with three or four with absolutely no pain meds and no one able to talk your language and explain what is going on. This poster has said she dosen't have the money to take the dog to the vet which makes this even riskier and how is she going to afford puppies for 12 weeks? They have to have there dew claws removed at 3 days and tails docked which is not free and they will need two sets of shots again not free as well as wellness check ups for the pup and mom. What if she needs a c-section? Did the op get an X-ray to know how many pups there are because if she forgets a pup and the female dosent birth the pup she could get extremly sick. There is to much for this poster to learn in a few days this dog needs to be with a vet and that was the advise she was given. There is no other advise. This dog is in very real danger. The poster needs to know that.

What she needs to learn can't be learned on the internet and certainly not in a few days. She didn't realize the risks and she needed to know that and know this is a very serious thing. The only help that can be given unless one of our breeders lives near her is to take her to the vet and ask for help. In my opinion it is very risky for the op to do this on here own with just research from the internet.

In my OWN defense, I did not tell this person they made a mistake with the breeding of this dog. She asked for help and advice, and I gave her exactly what she asked for.......I strongly recommended she get hands on help....a crash course in breeding and whelping yorkies 101-999, on the internet, over several weeks, is NOT what this person needed to hear.

As far as the second bolded statement, I am totally befuddled why everyone seems to think when someone hears the truth, hears the facts of the situation they are in, just because they dont like the "tone" of the facts as given to them, they are going to flee and run to some obscure dark corner, head buried in their hands, and never seek help again!!! I have NO doubt there are many adults or even mature individuals out there that while they may not like the advice they are given, or do not like the facts as they are given to them, or do not like the "tone" of the delivery as it is given to them, they really do have enough intelligence and intestinal fortitude to get angry if they want, but then they will seek valid advice and help from other sources...say, A VET, or a VET TECH....anyone that can give them hands on guidance and help with what is about to transpire.

Whelping a litter is not like baking a cake....you can not sit there with a computer tuned onto a site, read step one, do what it says, read step two, do as it says, read step three, do what is said, etc, etc......you have to know what you are doing when you are delivering live animals....during the middle of the whelp, THAT is NOT the time to be learning what to do! You do NOT jump into deep water then realize you do not know how to swim!!! If those are facts and truths that mature people are not able to understand or benefit from, and hearing them drives them into a dark hole never seeking help again, perhaps their frame of reference is too shallow and they required hearing the truth so they COULD learn. I guess I give individuals more credit for accepting responsibility for their actions, and more credit on how they deal with and correct the situations they find themselves in.

Here is an idea for you....if you find you have let your pet get bred, and you know full well you have no idea what in the world you are doing, you have 60 days to learn!! Go to your vet and BEG them to let you watch a whelp...put an ad in the newspaper and beg someone that is about to have puppies, to allow you to watch....in the meantime, read good, valid books, articles, etc on whelping and what to expect before, during and AFTER the babies are born. Watch videos on whelping so you know what you are even LOOKING at.... Know how to rear orphaned puppies. Know how to deal with eclampsia in your momma so that she doesnt die while you are trying to figure out why she is stiff legged and trembling. Know about mastitis in your momma.....know about failure to thrive babies and what to do about it....have supplies on hand to deal with the situation IF it occurs.....dont wait until you are up to your neck in alligators before you decide to drain the swamp. Be prepared financially for emergency vet care...c-sections, sick pups, etc.....you can NOT sit and watch your momma die along with her litter, because you can not afford a $2500.00 emergency c-section in the middle of the night. THESE are all facts and truths....honest, precise, no sugar coating, maybe even brutal....but it is reality for breeders.....

The OP asked a question & I don't think it's been answered? Unless it was done via PM...

from the web: https://www.google.com/search?q=how+...YQ_AUoAA&dpr=1

videos: https://www.google.com/search?q=how+...+puppy&tbm=vid

Most experienced breeders cut & tie the umbilical cord themselves, it prevents umbilical hernias. Let the momma clean her puppies, but you need to assist her through the whole process. Don't let her eat more than 2 placentas, if she eats too much or all of them, she will get diarrhea. Know the distress signs & have a vet or emergency vet on speed dial.

Please read through this site if you haven't: Canine Reproduction Video and Book on Breeding and Whelping dogs by Debbie Jensen for dog breeders and Whelping Supplies needed to deliver puppies.

All the Best for a safe whelp!

Is there perhaps anyone nearby you who has experience in whelping a litter who could be of some help to you? Hopefully you have a vet already on standby in case of an emergency and maybe they could recommend someone who would be willing to help you through this. Has your momma been xrayed to make sure she can deliver safely? Sending prayers that all goes well for mom and puppies.

I hope that you got to Debbie Jensens site. But my best advice to you is get some dollars on hand to pay for what can and very may well go wrong - or be prepared to lose your pups and your dam.


Yorkies should not be allowed to chew the cord themselves. You need to do it for them.


I wish you your gal and those future pups much luck

I pray the best for your little girl as she becomes a mother. Good Luck!

Birth is a natural occurrence. Most dogs know exactly what to do when the time comes. Unless your dog is extremely small, most likely all you will need to do is sit back and make sure she is not in any distress. Yorkies are a small breed and they do not have all of the same difficulties some dogs with huge heads like bulldogs have during labor. Its best to give her space. If she is not cleaning the pups and properly severing the cords then you may need to step in or if there is a pup stuck halfway in. I have a lot of experience in whelping much larger dogs where you have to worry about the mom accidentally squishing the pups with their enormous weight but that is not as much of an issue with small breeds like yorkies. Just read up on emergency scenarios, know the signs of distress and know when to call the vet or make that trip but most likely tour dog will be fine. We treat out dogs like babies the the fact is they are animals with instincts that usually kick in when needed.

True, birthing is a natural occurrence, but consider, why over the centuries humans have migrated in a very large majority to birthing in hospitals or birthing facilities SAFETY! Yorkies are domesticated - they are not wild animals any more. They don't forage for food or learn defensive skills to,protect themselves any more.

I think all of the things that many here are trying to tell the OP is about that safety factor that we have built into our and our Yorkie baby's lives.

We all wish the OP and her baby the very best!

True, you must always prepare for the worst but for the most part dogs do not need to spend a few days in the maternity ward to give birth. Too much human interference can be catalyst for the mother to reject her pups or in extreme cases, eat them. I have heard of that happening many times when mother dogs become nervous because they don't feel safe. Also, a lot of mother dogs will straight up BITE YOU if you try to help with their newborns, no matter how sweet they have been towards you their whole lives. I learned that the hard way. its best to have your emergency numbers on hand, towels, antiseptic, gloves, surgical scissors etc. on hand and be ready to go.


The vet office is a stressful place for most dogs and then having them have to leave home give birth there with all the unfamiliar smells, and sounds, and other animals barking and coming in and out seems like it would be way too stressful for a dog, let alone a new mom. I think that option should be saved as an extreme emergency scenario.

This is not true. Yorkies are known to need help. Also if to many placentas are eaten it will cause diarrah. Sometimes the dogs are to small to even have the puppies and need a csection. Small dogs are a lot different then big dogs.

Some dogs of every breed need help, especially for the first birth, however, follow the dog's lead and know the signs of distress, otherwise its best to back off. just be prepared to take the dog to the animal hospital in an emergency and be sure to have an after hours back-up plan with an emergency 24hrs animal clinic if feasible(be warned, they are sometimes more expensive then your regular vet)


As far as the eating of the placentas goes, Dogs don't always deliver a placenta directly after every birth, sometimes thy deliver several all at once after the birth or two or three in globs sporadically so you may not be able to catch them in time. The dog may also bite you if you try to take them way. or the most part, the worse that will happen is diarrhea for a day or so after but in all honesty, Many females will develop loose tools before birth and keep them for a while after from cleaning up after the pups.


Good mothers generally clean up after the pups and keep the whelping area as clean as possible for about 3 weeks. Early on, pups have to be physically stimulated to do #'s 1&2, the mom will lick their tummies and nether regions to do that and eat what comes out.


***Also, hopefully you can catch the birth, from my experience, dogs tend to give birth in he wee hours for some reason. Its important that the moms temp is monitored regularly toward the end of the gestation, look for a temp drop to I think below 100 degrees, "nesting" (piling up clothes, hiding in closets, etc) an sometimes he will whine and be a bit clingy immediately before birth. The vulva will often swell ad there may b a discharge.****

Never heard from the breeders on here talk about the mother dogs biting them........ A person should not just sit back because the dog shoukd not be left to take care of the umbilical cords. It's also important to get weights of the pups.

Yes that can happen - mothers nipping their owners. Especially first time Moms and first time breeders.


The risk goes up if the breeder is too tense and nervous, and your dam is also highly strung.


All the Yorkie breeders I know do assist the dam with the whelping including cutting the cord.


For large dog breeders we usually have a whelping box with guard rails around the inside to help Mama not sit on pups - and then there is us too, who usually watch n assist to move a vulnerable pup out of the way of Mama.

Perhaps they have been lucky or did not choose to share that. Are you a breeder with experience? Do you have anything to add other then second-hand info. maybe you should just link this person to the "experts" that you know of and let them help her. I am trying to HELP the OP prepare herself for what MIGHT happen. I do not know her dog or it's temperament/training. She does not claim to be a "reputable breeder" with experience and she seems anxious and afraid. I never said she should leave the dog truly alone just watch her and see if she is doing what needs to be done, if not, then she should prepare herself to step in. She can weigh the pups after the mom finishes whelping. It is important to make sure that the weights are going up and not down.

Definitely, these pups are coming and this poor person does not need to be scared, this is the time to prepare and be calm, relaxed, and passing that energy on to the new momma. Most of my experience is with Rotties over a hundred pounds, the whelping box is a must and until the pups can really squirm and move away they need consistent monitoring to make sure they are not in a position to get squished and to make sure that all the pups are getting a fair share and supplementing the struggling pups if need be. That advice is good for all breeds though.


She just needs to be ready to assist and guide not transform into an emergency O.B.G.Y.N. if momma will let her clip and tie off the cords then she can do that with sterilized utensils of course, but if the mom objects to it and is actually doing it herself adequately, there is no need to force the issue. Sometimes you have to wait for that first bathroom/water/food break to take care of business and tidy up. Its all about keeping the pups safe and the momma happy and healthy.

And I think you are wrong. She needs to be hands on and cut umbilical cords and such.

There is a much higher risk of hernias if the breeder just let's the dog take care of it. Breeding is very serious so there is reason to be scared even more so when you don't know what your doing.

Hernias typically happen when the mom chews the cord too close to the belly and pulls too hard or sometimes they just happen naturally whether you cut the cord or not, there is a chance that the opening just will not close properly. If all goes well and the dog allows her to step in and clip the cord/tie it off, then there is no harm in doing so as long as she uses sterile supplies. I had a pup who had a naturally occurring hernia, it closed up on its own before the 4 month mark where we would have had to have surgery.


If she is unsure how to do it there are several options available, books, she can consult with an experienced breeder, or vet, and if all else fails, YouTube has amazing videos of births and great step by step tutorials on how to handle a lot of the problems that might arise safely.