feeding
 

Get two boxes..feed one and put it in the box and so on..you can use a magic marker and put a number on the belly....they are going to have to get a bit hungry to start eating well..they are waiting for mom's nipples to appear.
Onesies are a good idea. You might be able to nurse them during the day and let them stay with mom all night..but get up every two hours to check on mom. IF she starts shaking, panting..take her temp, then call the vet if the temp is up passed 102.
The bottle nipple hole needs to be big enough to make nursing easy, but not so big they will aspirate the milk. If they cry, they are hungry. Goats milk is ideal. Tube feeding is the best..but scares some..I refused to learn for so long, but it was easy to learn.
Eclamspia is so scary..I have had the experience twice in 30 years. I suppliment pups in a large litter from day one..no calcuim before whelping..some vets say that can make a bitch predisposed to it...you can't really give too much afterwards..I give Tums and lots of clacuim rich foods.
Keep us up to date...at about 3 weeks they can start to lap a milk and baby rice cereal mix off your fingers...also milk mixed with baby food beef or chicken..they will suck it off.

I had a un planned breeding and and had to bottle feed my 3 pups from birth, their mom had bad milk.....what I did was make something for her to wear that covered all her nipples b/c the milk would kill the babies. I let her see them and lick their body when I fed them......every 2 hours. She got use to seeing her babies on schedule quickly, better than just taking them away.....when I was finished she had to come out with me. One thing is you NEED Premie nipples.......not 0-3, premie, the only place I found them was Target. I almost lost the pups trying the other bottle ( pet ) and 0-3 nipple. I used this milk mix: 1 can of pet to 1 can of water, 1 egg, and 2 teaspoons of Karo. The vet said to use this, the puppies would like it better.......They wouldn't eat the milk that is sold in the stores for puppies, but they ate this mix. I kept bottles fixed for 2 days ahead, b/c it's a rough schedule. Where are you located, I had 2 wonderful people in different time zones that gave me wake up calls......I don't know what would have happened without them b/c after a few days of feeding I would sleep right through an alarm clock, but I would wake up for the phone.......so I set the clock and they called. I am in Louisiana if I can help with calls........If you feel you could use calls maybe everyone could post that is willing to call and their time zone. Good Luck!

Angie

Ok. I'm going to send my husband out for premie nipple and maybe goats milk. These the vet gave me are not even close to bitsy's nipples. I had to go get my son from school and just got back. Bitsy is panting again and I'm scared!! Do I use a baby thermometer and stick it in her rectum??? She's resting every time I sit down at my feet and the panting stops but when I walk somewhere ( I just now got a shower and am getting ready and back and fourth to my computer) then when she walks or sits up she pants. I just gave her another calcium pill from the vet. I'm going to try and get some milk in the pups again in a few minutes. The onesies are perfect. I cut a whole for her tail. I've got to get the hang of this so I can get a routine. Can she get breast engorgement??? Should I put ice packs on her teats?? I live in Charlotte, NC.

What is tube feeding??? I'll try and look it up on internet. My nerves are shot. Box is a good idea. sorry for typos and bad spelling. I hope I didn't miss anything. I feel so dumb!!!

Hi, I can't advise on Bitsy b/c My girl had something different it sounds like and she had to have a emergency C section anti bodics....

If you decide to use that milk mixture it's regular pet milk.
That mix is way cheaper as you have many feeding ahead of you and my puppies are 7 months old, healthy and happy. Tell your husband the nipples must say primie...they now come in stage 0 etc.... and 0 is not primie. It made ALL the difference. He can buy a 3 or 4 pack of the bottles with nipples for about 4 dollars. Tube feeding you can kill the puppies easy if you don't get the tube in the right place......I was too scared to try it. OH, 1 other thing I did when they would skip a feeding and not eat the next time is: I used a cow teat......Ask the vet or feed store for one, they are just plastic things that go on the end of a sringe.....about 2" long.....I would SLOWLY push a little milk in their mouth with that and let them swallow it....to the side of their mouth b/c if it gets in their lungs it will be very bad. I also kept one for enima's when they would not go poop by the third or fourth feeding and tummy was tight.......I had to use warm water mixed with a little dish soap....You try not to have to do that or feed like that, but you have to make sure they are eating and going to the bathroom. If it sound like milk is in their lungs....put their face between your fingers, tummy in your palm with your other hand hold the pup firmly so their head won't bob and swing the pup with its face towards the floor between your knees.......usually 2 swings and a couple pats were fine, just make sure the pup is secure before you
" sling" it.

Angie

I am so sorry to hear about your predicament. My yorkie had a litter last week and I keep a close eye on her. She seems to be doing well so far. She had 4 pups and they wear her out. I couldn't imagine having 6. I have used the Pet milk,egg,and syrup before;it works great and they do love it. Do you have a breeder close to you that might be able to help you with a surrogate mother? If she can hear the pups cry she will increase her risk of getting sicker. The onsies idea is great, maybe if she could see them it will help calm her. I live in East Tn, a few hours from you but if there is anything I can do please let me know.

Oh my....I am so sorry for what you are going through and I will keep this short so you can read the more informative posts from the breeders. I just wanted to let you know I will do what ever I can with phone calls or whatever. I am on the west coast.

Thanks you guys, I mean it from the bottom of my heart!!!! We just finished about thirty minutes ago feeding the pups again. I let Bitsy stay in there this time and she was more calm. She had on her onesie and I let her lick their privates and she was good about it. She seemed content to help. She couldn't stand it in the kitchen with the door shut because she could hear them crying. They are starting to be more eager to get milk from the bottles. We did use the premies this time. We are going to wiegh and tag them somehow before the next feeding. This has all come on so fast. Bitsy is still panting and I'm just now getting ready to take her temp...first time doing that.

ttreatsyorkie:::what do you mean if she hears the pups cry she will get sicker??? Do you mean Bitsy? I don't want to make her sicker! Do you mean it will stress her? She's already panting today. Hasn't gotten much rest either. The pups are quiet now. I'm going to take her temp and lay down with her. she's eaten well today! Still labored breathing though. Could she have a relapse this fast??? Her calcium level was normal they said this morning.

I feel sick about what you are going through and wish I could help! Gee...did this happen the night after you'd had them to the park? Here you had such a great day and then all this happened! I don't have any advise, but just wanted to let you know you're in my thoughts and prayers and I wish you lived closer and I'd love to help you! Best wishes...I will be watching for updates! I hope Bitsy is okay!!!

Michelle, I'm so sorry that this happened ... I think you are getting a handle on things and I'm sure after a few days it will get easier! Wish I lived closeby and could give you a hand! Could Bitsy be panting because of the stress instead of her illness? Toto rolls her tongue up to her nose and pants when she is stressed ... just a thought. We will be praying for Bitsy and her babies and for you that you will have the strength to see this through!

Aww, Michelle, I'm so sorry that you and your babies are going through this. I'm sorry that I have no wonderful words of wisdom for you - just my thoughts and prayers that things go as smoothly as they can for you. I'll be thinking of you and your babies and my girls send you all kisses

Yes I meant sicker by her stress. Unfortunetly her little body is very intune with her stress level, if it goes up it will take her longer to get better and it could even set her back. She might be panting because of a low grade fever which is common when they have eclampsia. Are her teets engorged? That will cause her some discomfort.If you can keep the pups away until she is showing signs of improvement that might be what is best. I know how hard it is to see any of them suffer. She can still be a good mommy just not right now. In a few days she might be back to herself and be up to having the puppies around, that will also give her milk time to start drying up. I myself had to take my pup to the vet for mastidis. I have done everything that I could to prevent it, it just wasn't enough for her. I hate hearing the babies cry too.

One more tid bit. IF she is doing better with them than that could work, but it is hard to detect how much stress they are under sometimes. Watch her breathing before she is with the pups and after and see if there is a difference. Once you take one temp you will be a pro. I added a little condensed milk to the puppy milk for mine and they took it a lot better than with out it.

I just wonder if you have a close relative or friend that might be willing to help out? That's a lot of puppies and I'm sure it would go smoother and you might feel better if you had some support, emotional and otherwise. You must be so stressed, I'm sorry you are going through this!

I think fingernail polish works well to keep them sorted, just a dab on the back of the ear in different colors.

You are going to be a puppy expert before you are through!

I know absolutely nothing about this, except that you have my prayers and hugs.

I'm so sorry to hear everything your going through. I can kind of relate. My puppy had parvo and I wasnt getting much help and reassurance from my boyfriend at the time. It's a hard feeling to want to help your puppies and know you can't do much....Only if they could talk! Listen.. I hope all goes well, and hope your puppies are healthy and back in no time. Update!

OMG, Angie is here. Her experience was the thing movies are made of. She probably can tell you a lot about bottle feeding. I am sorry your vet didn't take the time to teach you how to tube the babes so that you can do it and be comfortable doing it. It is very simple to do and the benefits outweigh the risks when you are dealing with so many babies. When you set up the two boxes, make sure you have a hot water bottle, heating pad OR a jar of warm water in with the babies. They cannot regulate their body temp and cold can stress them to the point of death. If you have either yarn or ribbon or both, tie a piece loosely around the neck AND start a form for the babies so you can have a system of weighing and feeding. I take pics of my newborns so there will be NO doubt about which is which..
Do you think your vet might know a patient who could help you out? I mean, someone whose toy breed has delivered only one puppy or has lost a litter and has no babies nursing. Maybe the vet could call that patient and give them your number so they could cotact you. Do you have another adult female? In my Yorkshire Terrier Magazine, there have been stories of females who have NEVER bred who were so anxious to be a mom that she developed milk and could feed a whole litter. That happened once when the mom died soon after delivery. These animals are nothing short of amazing!!
You will be in my prayers and those babies will have a lot of us pulling for them..

I am praying for you and all of your babies.I too am so thankful that the experianced breeders can help you through this ..
Do you have any help yet ??
I'm right at the North Carolina /Va. border..I dont know how far from you that is ??? ..but if I can help you maybe just a extra hand..I'm not a breeder , but I'd be will to assist, just please PM me.

I cant imagine what you are going through. no matter what, you and your yorkie mom & babies are in my thoughts &prayers.

Hey Whisper :>)! I just joined when I saw this post....I feel so bad for her, it's sooooo hard. I think I was on the couch about 4 months with Shuggie ( not knowing her date ) and then the puppies......my sleep habbits are still messed up 7 months later. I hope she can get help. Oh yea, we could make a movie " The Adventures of Shuggie " Remember, she went missing for night the day before I found out she had pyometra....CRAZY! TTYL

Angie

eclampsia
 

It is good to have a poster with a very resent experince. As I recall, if your girl is not nursing the pups, she will not relapse...then you must reduce her food and drink intake to dry her up. There is normal panting..so don't panic.
There reason I like goats milk is because it so digestable and rarely causes loose stools. Best wishes

update
 

First of all, I want to thank you all for your heart felt concern! I feel like you all are the only ones who understand what I am going though! I just saw all the new post. I didn't get much sleep last night. Forgive me if I sound a bit emotional. I put Bitsy with the pups (only 3 of them) yesterday for about 5 to ten minutes and she started panting really hard and her face was twitching and it looked like she was having a panic attack. I almost had a heart attack. Me and my husband have been trying our best to feed the pups. I'm scared they are getting milk in their lungs and/or maybe they aren't getting enough milk. One of them gagged and threw up this morning. They aren't latching onto the bottle. This morning we got up for a 4:30 AM feeding, and still the pups are having a hard time with taking the bottle nipple. Bitsy licks them really good (poop and pee) so at least we aren't worried about that but she is trying to take her pups from our hands and she cries. I think it may be too much stress for her like one of the posters said. Sorry I don't remember all your names. She couldn't sleep last night in our bed because of the noises the pups were making. She was panting and anxious so I called the ER vet and I took her temp. (for the first time ever) but it was normal. At least I crossed that hurdle. She is so good! She lets you do anything you want to her and she never moves or fusses. I love her soooooo much! She has such worry and concern in her eyes. I tried to sleep with her on the couch so she did get some sleep. Her teats were so large and swollen this morning. I took three of the pups and let them nurse and she seemed to get some relief. I didn't let them nurse long though. I love those pups so much, but I hope you all understand when I say that I am more afraid of losing her!!! This is only day two and I'm at my wits end. We are trying different things that have been suggested but I still feel like we're not doing something right. My husband is helping with the feedings but I don't think he really doesn't understands the seriousness of what is happening and what could happen. She is at my feet now trying to sleep but she's panting really fast and she follows me everywhere. I'm gonna take her temp again. The vet says if she gets a fever I need to bring her back in. She has been eating good still and taking her medicine good. You all are so sweet and thoughtful. I''m thankful for each and every post!!!!

Hi Michelle. Thanks for the update. Have you considered taking the puppies to your vet and getting him to show you how to tube feed them? I don't know anything about all this, but if they aren't eating well, I'd get him to take a look. Elizabeth

Oh My..poor Bitsy!! You will be in my prayers...hope there would be anything else i could help you with...:(

Bitsey
 

I know she is stressed and worried about her babies..but she will learn to trust you and see they are doing well. Taking the temp is your best bet and it is normal so far. You can put warm, wet compresses on her teats to help a bit..pups do not have to be filled to the brim each feeding to grow just fine. At 3 weeks you can make a mixture of milk and baby food meat, they will lick it off your fingers..that will keep them going..at 3 1/2 to 4 weeks they will be able to lap from a dish even if they can not stand well..use a saucer..but we will wait until the info is needed.
AND...people wonder why Yorkies are so expensive..!

Yes, someone actually just sent me a PM about the tube feeding. I had never even heard of it until a few posters here mentioned it. I'm looking into that today! I'll try anything!

tubing
 

Tubing sounds and looks scary the first time you see it..but it is the best way...you know what they get and it is so fast. Good Luck

I am so sorry to here about your dreadful situation. :( I hope and pray that everything will be alright.

I am holding on until that 3 weeks old gets here. It will be this Friday! Thank you Yorkierose! The thought and sound of tube feeding does scare me but I'm going to look into it! I'm having to wait until this afternoon though because when I got in the car to take my son to school this morning the key wouldn't turn. I'm having it replaced now to the tune of 325 dollars. Boy, when it rains....it pours! :(

i've been reading this post but tried to stay out of them way so you could read the info form the breeders but i thought i would add my two cents and maybe help ease your mind. my lhasa pants ALOT when her arthritis is acting up and when she get nervous/stressed so maybe she's only panting b/c of the stress and b/c her teats or sore. i know i'm not much help but i wanted to try. i hope things start getting better for you and easier. you will all be in my prayers.

My pups wouldn't take to the bottle to well at first. Now they do great. It is hard to explain how I do it but I will try. I place the bottle(I use regular size bottles with preemie nipples) in my hand and I put their little paws on the pinky side that way they have a place to push. with the other hand i craddle their body in a standing position, I place my thumb and forefinger on the side of their mussle to hold it on the nipple. Sometimes ther are very hard to get started, but then they suck a few times and they do okay. I had to put in a tiny bit of condensed milk withthe formula before they would even drink. I guess they like it to be better tasting. If there is anything at all I can do please let me know. Good luck with the tubing.

Aww, I\'m sorry to hear about your car Michelle. That\'s awful, bad things seem to happen in bunches. Know we are all here for you and I am so thankful that our experienced breeders are able to help you out a little with this. Again, you are in my prayers.