When it comes to labor process of teacup yorkie; by the eighth week of pregnancy you should start preparing yourself and your dog for the whelping. This is the time when you should set up a whelping box where your female dog can comfortably give birth to her puppies. Labor process of teacup yorkie requires placing a box in a quiet, dim area and line it with newspapers and old towels for comfort. The closer it gets to the whelping, the more time your dog will spend in the whelping box, preparing it for her litter. In this article, you’ll learn more about labor process of teacup yorkie.
Teacup Yorkie Pregnancy
During the last week of your Teacup Yorkie’s pregnancy; you should start taking her internal temperature at least once per day; this is the greatest indicator of impending labor. The normal body temperature for a dog is about 100°F to 102°F (37.7°C to 38.8°C). When your dog’s body temperature drops, you can expect contractions to begin within 24 hours or so. Prior to labor, your dog’s body temperature may drop as low as 98°F (36.6°C); if it gets any lower, contact your veterinarian.
Once your Teacup Yorkie starts going into labor, you can expect her to show some obvious signs of discomfort. Your dog might start pacing restlessly, panting, and switching positions. The early stages of labor can often last for several hours and contractions may occur as often as 10 minutes apart. If your Teacup Yorkie has contractions for more than 2 hours without any of the puppies being born; contact your veterinarian immediately. Once your dog starts giving birth; the puppies will arrive about every thirty minutes following ten to thirty minutes of straining.
Teacup Yorkie Litter
After each puppy is born, the Teacup Yorkie will lick the puppy clean; it may even eat the umbilical cord because it is animal instinct. This also helps to stimulate the puppy to start breathing on his own. Once all of the puppies have been born; the mother will expel the rest of the placenta (the afterbirth) and then let the puppies start nursing. It is essential that the puppies begin nursing within one hour of being born because this is when they will receive the colostrum from the mother. Colostrum is the first milk produced; and it contains a variety of nutrients as well as antibodies to protect the pups until their own immune systems have time to develop. In addition to making sure that the puppies are feeding; you should also make sure that the mother eats soon after whelping.
Teacup Yorkie puppies are small in size; these puppies are also born blind, with their eyes and ears closed, so they are completely dependent on the mother for several weeks. Around 3rd week, the puppies will open their eyes and their ears will become erect sometime after. As the puppies grow; they will start to become increasingly active and the will grow very quickly as long as they are properly fed by the mother.
At six weeks of age is the time you should begin weaning the puppies by offering them small amounts of puppy food soaked in water or broth. The puppies might sample small bits of solid food even while they are still nursing and the mother will general wean the puppies by week 8; with or without your help. If you plan to sell the puppies, be sure not to send them home unless they are fully weaned at least 8 weeks old. You should also take steps to start socializing the puppies from an early age to make sure they turn into well-adjusted adults.
Author and long-time animal lover. Sharing knowledge on pet care through experience and the written word. 