It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the Yorkie whelping stages so that you can anticipate how labor is progressing. You will then be able to give your dog the appropriate care during each stage of labor and delivery.
What is Whelping?
Whelping is the term we use for the process of a dog giving birth. It is used much the same way we use labor and delivery for the birth of a human baby.
Know the Signs
As the time for whelping draws closer you will want to start looking for signs of whelping in your Yorkshire Terrier.
As you wait for her time to come, make sure that you have all her whelping supplies ready. It is also a good time to familiarize yourself on all the Yorkie whelping stages so that you can remain calm during whelping. This will also help you to pick up on any problems early on.
If you have not introduced your dog to her whelping box, you should do this now. Help her to become comfortable in her new nest and let her claim it as her own. This will help her to relax when the time for whelping begins.
The Starting Bell: Temperature Drop
The best indicator that whelping is going to happen soon is a drop in temperature. It is a concrete measurable indicator that puppies should be born within 24 hours. The Yorkie whelping stages have begun.
So that you don’t miss this indicator, you should check your Yorkie’s temperature 2 times every day as she nears her estimated whelping date.
A Yorkshire Terrier’s temperature is usually between 101 and 102 Fahrenheit. When her temperature drops below 100 Fahrenheit, her puppies should come in 24 hours.
You have a dog that is entering the first stage of labor.
If your Yorkie is not yet in her whelping box, you should place her in there now.
Yorkie Whelping Stages of Labor and Delivery
Stage One of Whelping: Pre-Labor
What is Going On
During this stage of whelping the dog’s cervix is dilating. The opening is getting larger until it becomes large enough for a puppy to pass through.
Support
This process can be extremely uncomfortable for your dog. Make sure she is in a quiet, safe, warm place and allow her the freedom to work through it and find a comfortable space on her own. Don’t force her to lie down, move around, or eat. Let her do what feels best for her.
Once the cervix is completely dilated, your Yorkie will enter the second stage of whelping.
Timing
Pre-labor can last anywhere from 4-24 hours. If you have not seen any puppies come 24 hours after her temperature drop, you should call the vet.
Location
After you have noticed a drop in your Yorkie’s temperature, labor is starting.
You should place her in her whelping box or area and help make she is as comfortable as possible.
Behavior
Restlessness
During this time or pre-labor, no matter how hard you try to make her comfortable, she probably won’t look or be comfortable. She may be restless and want to pace. She may keep changing positions to try to get comfortable.
Nesting
The term nesting covers a whole range of behaviors. She may hide, trying to find a den-like place in which to have her puppies. She may dig or paw at the ground or her bed, again trying to find or make a comfortable place for her little ones. If you have soft bedding she may tear at it and shred it in an attempt to create a soft, comfortable, and welcoming bed. Another aspect of nesting that is sometimes overlooked is grooming. She may groom herself in preparation for delivery. Instinct is telling her to get her and her home ready for the new arrivals.
Refusal of Food
Understandably, because of all the changes going on in her body, your Yorkie will not be interested in eating as she goes into labor. She has other more pressing things on her mind.
Transition
Although you won’t be checking for it, the first stage of whelping ends when your Yorkie’s cervix has dilated completely. The pathway is now open and it’s time for the puppies to start coming.
Stage Two of Whelping: Active Labor
What’s Going On
This is the stage of labor where the little puppies pass through the birth canal and enter the world. The stage ends when a puppy is delivered. Your Yorkie will go into this stage 2 of active labor for each puppy. She will continue to go in and out of active labor until all the puppies are born.
Support
Your job through active labor and the whole delivery process is to be her rock. If you stay calm, you will help your mama to be calm. You should let her do what her body and instincts are designed to do.
It is best for your mama Yorkie to do the work of caring for her puppies so they can bond properly. Only step in to intervene when it is necessary to do so.
Some breeders like to have a whelping box that is layered with a lot of bedding. After each puppy is born, they pull away the top soiled layer, leaving the clean bedding underneath. By doing this, they can easily maintain a clean environment.
Timing
Once your Yorkie starts to have strong contractions, you should have a puppy within 2 hours. The timing of active labor in-between puppies can be extremely quick or as long as 2 hours. Call a vet if your mama has been having strong contractions for 2 hours, but has not delivered any puppies during that time.
The total time of active labor will obviously vary with the size of the litter since she will go in and out of active labor for each puppy. For timing, simply keep track of the amount of time between puppies.
After Delivery
Amniotic Sac
As active labor progresses you will start to see a dark bubble appear. This bubble is the amniotic sac. Sometimes this bubble will burst during delivery; however, if given the option, do not break the bubble until the puppy is delivered.
After the sac is fully delivered, your Yorkshire Terrier should break the sac open on her own. It is best for her to do this herself.
Support
The amniotic sac should be opened immediately after delivery. If your Yorkie does not break it open, you should do this gently with your fingers.
Cleaning
Next, mama should clean her newborn pup. She should clean and dry off her puppy. This will open the puppies airways, stimulate breathing, and help keep the puppy warm.
Support
If she doesn’t clean the puppy or doesn’t do a thorough job, it’s up to you to clean the pup. You should pay special attention to the little one’s airways: the openings at the nose and mouth. Use a bulb syringe to suction them out if needed.
Make sure to clean the puppy well and rub it down gently, but firmly and with “vigor.” This will help to get any fluid out of the puppy’s lungs. Continue with your rubbing until you hear the puppy’s welcome cry, indicating that air has entered in and out of the lungs. He should be breathing fine now.
Umbilical Cord
Your mama Yorkie will cut the umbilical cord with her teeth.
Support
If she doesn’t, use thread to tie off the cord about an inch from the puppies body, then using sharp scissors, cut off the cord beside the thread on the placenta side – the side away from the puppy.
Nursing
The puppy should be making its way over to mama’s belly to nurse.
Support
If the puppy doesn’t get over to mama’s belly to nurse, feel free to intervene. Place him gently beside mama’s teats and he should be able to figure out what to do next.
As your litter grows, keep an eye on the puppies to make sure each is nursing and none are being pushed away or getting stuck under mom. Make sure each puppy gets enough. It is important that each puppy regularly gets enough to eat. Because of a Yorkshire Terrier puppy’s small size, they can develop hypoglycemia quickly if they do not receive adequate nutrition.
The Half-time Show
It is not unusual for mom to take a longer break from delivering pups when she is about halfway through delivering all of them. A break of even 4 hours is not unheard of and perfectly normal at the halfway point. During this break time, she will not be straining. If she is straining, do not wait 4 hours for the next puppy to arrive.
Special Notes
This pattern of care will continue for all pups until they all have been delivered. As we’ll see in the next stage of whelping, it is important to count placentas as they come out to ensure that none remain inside mom.
Stage Three of Whelping: Placenta
What’s Going On
The placenta is delivered during stage three of labor. The placenta can be delivered immediately after a puppy is born. If there are more puppies to be born, the mama will then go back into Stage Two again to deliver another puppy. Sometimes a mama will deliver several puppies in a row without delivering a placenta. If this is the case their placentas will also be delivered in a group as well.
Support
It is important to keep track of and count placentas to make sure they all come out because placentas don’t always come out immediately following a puppy. For your final count, you should have the same number of placentas as you have puppies. Keep a careful count and beware that sometimes mama might eat one or more (which is perfectly normal) and that can throw off your count. However, a careful count is important, because a placenta that has not been delivered can cause mama to become very sick.
Timing
The placenta will be delivered after a puppy is born. You can expect it about 5-15 minutes after a puppy is born. There is not always a neat pattern of puppy delivery and then placenta delivery and back to puppy. Sometimes several puppies are born at once followed by several placentas.
Postpartum
Your New Yorkie Mom
After all the labor and delivery is over, mama will become relaxed. The hard work is over…but in other ways it has just begun.
Your mama may want to eat any of the tissues that were delivered (placenta, umbilical cords, amniotic sac). This is totally acceptable and, in fact, they contain important nutrients that will help her. Nonetheless, don’t force her to eat them if she is not interested. Also, if she eats too much, she may get an upset stomach. Some breeders like to limit their dog to 1 or 2 placentas.
You can expect her to continue to have more bloody discharge over the next several days. The color of the discharge should be in the red family: pink, red, or darkish reddy brown. It should never be green or black. As the days pass, the discharge will lessen and go away.
Support
Reward your hard working mom with some quality food that she enjoys and offer her a drink.
Go ahead and take your mama out for a quick potty break.
Clean the whelping box and make sure she has fresh bedding. Be sure to keep the area clean to help keep your mama and babies healthy.
It is a good idea to take your dogs to the vet within 3 days to make sure everything is going well. The vet may decide to give your mama a shot to help her uterus go back to its normal size. He may also administer an antibiotic if he is worried about infection.
These are the Yorkie whelping stages you should be prepared for.
Congrats! You made it through whelping! It is a wondrous miracle to behold each and every time. It never gets old. Enjoy your new litter!
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