Detecting pregnancy in my yorkie

Question
QUESTION: My yorkie was bred 3 weeks ago and I am wondering what signs I should be looking for to determine if she is pregnant? Aside from xrays is there ssomething I can do myself to check? Thanks!

ANSWER: Andrea,

The only thing you can do is keep an eye on her pee pee.  When they go into heat it swells and after the heat it goes back down to a normal size.  If they are pregnant it will stay swollen.  I know it is hard but you will have to wait until she starts putting on some weight before you know.  You can take her to the vet and he can examine her (they can actually feel if they are pregnant) abdomen but even this is not tried and true.  I don't believe they would take x-rays because just like humans they are probably not good for the puppies.

There are a lot of factors in play that determine if a female gets pregnant.  The potency of the father, how many time you breed her ( like three time during the time they are in heat).  Also, were they "tied" together and if so for how long each time?  Was the knot on the inside or outside of her vagina?  Did they do it on their own or did you have to help?  Was the male a proven stud?  The age of your female is also important and how big she is verses the male.  If you would like to answer the questions I have I will be happy to expand my answer.  Also, I wanted to know if you have experience breeding or is this your first litter of Yorkies?  There is a big difference between Yorkies having puppies and other dogs.  I hope this helps.

Melinda

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I saw that they tied 2 times, both times I helped. The first tie lasted about 12 minutes, the second tie the next day was 7 minutes. The knot was not visible to me so I assume it was inside the vagina. My female is 2 years old, she is about 5lbs the male is 2 1/2lbs and 4 years old and a proven stud. This will be my first litter of Yorkies.

Answer
As long as your female was in the correct range of her heat you should be fine.  They usually will not let the male get them if they are not ready.  The fact they they were tied twice  is a good sign.  I know it is hard to wait but sometimes that's just the way it is.  A 5LB female and a 2 1/2 pound male is a perfect combination.  Be aware that Yorkies often need help when they are having their puppies.  Having to have a c-section is also a possibility.  You should be able to reach your vet at any time of the day or night.  When mine would go into labor and have problems it was always on a Sunday in the middle of the night!  You will need to know all of the warning signs of problems, how to help if needed, how to tie and cut the cord etc.  If you have no other resources please feel free to contact me again and I will pass on what I know.  Good luck and I hope you have a good experience.

Melinda