gestation for yorkies

Question
I awoke this morning to find my schizu stook inside of my yorkie.  We knew that she was in heat, and therefore need all of the info that we can get on gestation and birth.  Does she need any special attention, since she is so small?
I need all of the information that you can possibly give.
Thanks ahead of time.
Angelle Smith

Answer
Hi Angelle,

Be sure to be there when she has her puppies. It takes 63 days after the last breeding for the puppies to be ready for whelping. The birthing labor process will come in four stages:
1.  The first stage will last anywhere from 6 to 12 hours. She will clean herself by licking her vulva and become restless. She might try to nest by scratching around in her bed, or someplace in your house. It is best if you already have a place ready for her to have her pups. The "whelping box" should be lined flat with newspaper, along with shredded newspaper on top. Do NOT use towels or blankets as puppies can get wrapped up inside them and suffocate.  Newspaper will not only absorb any liquids, but can be changed easily.  She may not want to eat, and she will want to go outside more often to "go".  You might be able to feel contractions.
2 -She will begin to pant and the contractions will be closer together during the second stage of labor. She should be in her special box that you have made up for her by now. She will scratch around more now, her nesting behaviour in full swing.
3 - She should be actively in labor at this point trying to push the pups out. Don't be alarmed if she cries out, or seems to not want to lay still. Some dogs will lie down to have their pups while others will be quite restless. Make her stay in the whelping box, talk gently to her, encouraging her as she goes. Once she begins pushing, the pups should start coming pretty quickly. It is normal for puppies to come head first or breech. If she pushes for more than 20 min, and seems to be straining, call your Veterinarian. This is an emergency.
4. When she delivers her pups, they will be covered in the sac and the cord will be attached to the placenta. If she  does not attend to the puppy you will need to step in and clear the sac from the puppy and stimulate the puppy by rubbing it with a clean dry towel. Make sure you have a clean, dry towel on hand for each puppy born.A bulb syringe works well for clearing the puppies airway. If momma dog does not chew the cord herself you can use dental floss to tie the cord about one inch from the puppy and cut the cord yourself. Then give the puppy to mom so she can lick and continue stimulating the baby. If the mother dog wants to do all the above herself by all means let her. There can be a few minutes between the birth of each puppy or it is perfectly normal for an hour to go by in between. You only need to worry if she is actively PUSHING and/or STRAINING for longer than 20 minutes. It is extremely important for the life of the mother to be sure and call your Vet if this happens. More than likely, she will do fine, but there is always the chance that something could go wrong, and you need to be prepared. The closer it gets to her whelping date, you should talk to your Vet and ask about emergency situations so that you will know what to expect.
Be sure to take her to your Veterinarian the next day to insure that all puppies have been born and that the mama dog is doing ok.
Additional Information - It is normal for her to have a green or brown vaginal discharge for 6 - 8 weeks but if the discharge is bloody - bright red, call your veterinarian.
Your dog should continue eating a high quality puppy food so that she gets proper nutrients. She will need to eat more than her usual amount and more often throughout the day.  It is also a good idea to check her mammary glands for signs of infection and continue checking her temperature. If she begins to run a fever call your veterinarian immediately.
More than likely, "mother nature" will take over and you won't have to worry about anything. But it never hurts to be prepared.  Good luck!

Becky