What Should I Feed My Pregnant Dog?

Awaiting the birth of new pups is such an exciting time. Both the dog and you are thrilled with the news. When your dog is pregnant, you should be extra careful with its diet. Maintaining a healthy diet is the key to proper development. There are certain specific needs at each level of the pregnancy. You should consult with the vet and take care of the diet.

What to Feed Your Pregnant Dog Each Week?

1. In the First Stages of Pregnancy

Here, you first come to know about the pregnancy. The early stages are so important for the fetus’s development. Further, only the mother’s digestive tracks put the embryo in the required place. During the gestation period, you should keep the mother away from any kinds of chemicals or toxins.

The mother will require a healthy and balanced diet for the proper development of the embryo. Provide her with high-quality foods and protein-rich foods.

2. At Different Pregnancy Stages

The last stages are when the puppies will develop full term. All the organs are developed by then. Also, they are preparing themselves to strive outside the womb. With the pups growing quickly, the mother will be requiring more nutrients. Eating at this point can be uncomfortable for the mother.

Don’t put many calories in their diets. Put your dogs in invisible dog fence while feeding them. Your dog might not like nutrient-rich foods much. The foods should have at least 29% of proteins, 17% of fat, and soluble carbohydrates.

Underfeeding or poor-quality foods can harm both the mother and the baby. The mother can suffer from prenatal discomfort as well. With birth nearing, you will want to provide lactation diets to your dogs.

How Much to Feed the Mother on Arrival of the Pups?

After the birth of the pups, the mother will require a high nutritional diet. Additionally, the food will depend on her pups as well. The medium-sized dogs produce about 6 to 8 puppies. The lactation diet provides additional vitamins and minerals. It all depends on the portion size. With the number of puppies, they will want higher portions too.

The puppies will be ready for actual food within 4 weeks of their birth. At this point, you can gradually decrease your food intake. When the dog is nursing her puppies, she needs the most nutrition. The dog will be producing milk more than her body weight. By the time the puppies are 6 weeks of age, they will need more milk.

Don’t Forget the Nutrition in Case of Breeding

Breeding should be allowed only in healthy pups. Underweight or overweight conditions impact the mother’s pregnancy too. The breeding condition starts with a healthy body. With the loss of weight, there might be infertility also.

Offer lots of meat to pregnant dogs. Meat has the required amino acids needed in its body. Along with meat, provide them with veggies as well. Raw meats are the best kind of meats you can give to dogs.

Conclusion

You should be careful with what you feed pregnant foods. Your feeding decides whether you will get healthy pups or not. Good nutrition is the only way to have a healthy life and metabolism too.