If you’re planning to breed your female dog, it’s important to assess her body condition well in advance of breeding. Because of the physical demands of pregnancy and nursing, starting off with less-than-ideal health can cause problems.
An underweight dog often has difficulty consuming enough food to support her and her developing puppies’ nutritional needs. Overweight dogs might experience abnormal or difficult labour because of large fetuses.
Be sure to feed your dog the proper amounts of a complete and balanced diet. This will support the mother’s healthy weight and body condition before breeding, and help support both her and her babies throughout pregnancy and lactation.
Pregnancy
The gestation period for dogs is nine weeks. Pregnant dogs gain weight slowly until about the sixth week, and then gain weight rapidly.
The energy requirements of pregnant dogs are reflected in the pattern of weight gain. Pregnant dogs will need to consume 25 percent to 50 percent more than their normal food intake by the end of pregnancy, but energy requirements do not increase until about the sixth week.
Nursing
Pregnant dogs lose weight after giving birth, but their nutritional needs increase dramatically. Energy needs can be two to three times their normal food requirement — depending on litter size — to produce the milk to nourish the pups. Be sure your nursing mom has plenty of water so she can generate the milk volume she needs to feed the litter.
To help your nursing dog get enough nutrition, feed a nutrient-dense diet, such as puppy food. Without increasing the amount of food offered at a meal, increase the number of meals throughout the day. Offer unlimited access to dry food.
Weaning
By five weeks after birth, most puppies show an interest in their mother’s food. Gradually, the puppies will begin eating more solid food and nursing less. At the same time, the nursing mother usually will begin eating less. Most puppies are completely weaned around eight weeks after birth. By this time, the mother’s energy requirement is back to normal, and she should be eating her normal pre-pregnancy diet.
