Nutrition is a key element in determining the supply of milk a dog produces after having puppies. Carried a step further, the amount of milk is key to the health of the puppies. The best way to raise healthy puppies is to provide good nutrition to their mom.
Pre-natal Nutrition
The nutritional needs of the female dog increase before the puppies are born. According to the American Kennel Club, female dogs' nutritional needs remain about the same as normal for the first five weeks of the nine-week gestation period. After that, the nutritional needs increase by 10 percent per week for the rest of the pregnancy, so feed progressively more to your dog in the last four weeks of pregnancy.
Immediately Before and After Birth
Many dogs will stop eating about 12 hours before giving birth. It is important to feed the dog high-protein foods as soon as possible after the birth.
Some dogs will refuse to leave the puppies even to eat in the first hours after birth. The AKC says that many dog breeders use highly tempting foods like ice cream, condensed milk or eggs to tempt the dog to eat.
Weeks After Giving Birth
During the first three weeks after birth, a mother dog's nutritional needs can increase quickly to a level four times the pre-pregnancy nutritional level. A general rule of thumb is that the nutritional needs of the lactating dog will increase by 25 percent above its normal food needs per puppy it is nursing. If the dog is given free choice of dog food and is losing weight, the food it is being fed is not of high enough quality or caloric content.
The AKC recommends the highest protein- and energy-content dog food possible during the last weeks of the pregnancy and the period the dog is nursing her puppies. In many cases this requirement can be met by feeding puppy dog food to the lactating female.
For dogs that continue to lose weight, a supplement of one tablespoon of high-fat material per cup of dog food can be added. Some of the best high-fat supplements are lard, grease or vegetable oil.
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