What Diet Should A Dog Follow During Pregnancy?
Feeding a dog during pregnancy is very important for the health of the animal and the development of its puppies. For each age, size and situation there are specific feed to provide them with all the nutrients they need.
Changes in pregnancy
During pregnancy, bitches should increase their weight between 15 and 25%, and after giving birth, during lactation, they should stay with a weight between 5 and 10% lower than they had before pregnancy.
If the female was very thin, she could have high mortality of fetuses and small offspring with few defenses, malformations, etc. If she were obese, in addition to these problems, dystocia could appear, that is, problems in childbirth.
Why change my dog’s diet during pregnancy?
During pregnancy, animals need an adapted diet because their energy needs, the nutrients they need and the amount of these increase.
Pregnancy in bitches lasts about 63 days. The energy requirements in the first two thirds of gestation is similar to that of a non-pregnant adult bitch, since the puppies begin to grow in size after 40 days.
At this time, the female will need between 30 and 60% more energy, so it will be necessary to provide her with a feed rich in energy and very digestible and, above all, in large breeds in which the capacity of the stomach is greatly reduced by the volume occupied by the gravid uterus. In addition, it is convenient to offer free access food all day.
Protein requirements also increase during this period, which should be 22 to 32%, while fat should range between 10 and 25%.
In addition, 20% of the energy should come from carbohydrates. Since glucose provides 50% of the energy required in fetal development and prevents peripartum hypoglycemia, it is recommended to increase carbohydrates or carbohydrates to 23%.
The levels of trace elements also increase, such as calcium and phosphorus, to promote the calcification of the bones of the fetuses. Iron and zinc needs also increase.
As you can see, a change in diet and pregnancy is totally justified, and it is difficult to adjust all the nutrients on our own. For this reason, there are special feeds for bitches during pregnancy that are more energetic than those of a normal adult. Even many pregnant dogs are fed puppy food, which is very nutritious.
Amount of dog food during pregnancy
The daily ration will increase throughout the pregnancy ; You must follow the instructions on the feed to adjust the doses. By measuring and controlling the quantities you will avoid problems such as obesity which, as we have mentioned, can cause problems in childbirth.
Increase your ration size each week progressively, so that you end up exceeding your normal feed ration as you gain weight.
Do not introduce the new feed abruptly to give her digestive system time to get used to it, so mix small amounts of the new feed in the usual feed. In about a week you should have easily replaced one meal for another.
Water is also very important, not just in pregnancy, but at any time a dog’s age. The bitch must stay hydrated, so it must always have plenty of clean and fresh water at its disposal; You can also combine dry food with wet food.
In lactation we also have to take into account the aspect of feeding to provide the additional energy it needs to feed the litter well and for the puppies to grow strong and healthy.
