What to Feed a Pregnant Dog
Feeding a pregnant or nursing dog
For the first five weeks, nothing changes. From then on, the bitch is growing a litter and then feeding it, and her needs roughly double. Here is the schedule vets recommend.
Weeks 1 to 5: feed as normal
Puppies gain most of their weight in the last third of pregnancy, so the bitch's requirement barely rises at first. Feeding extra early simply makes her fat, which complicates whelping. Keep the usual food and amount, and keep her in lean condition.
From day 35 to 40: switch to puppy food
In the second half of pregnancy the vets recommend moving to a nutrient-dense, highly digestible puppy food, which supplies the extra energy, protein and minerals the growing litter draws from her. Switch over ten days. Increase the amount gradually through the last three weeks, feeding in several smaller meals as the litter takes up room. By whelping she may need one and a half times her usual energy.
Puppy Phase 1 (Baby Fit & Vital)Puppy Phase 1
Lamb & Rice Puppy (Baby)Lamb and rice
Salmon & Potato Puppy (Baby)Grain-free
Lactation: the hardest work she will do
Milk production is the peak demand of a bitch's life. Stay on the puppy food, feed freely or in three to four meals, and expect her to need two to three times her normal maintenance by weeks three to four of nursing, depending on litter size. Water intake climbs steeply; keep bowls full and close to the whelping box.
Weaning: back to adult food
Her energy need falls again about six to seven weeks after whelping as the puppies move to solid food. Bring her back to her usual adult food gradually over that period. As the puppies start eating, a puppy food from the Young line gives them nutrition matched to their age.
Do not add
Calcium supplements during pregnancy are a common mistake. They suppress the bitch's own calcium regulation and increase the risk of eclampsia (milk fever) after whelping. A complete puppy food supplies what she needs; add nothing to it unless your vet says so.
Colostrum and the first hours
The first milk carries the antibodies that protect the puppies for their first weeks. Make sure every puppy feeds within the first hours after birth. Keep the whelping area warm: newborn puppies cannot regulate their own temperature, and chilling is dangerous.
- before mating, to plan vaccinations, worming and any breed-specific checks
- if the bitch is off her food, vomiting, or losing weight during pregnancy
- immediately for restlessness, panting, tremors or stiffness after whelping, which can be eclampsia
Based on "Vaccination against canine herpesvirus: its significance in dog breeding" by Dr Freya Fuchs, veterinarian, Happy Dog veterinary team. General information; breeding bitches should be under veterinary care.
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