Nutrition, Balance and Healthy Pregnant or Breast Feeding Dog Food Diet

It goes without saying that the pregnant dog undergoes many physical changes. Even before she is bred, the bitch begins to change. Her hormones run wild; she becomes moody and easily distressed. After she is bred, even before the physical changes become evident, she will start to sleep and eat more. Her body is experiencing a tremendous increased demand for energy that she must counteract. Once these behavioral changes make themselves evident, it is necessary to change the bitch's diet to ameliorate the underlying physical changes.

Conventional wisdom once stated that when a dog was pregnant or lactating (producing milk), it was necessary to start supplementing her food. The bitch was given bits of milk or toast soaked in bread or cheese or yogurt to supplement her calcium. Perhaps her kibble was supplemented with bits of hamburger or liver, lightly cooked, to enhance her iron. Pet owners or breeders needed to become home chemists or nutritionist, so that they would be able to supply the vitamins and minerals that the bitch and her developing puppies needed.

Fortunately for today's dog lovers, that situation is no longer the rule. Although there are still some people who choose to create homemade meals for their dogs, specially formulated commercial dog foods are sufficient to meeting the needs of pregnant bitches.

Once a bitch has been bred, whether or not she is showing any outward signs of pregnancy, you can change her to a pregnancy formula of commercial dog food. She should be allowed to feed freely, with no restrictions. Some weight gain at this stage is unimportant, provided it is not excessive. If the owner feels the need, he or she can also supplement the bitch with a small amount of folic acid. An excess of folic acid is passed in the urine, so she will not be harmed by too large a quantity.

There is no need to supplement the dog with any milk product or calcium pills. That nutrient is provided in sufficient quantities in her food and, unlike folic acid, calcium can build up in her system and produce negative physical effects. Calcium can be beneficial at the end of the pregnancy, either immediately before or immediately after delivery of the pups, to prevent eclampsia, a fatal condition characterized by convulsions or coma that occurs sometimes within minutes after giving birth.

A lactating bitch does experience huge demands on her system. The same specially formulated diet that brought her through pregnancy will see her through her nursing duties as well. Continue with free feeding until the puppies begin eating solid food. The bitch can be returned to her normal diet when the puppies begin relying on solid food as their primary source of nourishment.

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