A lot has been said and written about the nutrition of dogs . In almost all thematic sites and forums you can find information on the nutrition of puppies and adult animals. Our task is to tell the owners newcomers about how to feed the dog after childbirth. Only with proper nutrition of the nursing bitch you will get healthy well-fed puppies and, of course, you will not bring the mother herself to exhaustion. Let's look at the questions asked by the owners most often.
What food is better to feed a dog before giving birth?
It depends on the type of feed. If the dog is accustomed to dry food (we are talking only about the classes “premium” and “super-premium”, others are not even considered, because they are of dubious quality), then you should not change it before delivery. Dosage is usually indicated on the package. As a rule, the volume of dry food before birth increases by a third. Some owners during the pregnancy of the dog and in the "milk" period transfer dogs to the so-called "puppy" - food of the same brand, but for puppies (it has more calcium and protein).
If the dog received natural food (home-made), it is worthwhile, first of all, to increase the amount of dairy products (especially kefir and cottage cheese) and meat (raw offal: stomach, trachea, liver, lungs, udder).
Before the birth itself (in about a week), the entire volume of food is divided into smaller doses. This is due to the fact that growing puppies put pressure on internal organs, including the stomach and intestines. Gentle feeding will reduce this load.
How to feed a nursing dog on childbirth?
Most veterinarians advise you to stay on the water for the first day. It is believed that those nutrients that the dog receives by eating the afterbirth are quite enough. Water is needed to restore the amount of fluid lost during childbirth. With large litters on the day of birth, the bitch is given cool milk (at room temperature, but not cold) with glucose (5 cubes per glass).
How to feed a nursing dog in the first weeks after puppy?
On the second day, you can give liquid cereal on a low-fat broth (or beef or chicken). Among the required products should be milk and meat (only lean). In the first three days the appetite of the giving birth to the dog may be absent, therefore, nutrition should be both light and high-calorie at the same time: milk porridge (rice, buckwheat, hercules). In order to avoid eclampsia, calcium supplements are additionally given. The first one and a half weeks, the content of carbohydrates and proteins should be saturated. Take care of acquiring a good, full-fledged vitamin-mineral complex. Defective products, even in small quantities, should be excluded. Even mild poisoning of a nursing bitch can cause serious problems in puppies.
Feeding should be frequent (at least four times a day). Please note: one-time feeding the dog during this period is unacceptable. First, the bitch’s stomach will remain saggy. Secondly, for the puppies to grow normally, milk must be nutritious and in sufficient quantity, and its rush occurs after eating. When feeding with dry food, feeding is not required, but the dosage of calcium is still increased. Milk enhances lactation.
How to feed a nursing dog when weaning puppies?
As soon as the kids begin to move independently (starting from the 25th day), the bitch begins to “refuse” puppies, less and less often approaching them for feeding. It is natural. On the one hand, puppies by this time can already gradually be transferred to adult food (taking into account baits started from two weeks old), on the other hand, it is painful for a bitch to feed babies who bite their nipples with erupted sharp teeth. Do not force your pet if she is in pain. Here is the question: "How to feed a nursing dog?" disappears by itself, because after the fourth week the animal is transferred to the previous nutrition. However, calcium supplements continue to be given for an additional month.