Overview
When you find out that your dog is pregnant, you may have a lot of questions about how to care for her. One of the most important considerations when caring for a pregnant dog is proper feeding. During the first 45 days of her pregnancy, very few changes are needed to her diet. However, her eating habits must be adjusted during the last 18 days of her 63-day pregnancy.
Dry Food
Feeding your pregnant dog a high-quality puppy food will give her the necessary nutrients to support her and her growing puppies. Look at the list of ingredients on the bag when searching for a puppy food for your dog. None of the first five ingredients should be filler ingredients, such as chicken meal. Better are pure ingredients, such as beef or chicken.
Canned Food
Adding one serving of canned food per day to your pregnant dog's diet each day gives her added nutrients and water content. Both of these are beneficial. To find out how much a serving is, read the directions on the label. For example, if a can says to feed the dog 1/4 can per 10 pounds, you will feed your dog 2 cans per day if your dog weighs 80 pounds.
Supplements
Adding supplements, such as vitamins, to a pregnant dog's diet isn't recommended and should be done only under a vet's supervision. This is because it is possible for the puppies to suffer from growth complications caused by overdosing on nutrients. Calcium, for example, can cause premature hardening of the bones, which can lead to spinal deformities.
Nausea and Vomiting
Some dogs will experience nausea and vomiting during the course of their pregnancy. This may cause the dog to shy away from eating. Adding 1/4 cup of cooked sweet peas per 10 pounds of body weight to the dog's food may help to alleviate the nausea and encourage the dog to eat.
Frequency
Up until her sixth week of pregnancy, you should feed the dog three times per day. From the sixth week of pregnancy until birth, she should be fed every three to four hours. At night, she can go up to six hours without eating. The increased frequency in feeding is due to the rapid growth of the puppies during the last 18 days of pregnancy. If the dog goes too long between feedings, her body will begin to feed off her muscles and may cause premature labor.
