What to feed a pregnant dog - 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimester

 

Content

• First and second quarter
• Third quarter
• Breastfeeding
• Final thoughts

Exciting news! Your dog is expecting a puppy! This is an exciting time in any pet parent's life. But if this is your dog's first litter, it can also be overwhelming. You want to make sure you are giving your dog the food it needs to help it grow a healthy dog. A healthy and balanced diet is essential for a mother dog not only during pregnancy, but also for a healthy delivery and lactation.

First and second quarter

Puppies are pregnant for 63 days or about nine weeks. Humans  like they have three trimesters, each 21 days long. The first trimester begins when a dog ovulates and releases her eggs. Once her eggs are fertilized, she can produce anywhere from two to ten puppies!

Early in pregnancy, fetal growth is rapid. This is why it is important to put your dog on a healthy balanced diet from the start. Some experts recommend feeding your pregnant dog puppy food because of its nutritional content.

If your dog is already on a high-protein, nutrient-dense diet, you can continue to feed them normally during the first and second trimesters. If desired, the dose can be increased slightly but should not exceed a 10% increase.

A high-quality diet should contain 29% protein, 17% fat, high amounts of soluble carbohydrates, and low fiber content. You should also make sure your dog is getting calcium and phosphorus for bone formation and milk production.

Always make sure fresh, clean water is available to your dog throughout all stages of pregnancy. Dehydration can cause a number of complications for both your dog and his growing pups.

Third quarter

At six and seven weeks, your pregnant dog will gain weight. It is time to increase their food consumption by about 25%. This is the most important developmental time in a puppy's pregnancy. The puppy's organs are fully developed and they will be ready for full term at this time. This will put the greatest stress on the mother nutritionally.

Improper nutrition can reduce the health of the mother dog and her puppies. It can also cause birth defects and difficulty delivering puppies. The mother's growth may also be impaired, leading to reduced milk production or even no production.

Due to the discomfort of having a nearly full-term baby in her belly, the mother dog may not be very hungry. To help combat this, try feeding several small meals throughout the day to ensure that he is getting adequate nutrition.

Breastfeeding

After the puppies are born, your mother dog's diet should be slowly and steadily increased by 20-30% over the next month. By the end of the first month, she should be eating 2-4 times more than the amount she ate before pregnancy.

Encourage the mother to eat as much as she wants. It takes a lot of energy to produce milk for her babies and the babies are also growing rapidly at this stage.

Final thoughts

Weak puppy and even wasted puppy syndrome can be the result of inadequate nutrition during a puppy's pregnancy. It is very important that your puppy is fed a high quality diet and has access to fresh and clean water throughout their pregnancy.

By feeding the right food, you can help the mother dog safely deliver healthy puppies. Make sure to visit the doctor regularly to keep the mother healthy during her pregnancy. Finally, enjoy petting and playing with your new puppy!