How to feed our dog during pregnancy and breastfeeding
Below we present a step by step guide with the most recommended advice for optimal care of the feeding a pregnant bitch, a very special process of life mammals, which in a period of 63 to 67 days will require certain special care. Here we tell you the basic points that you should not lose sight of.
The first 2 weeks of a pregnant bitch
After detecting your pet's pregnancy, a common mistake is to quickly change feed for another alternative, however you should take things calmly. It will be best to think of another type of needs, such as space and attention, because the feeding a pregnant bitch, at least during the first two weeks, it must remain the usual.
What will be important is to make a routine check with the veterinarian, since an assessment of its physical condition is important to know if it is fully trained to carry out a healthy pregnancy. It will also be essential to know the number of puppies that come in the litter, since this will be a factor to consider to design your most appropriate diet.
Weeks 3 and 4 of pregnancy
From the third week you must go looking for a most specialized food alternative, If what you are looking for is to consent and offer the best to your pet during this period, there are alternatives of feeding super premium feed specially designed for this phase. This type of feed are composed of natural and high quality food, that in fact they are suitable for human consumption, although they are designed to offer a composition free of preservatives, of genetically modified organisms, of dyes and, in addition, it is prepared to cover all the necessary nutrients for this stage, including vitamins and minerals that will be of great contribution to its body. In this type of food, in fact, various high quality ingredients such as tuna or salmon are included, important due to its high proportion of omega 3, which provides important advantages to strengthen the necessary contribution of fats, which will be another element to take into account. Normally from the third or fourth week already You must change your diet. It is best to do it gradually, gradually increasing the proportion of New type of feed, in a process of about a week, until the previous diet totally leaves. If you prefer, you can also opt for a food for puppies, one of the main objectives of this type of feeding a pregnant bitch is to provide nutrients to be strong, but it is also important to start generating breast milk. This is one Important stage in the gestation processIt is also totally normal for your pet to feel nausea and even present vomiting, for this reason it will be to give smaller but more frequent rations. Anyway, if you consider that it is much the discomfort that the mother is suffering, it is best to check it a veterinarian. In this phase the weight checks must also begin to be regular, a habitual problem is not to detect an overweight of our pet, because it can appear to be part of the normal process of pregnancy. However, you must Consult the appropriate weight with the veterinarian, according to their race and number of puppies in gestation.
Of course, you should also consider that neither at this stage, nor in any other, the intake of medicines is recommended, only in case of strict medical recommendation.
Tips for weeks 5 and 6
It will not be until week 5 when the puppies already begin to take a greater volume within the mother, who will therefore begin to need a greater amount of food, this is where portions must begin to be more abundant. Depending on the amount of pregnancy puppies, the increase in the amount of food will also vary. For example: if there are 4 puppies, it is advisable to increase 5% the amount of feed every week. The growth of puppies inside the mother is something quite exhausting for her body, which is why they must eat abundantly In order not to generate any type of decompensation, or in their nutrition, or in the puppies. For this reason, from the sixth week you can also begin to provide food supplements for Strengthen the pregnant dog feed, and although this does not have to be necessary if you are already using super premium feed specially designed for this stage, it can be an alternative if you are instead you are feeding your pet With feed for puppies, which is also another more economical and less efficient option, but at least more recommended than continuing to feed it with the feeds it consumed before pregnancy.
Weeks 7 and 8 of gestation
Here the control will have to be more rigorous, because the definitive stage in the development of the puppies is approaching and multiple risks are also opened to the mother. Therefore, the weight review must be punctual, as well as the routine review with the veterinarian. It is important to supervise the level of increase in weight, since a lower growth can cause malnutrition and, as a consequence, malformations in puppies. On the other hand, an overweight can also be lethal to the mother. It is best to calculate that they are on the right track so that with the rhythm until that date, it can be concluded that it progresses consistently so that, reaching 9 weeks, it rises between a third and a quarter of its initial weight, which will not only be for the puppies. In fact, most of this weight will be for the placenta. Here will also be essential A good protein intake, which represent most of the energy that will be fundamental for this exhausting process through which the mother will go through.
Final stage of pregnancy
If everything remains well, from the ninth week your dog will be in the Final stretch of the gestation process. Because the space in its stomach already begins to be more limited, food rations must also be minor, but in the same way of being able to be able to contribute the necessary nutrients. In case you notice that the pregnant bitch begins to lose its appetite, it can be normal, since it could be the indication that the time of childbirth is yet to come. For this reason it will be important to always maintain fresh water and some food at your fingertips, in addition to bringing control with your veterinarian, in order to be able to be trained for childbirth day.
First weeks of breastfeeding
At the time of birth, which is a fairly special event, and beyond the usual measures that you must take for the care of puppies, with respect to the mother's feeding, it will also be important to begin to increase the intake, since the food needs They will also be very demanding for the breastfeeding process. The mother requires not only nutrients to recover from the tired pregnancy and lighting process, but also must obtain extra nutrients to be able to offer adequate breastfeeding to puppies newborns, which will be hungry and will grow quickly, which is why the first three weeks of life must take very particular measures. In the first week you must increase the usual amount of food of the mother by 50%. This measure must increase in the same proportion, that is, in the second week it must already be twice as the amount of food that it usually ate; And this rhythm should be extended at least until the third week of breastfeeding, where the amount of milk you will need to produce will be greater and therefore the dog must already have triple food available. 
For this reason, and depending on the amount of puppies that have been born, you can even offer the mother free access to the feed, that is, a diet at pleasure, because it has the ability to feel when it requires a greater amount of food so that you can continue with the essential breastfeeding process properly. From the third or fourth week the puppies can begin to eat solid food, it will also be time to reduce the amount of food for the mother, trying to do so proportionally. However, breastfeeding is recommended to extend at least a period of 6 to 8 weeks. Taking the appropriate measures, and consents to your pet properly, you will see that it is possible to carry a healthy gestation and upbringing process. 
In any case, the constant assessment of your veterinarian, as well as assistance in case of any doubt or strange symptom, will be essential to conduct a happy pregnancy and allow to bring this important moment in the life of your pet. Remember that good nutrition will be the key main to give life to healthy and strong puppies and at the same time take care of his mother's integrity. Other canine food items that may interest you:
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