When a human in the family gets pregnant, every sane person immediately knows that it is time to begin to show extra care and attention, giving all we have to take care of that woman as changes are expected to take place within her that she cannot even explain.
The same energy should be given to our pregnant animals, you know they cannot speak or explain how they feel, so we need to carefully observe them and help them adjust to their required nutritional needs.
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The various stages of production from heat to pregnancy, lactation, and weaning, all provide their unique stresses to the body, each of these stages also requires the provision of specific nutritional concern that needs to be maximized efficiently for the healthy benefit of both mother and puppies.
Healthy nutrition provides adequate balance for successful breeding and pregnancy happenings when a mother is malnourished, she will suffer reproductive consequences alongside her puppies. Dogs would typically carry their pregnancy for about 62 days with an addition or subtraction of 2 days.
Just like human pregnancies, cases of dog pregnancies are also divided into trimesters, and when a dog is well-fed, she should gain about 15-20% of her weight during breeding. When you overfeed a pregnant dog, it may lead to obesity at the end phase of the pregnancy increasing the risk of prolonged labor and extra stress on puppies.
On the other hand, underfeeding a dog during pregnancy could lead to embryo loss, abnormal fetal development, stillbirth, small litter size, spontaneous abortion, and even a case of low-birth-weight puppies that may be unable to thrive.
During the first two trimesters of being pregnant, the nutritional requirement of the pregnant dog is equally the same as that of a young adult dog, during this time, the weight and body condition of the dog should be monitored closely so she doesn't lose weight, food should be increased as required, but remember that being overweight is not a good idea either.
The third trimester is usually about 40 days after gestation, and this is when puppies experience their most rapid development, this comes as well with a great burden on the pregnant mother. Her energy requirement may be higher in the portions of 30-60% depending on the size of the puppy.
In the final weeks that lead up to delivery, the abdomen is filled with puppies, leaving only little room for food in the gastrointestinal tract, at this point, an easily digestible food formulation is recommended, and multiple little meals may also provide the mother with the means to maintain adequate nutrient and calorie intake.
The eating habits of your dog would automatically change the presence of pregnancy, dogs could be different in their needs during pregnancy too. The most appropriate diet for a pregnant dog is one that is of high quality, and nutrient-densely formulated for the different stages of growth.
Walk with your vet to monitor the growth stages of your pet, when your pregnant dog is placed on a consistent diet, it makes it easier to know when she is sick or suffering from any form of pregnancy-related complications, a consistent diet also helps to ensure they are getting all the nutrients required and staying hydrated without having stomach upset.
Your vet would also help to monitor if the pregnant dog is gaining weight appropriately. Usually, a pregnant dog would gain weight only slightly until about she is 6 weeks into the pregnancy, then weight gain begins to happen rapidly.
After birth, your pet may still try to avoid food, this may be due to being tired or simply attending to their pups, encouraging them to eat something as soon as possible is your job. The food should also be highly nutritional and palatable, hydration is even much more important.
Pregnancy is a phase, and lactation and breastfeeding are other phases that require extra care and great monitoring too, I will be sharing that soon. Make sure you check with your vet to help you monitor closely your pregnant vet to guarantee safe delivery and maintain the health of your dog too.
References
vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feeding
