Dietary Considerations for a Lactating Female Dog

A lactating bitch has to take care of her own offspring as well as herself during the postpartum phase. You need to adjust her diet because she will require a lot more energy.

Lactating piglets need more nutrition than normal and even more during pregnancy. The young mother must not only feed herself but also make milk that is rich in calcium, proteins and energy for her puppies. All of this requires a lot of energy. The bitch can have an increased energy requirement of up to 5,000 Kilocalories per Day. This value can vary depending on the size and breed of the animal. You should consult your veterinarian about the diet for your bitch.

The nursing pig needs lots of energy

In order to maintain a healthy diet during lactation, it is important that you use high-quality food for your dog so she can care for her pups without becoming weak. A high-quality dogfood usually contains a lot of energy, so a nursing b*tch doesn’t have to eat a lot more to meet her needs. If you feed her normal food, she will not be able to eat enough to meet her energy requirements.

Moderation in food

It is recommended to feed your nursing bitch dry food, if she tolerates it. It should contain one third protein and nearly as much fat. You should leave the food out for the bitch all day long so she can eat whenever she wants. Experts say that the mother dog shouldn’t lose more than 10% of her weight when nursing. After the puppies have been weaned from the mother, she should be back to her normal weight in a month.