Nutrition Problems in Pregnant and Nursing Dogs

What is it?

Good nutrition supports conception, delivery, and milk production. A mother who is malnourished, either over- or underweight, can have problems that affect her puppies. Obesity is the most common nutrition problem in pregnant dogs: it can lengthen the time between heat cycles, reduce litter size, raise the risk of a difficult birth, and lower milk production. Under-feeding can cause loss of pregnancy, abnormal development, stillbirths, small litters, and low birth weights.

What signs should I watch for?

Watch for weight or body condition loss during the first two-thirds of pregnancy, or for her becoming overweight. A healthy mother gains about 15 to 20% over her breeding weight. During nursing, a mother who cannot eat enough may lose weight and make less milk. In the puppies, watch for weight loss after the first 24 hours; healthy newborns gain weight daily, and weighing them twice a day for the first week helps you spot problems early.

How is it diagnosed and treated?

Your veterinarian can check her body condition and help adjust portions. Early in pregnancy she needs the same food as a young adult dog, fed as meals. From about day 40, energy needs rise 30 to 60%; a highly digestible puppy or growth food in several small meals is recommended (not a large-breed puppy food, which has the wrong calcium-phosphorus balance). Three to five weeks after birth she may need two to four times her usual calories, so an energy-dense puppy food is best, often free-choice for the first 3 to 4 weeks unless she has only one or two puppies, which can raise the risk of mastitis.

Can it be prevented, and what's the outlook?

• An overweight dog should lose weight before breeding.
• Calcium supplements and dairy are generally not recommended during pregnancy or nursing unless your veterinarian advises them, because they can increase the risk of eclampsia.
• At weaning, her food is reduced and then gradually returned to her normal pre-breeding portions to help her milk dry up.
• With a plan from your veterinarian, most mothers and puppies do well.