Proper Nutrition During Pregnancy

Assuring proper nutrition during pregnancy and lactate means paying attention to the female’s changing needs.

A good quality dog food for a pregnant female should be nutrient-dense, properly balanced using quality ingredients, and have high levels of digestibility and palatability. Any diet that is 100% complete and balanced for all life stages and tested by animal feeding studies should be adequate for females during gestation. "Modifications or the addition of supplements may only serve to unbalance a proper ration," according to Dr. David Bebiak, Director of Pet Nutrition and Care Research. "The addition of even one mineral in excess may upset this important balance."

Gestating and lactating females do indeed require increased intake of dietary calcium and other nutrients to ensure normal growth and development of the puppies. Supplementation, however, is not the answer. Commercial diets supported by animal feeding studies provide an appropriate calcium levels in balance with other nutrients, and gradual increases in food consumption will fulfill the increased demand for calcium and other nutrients.

 It is important for breeders to monitor the food intake and weight of the dog during gestation. According to Purina research, the female's nutritional needs change during pregnancy. Therefore her food should be changed to a food that provides the additional protein, calcium, phosphorus, and iron she and her developing pups need during the critical months of gestation and nursing such as Purina Puppy Chow brand puppy food or ProPlan brand Growth Formula.

Normal food intake varies during gestation. Specifically, research indicates that at about three to four weeks into gestation, most dams experience a short period of partial appetite loss. This typically lasts three to ten days.

From the fourth to the seventh week, however, it is important that the female experience a slow and gradual weight gain. To that end, food intake should increase slightly but not to the point of causing an over-weight condition. Additionally, the female should gain weight in the last trimester. Normally this gain is evident in and around the abdomen.

The increase and decrease of food intake should be initiated by the female, not the breeder. "It is important not to force her to eat," says Dr. Bebiak, "and not to panic if she is not eating." It is normal for the female to go through this "roller coaster of food intake," he says. The female will still experience weight gain during the last ten to fourteen days of gestation despite gradually declining food intake. This is partially due to the growing fetuses. Development of placental tissues and mammary glands, a general increase in fluid, and reproductive tissue also account for part of this weight gain in the female. Around the ninth week, especially during the last 24 hours before whelping, it’s quite common for the female to stop eating entirely. Dr. Bebiak reports, "This is a pretty good sign that the big moment is about to happen."

Water is very important during this time because it serves as a carrier of nutrients to developing fetuses, and helps to eliminate wastes. It also aids in milk production. To encourage the female to drink adequate amounts, water should be changed at least twice daily, and should always be served in a clean bowl.

After whelping, and once lactation begins, there is no reason to alter the diet of the female. She should continue on the same diet, although food intake will probably increase. Peak lactation usually takes place about 21 days after whelping, according to Dr. Bebiak.

Research shows that by the fourth and fifth week of lactation, food intake may increase by two and one-half to three times compared to the normal maintenance period prior to breeding. If dry food is fed to the female, it is best to moisten the product with water during lactation. Moistening the dry food increases the ration’s palatability as well as the female’s water intake.

To reduce the possibility of mammary gland congestion after weaning, the food intake of the female should be limited. He suggests "fasting the female," on the day of weaning. On the second day, feed one-quarter of her normal maintenance level, the third day feed one-half, and on the fourth day, three-quarters of her normal amount. By day five, she should be given a maintenance quantity of food. It is critical that there be an ample supply of fresh water available to the female throughout this time.

Reducing the food intake of the female at weaning, then gradually increasing it after weaning, according to Dr. Bebiak, helps to "dry her up" and aids in the maintenance of healthy mammary glands.

This article originally appeared in Today’s Breeder Magazine, a service of Purina Today’s Breeder Association. For more information about the magazine or Today’s Breeder Association, call 1-800-851-3148.