# Feeding a mature lactating bitch question.



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Jenna has blessed me with eight beautiful puppies, and a completely normal delivery albeit nearly a week later than I had projected. the puppies were large in my opinion, most of them 1 pound 4 ounces, with the largest 1 pound 5.5 ounces, and the smallest, over 1 pound 3 ounces.

Jenna will be seven in August. Her other litters were 10 and 7 puppies, but all of them not as large as these. She had most of them Saturday and one on Sunday. The one on Sunday dropped to 18 ounces and hung out there for a couple of days, but then she started gaining and is now the largest of the group, so I think I do not have anything to fear about her. 

Jenna is still oozing. I was giving her three meals with kibble and canned food as well as eggs and yogurt, but she started giving me complete mush for poop. So I backed off the kibble and added a chicken leg quarter and poo is now solid again. Whether that was just from working through the afterbirths, or an overage of kibble, I don't know. 

The puppies lost for the first two days, but then regained their birth weight and most of them are over 1.5 pounds. They seem pretty healthy. 

Because she is a bit older, for the last 15 days of her pregnancy I have been giving her 1 Veta mix, Osteo-Form chewable Calcium-phosphorus and vitamin supplement for dogs. 
This has 600mg Calcium, 335 mg Phosphorus, 750IU Vitamin A, and 75 IU Vitamin D3. 

Currently I am giving her:
Morning
2 cups 4Health Chicken and Rice Kibble
1 can 4Health Lamb and Rice
3 Tablespoons Yogurt (not low fat)
2 eggs scrambled (in nuker with a little milk no added grease)
1 Osteo-Form Vitamin

Noonish
1-1.2 pound chicken leg quarter 

Evening 
2 cups 4Health Chicken and Rice Kibble
1 can 4Health Lamb and Rice
3 Tablespoons Cottage Cheese(not low fat)

Is there anything you would give your bitch that I am lacking here? I prefer for them to get their vitamins, etc, from natural foods moreso than a tablet or multi-vitamin. Would you add anything? 

She scarfs the food faster than I can weigh the puppies.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I feed raw so can't help with kibble. Usually I start increasing their food after the first few days giving them a wide variety of meat/bone sources along with their organ meats, eggs, tripe. No matter the size of the litters I swear my dogs always gain weight so I don't free feed like I have seen do, but they are usually eating close to 2X their normal diet by about the 3rd week. 

You might incorporate raw green tripe into her diet which is packed with all sorts of good things and the dogs love it. 

Fresh clean water at all times, of course.


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## wyominggrandma (Jan 2, 2011)

From my experience, I would free feed her a good kibble in front of her at all times.You can give her extra goodies if you want, but I have always free fed lactating bitches so they can keep up the milk supply to growing babies.


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## mysweetkaos (Sep 20, 2011)

No experience on the food end. Just wanted to say Congratulations on a safe delivery and 8 healthy, and I am sure beautiful puppies!! Can't wait to see pics!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Normally I do leave kibble for them at all times, but she went off kibble in the middle of pregnancy and required canned food to be mixed with it. She can hold out longer than me. With the canned food she scarfs it. Most of my dogs eat their kibble quickly too, like it will get away. I will try again to put a dish down of kibble after her first meal and see what happens. 

Will look for green tripe. I have only seen it at WalMart so far. 

Water is a given. 

Thanks.


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## wyominggrandma (Jan 2, 2011)

Yea,it seems about midway through a pregnancy, they want to be "special" and make mom worry and stress.. I would probably just keep food down all the time and I bet she will start eating it between the yummy meals to feed that gang... 
My dogs love green tripe, but it is so gross...ugh


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Jenna gained weight on both of her previous litters too, to the point that I had to put her on a diet after the pups were weaned. 

Maybe I will just put 3 cups of kibble down in the morning, and if she eats it all put another 3 cups in the evening. And put the canned and extras on a plate.


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## Doc (Jan 13, 2009)

Royal Canin has developed a new line for breeders. There is a kibble - Starter for Mother and Baby Dog that supplies all the needed nutrition for lactating bitches. If she turns her nose up at the kibble, they have a new canned mousse that will pet their attention.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

selzer said:


> Will look for green tripe. I have only seen it at WalMart so far.


That tripe isn't to be fed to dogs, it is bleached and no of nutritional value. You'll probably have to order it from Aplaceforpaws.com(in OH) or mypetcarnivore. Grocery stores don't carry the good, stinky green stuff. Congrats on the healthy litter!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Thanks.


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## Guardyan (Aug 29, 2005)

> Because she is a bit older, for the last 15 days of her pregnancy I have been giving her 1 Veta mix, Osteo-Form chewable Calcium-phosphorus and vitamin supplement for dogs.
> This has 600mg Calcium, 335 mg Phosphorus, 750IU Vitamin A, and 75 IU Vitamin D3.


I went to a canine repro seminar a few years ago. One of the recommendations was to avoid calcium supplementation during pregnancy as it can lead to eclampsia. Just something to consider for future litters.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Guardyan said:


> I went to a canine repro seminar a few years ago. One of the recommendations was to avoid calcium supplementation during pregnancy as it can lead to eclampsia. Just something to consider for future litters.


I have heard that. The reason it can lead to eclampsia is that people give it to the bitches during pregnancy, lots of it, the body does not work as hard to produce it or pull it out of foods on its own. After the pups are born they start eating and growing. And and their requirements increase, people tend to become less worried, and slack off the supplementation. So then there is a real deficiency. 

the bottle says 1-2 of these for every 11 pounds the dog weighs. I am giving one/day. I think we will be ok, so long as I continue it until she weans them, and continue to add yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. 

The reason I gave the calcium is that when you give the bitch an oxytocin shot, you give a calcium shot with it. Works better. They need the calcium to bolster their strength for the whelping. My friend gives it to her bitches and has never had a problem with eclampsia. I think that people just stop it too soon.


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## Guardyan (Aug 29, 2005)

Eclampsia scares me, so I just wanted to make sure you knew. 

Congrats on your litter!


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## vomlittlehaus (Aug 24, 2010)

If the puppies are gaining and Jenna's waist is still present, you should be fine. You know what her healthy body condition before pregnancy looks like, so as long as she is not looking skinny, she is probably getting enough. 

One supplement I give my bitch, starting prior to mating, is a product called puppy gold. I buy it from K9 Power Products. I use it like a prenatal vitamin for her. Can also be used for bottle feeding, so good to have on hand. Both litters she has had were very healthy. One to 1 1/2 pound puppies seem to be the norm for GSD's. I did have one in the last litter that was 12 oz. when born. Freaked me out, but she caught up to the others and is slightly taller than her mom now.


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## Ramage (Oct 10, 2009)

I switched to raw 2 years ago and have had one litter since. The puppies were HUGE and one even became stuck and had to be pulled out (not fun). With this particular bitch, I am planning to feed kibble throughout her pregnancy this time around. We shall see if there is a difference in the size of the pups, but I've had a few other raw feeders/breeders have similar litters (large pups).

Funny you posted this, because I just started her on 4Health Chicken and Rice 2 weeks ago (we bred her one week ago). So far, I like this for a kibble and the price is very reasonable.

Also, I do not supplement with calcium at all. I don't like taking the risk with eclampsia.


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