As we all know and understand, a feeding dog goes through many changes in the body and her lifestyle during pregnancy and after the birth of a puppy.
Hence, taking care of a new mother dog's diet is very important to avoid undernourishment and fulfill all her nutritional needs.
A new mother dog's diet should be planned before delivery. This plan will help us feed her nutritional Food and keep her hydrated to ensure the new mother dog's and her puppy's good health.
What does a mother dog need to eat?
In general, mother dogs lose weight after giving birth to their puppy. To ensure they gain weight, we need to increase their nutritional diet and feed them more than three times a day. By doing this, the mother dog can reach its dietary needs and nourish herself and her puppy.
Be sure that the mother dog or the nursing dog is hydrated so she can produce the high volume of milk required in nursing her puppy.
Let's now understand what a mother dog needs to eat to get enough nutrition.
- It is recommended to increase the number of meals instead of increasing the food quantity of the mother dog a day.
- Feeding her puppy food with high nutrients is always a better option.
- Free-choice feeding, giving her as much as possible throughout the day.
Healthy diet for new mother dog
- Ensure that the mother dog is getting plenty of water to drink. A nursing dog must consume a lot of liquids to generate an adequate amount of milk. While the mother dog is feeding her puppies, ensure she has continuous access to water, especially when she is on dry Food.
- Food for puppies is very easily digested and has high calories. It indicates that the mother's body can quickly absorb the nutrients from the meal. Providing the mother dog with puppy chow ensures her baby receives the proper nourishment.
Feeding a mother dog after giving birth the recommended amount of Food listed on the pup's food package, but be sure to provide it several times a day or just let it graze all the time.
- Combine a puppy's Food with the mother dog's regular meal for three to four days to prevent stomach problems. This will facilitate the mother dog's gradual transition to the puppy diet.
- Increase the quantity you give the mother dog for a few weeks. After giving birth, your mother dog must produce more milk over many weeks. After giving birth, it will reach its maximum milk output in three weeks. It must also be consuming as many meals as possible as it was before becoming pregnant at this point.
- Observe the weight of the mother dog. A mother dog feeding her puppies runs the danger of going too low in weight. Her body will burn up reserves if she doesn't consume enough calories to maintain milk production, which might result in unhealthful weight loss. Ensure your dog has not dropped more than ten percent of its pre-pregnancy weight to prevent this.
- You should feed your dog more Food that is higher in fat and protein and increase its feeding quantity if it has lost too much weight.
What to feed nursing dog to increase milk
Few vets advise feeding a dog raw food such as raw meat, bones, organ meat, fresh fruit, eggs,and vegetables, which make up a healthy diet for a new mother dog. They also advise providing chicken feet and wings to a nursing dog for added calcium and protein.
Milk thistle is one of the most natural nutrients that assist nursing mothers in producing milk. Consuming zinc is also useful for dog mothers who are nursing their puppies. Apricot, in modest dosages, can enhance milk production.
Fish and other forms of meat can also be included in this kind of diet. A limited amount of green vegetables, yeast, egg yolk, yogurt, liver, and goat milk are advised. Human Food, such as peanut butter or cottage cheese, may occasionally be provided.
Some vets also suggest mixing these two nutrition regimens, particularly if they still determine if the nursing dog is receiving enough nutrients. In such instances, proceeding gradually to prevent digestive issues is crucial.
Conclusion:
You must offer her the proper nutrition to ensure your nursing mother's dog is healthy throughout her nursing period. Taking care of a litter of pups is quite demanding and, if the mother isn't nourished properly, can harm her health.
It would help if you collaborated with your veterinarian to appropriately monitor her well-being, healing, and livelihood. She has reared all her babies to be independent so that she will return to normal soon.