Download ArticleDownload ArticleThis article was co-authored by Ryan Corrigan, LVT, VTS-EVN. Ryan Corrigan is a Licensed Veterinary Technician in California. She received her Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Technology from Purdue University in 2010. She is also a Member of the Academy of Equine Veterinary Nursing Technicians since 2011.
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After a mother dog gives birth, you will need to give her some extra care. Specifically, she will need to be fed and hydrated properly in order to assure that she and her puppies stay healthy. In order for the mother to produce enough high-quality milk to feed her puppies, she will need high quality food that includes large amounts of proteins, fats, and calcium. Additionally, she will need access to more water than normal in order to feed her puppies.
Steps
Bring food to the mother dog. Place food near the mother dog so that she doesn't have to leave the puppies to eat. Many new mothers don't want to leave their puppies to eat, so they abstain from eating for too long after giving birth.[1]- However, you can allow your dog to wait a little while to eat. Most dogs that give birth wait a few hours to eat. They need to rest and recover a bit from the whelping before attempting to eat.[2]
Give highly palatable foods. If your mother dog is hesitant to eat dog food right after birthing puppies, you can choose to give it high-calorie foods it can't resist instead.[3] This could be specific treats that you know it loves or adding an egg yolk or lard to its normal food.[4]- To make food even more palatable, try soaking it in chicken broth and microwaving it so it's warm.
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Provide liquids immediately. A dog that has given birth will have lost a lot of fluids during that process. Because of this, you want to get her to drink some water as soon as possible afterword. This will help to avoid dehydration.- If she doesn't want to drink plain water, try giving her a bit of chicken broth to drink. This may be more enticing to the dog than water is.
Feed the mother dog more food than normal. A dog that has given birth and is breastfeeding its puppies will need to eat more food than it normally would. In fact, most dogs should be fed twice as much food as normal after they give birth. If you don't give it enough food, it won't be able to recover from whelping and feed its babies.[5]- This food should be fed in small meals throughout the day, instead of just a few large meals. This will help your dog digest the food easier.
- Refer to the back of your dog's food bag to see what the manufacturer recommends for pregnant or nursing dogs.
Transition the mother dog on to puppy food. Puppy food is high in calories and it is highly digestible. This means that the mother can absorb the nutrients in the food quickly. Feeding the mother dog puppy food also assures that the puppies she is feeding get the proper nutrition.[6]- Feed the mother dog the food amount suggested on the puppy food packaging, but make sure to give multiple meals throughout the day or just let the dog graze on the food constantly.
- In order to avoid stomach upset, mix the puppy food with the dog's normal food for the first 3-4 days. This will help the mother dog to adjust to the puppy food gradually.
Make sure the mother dog is drinking lots of water. A dog that is breastfeeding needs to drink a lot of liquid in order to produce enough milk. Make sure that the mother dog has constant access to water while she is nursing her young.[7]- You should be particularly vigilant about monitoring how much water your dog is drinking if she is being fed a dry diet.[8]
Increase the amount you feed the mother dog for several weeks. Your mother dog will need to increase the amount of milk it produces over several weeks after giving birth. It will be at peak milk production around three weeks after giving birth. At this point it will also need to be eating up to four times as much food as it did before pregnancy.[9]- This food should be spread out over at least four meals throughout the day. This will help her to digest this increased amount of food.
Monitor the mother dog's weight. A mother dog that is nursing puppies is at risk of losing too much weight. If she is not taking in enough calories to keep up with the milk production, her body will use reserves that can lead to unhealthy weight loss. In order to avoid this, make sure that your dog has not lost more than ten percent of its original weight before pregnancy.- If your dog has lost too much weight you need to increase the fat and protein content of the food you are feeding it, as well as increasing the amount it eats.[10]
Expert Q&A
- QuestionIs it a good idea to have food and water close to the mother during an extended birthing?
Ryan Corrigan, LVT, VTS-EVNRyan Corrigan is a Licensed Veterinary Technician in California. She received her Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Technology from Purdue University in 2010. She is also a Member of the Academy of Equine Veterinary Nursing Technicians since 2011.
Licensed Veterinary TechnicianYou can leave it to the side for her if she wants it, but do not try to force her to eat. If the birth is prolonged, you should already have a veterinarian on the phone for guidance if needed.
Tips
References
- ↑ http://www.akc.org/content/dog-breeding/articles/the-care-and-feeding-of-the-breeding-bitch-part-two/
- ↑ http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pet-health-information/article/animal-health/breeding-for-dog-owners-caring-from-birth-to-weaning/489
- ↑ http://www.akc.org/content/dog-breeding/articles/the-care-and-feeding-of-the-breeding-bitch-part-two/
- ↑ http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pet-health-information/article/animal-health/breeding-for-dog-owners-caring-from-birth-to-weaning/489
- ↑ http://www.akc.org/content/dog-breeding/articles/the-care-and-feeding-of-the-breeding-bitch-part-two/
- ↑ http://www.hillspet.com/en/us/dog-care/nutrition-feeding/what-to-feed-a-pregnant-dog
- ↑ https://www.vetinfo.com/what-to-feed-dogs-after-giving-birth.html
- ↑ http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pet-health-information/article/animal-health/breeding-for-dog-owners-caring-from-birth-to-weaning/489
- ↑ http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pet-health-information/article/animal-health/breeding-for-dog-owners-caring-from-birth-to-weaning/489
About This Article
After a dog gives birth, you’ll need to bring food to her whelping box and find ways to encourage her to eat. Bring her water immediately after she gives birth, since the dog will have lost a lot of fluids. You should also bring dog food to the whelping box, because the dog won’t want to leave her puppies to eat. If she’s not keen on eating, mix an egg yolk or some lard into her food to make it more palatable. When the dog starts nursing the puppies, give her puppy food to make sure she passes on enough nutrients. Encourage her to eat it by mixing the puppy food with her normal food for the first 3 or 4 days. You’ll need to feed her much more in the weeks following pregnancy, because she will need to produce enough milk for the puppies. For tips from our Veterinary co-author on how to monitor a mother dog’s weight during nursing, keep reading!
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