As your dog gives birth, she will undergo physical and mental changes that necessitate knowing what her needs are to ensure her wellbeing and happiness. It’s vital that you understand her needs so you can support her health during this new phase in her life.
Nursing mother dogs need a diet specifically formulated to support milk production. Look for commercial food labeled for pregnancy and lactation for best results.
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Keep Her Hydrated
Laboring dogs lose a great deal of fluids during labor. Therefore, once their puppies have been born they should receive water immediately to replenish the deficit or risk experiencing eclampsia requiring immediate vet attention.
As she nurses her puppies, it is also essential for her to drink enough water in order to remain hydrated and produce enough milk to provide sustenance for their growing pups. Nursing will increase how much milk she produces requiring more energy from her to feed them all properly.
As time progresses, nursing mothers will gradually increase the amount of milk they produce until reaching peak production in weeks 3-5 of lactation. At this time, her energy requirements can become up to four times greater than if they weren’t nursing; therefore it is vital that they eat a well-balanced diet right from the beginning of gestation.
Give Her Plenty of Food
Your dog will likely be both hungry and thirsty after giving birth, so make sure she always has access to tasty kibble that she will find appetizing, particularly during the night when it is likely she will be up eating. Hand feeding some can help strengthen bonds between mother and puppies while building trust between you both. Be careful not to disturb her while she nurses as maternal instinct will prevent her from abandoning them altogether; additionally remove and replace soiled bedding regularly so as to maintain clean, dry bedding in her whelping box as this may affect her mothering instinct as well as leave soap residue behind which could potentially make the puppies sick!
Your dog needs high quality lactation food that contains sufficient amounts of proteins, fats, and calcium in order to produce enough milk to nourish her puppies. There is an assortment of pregnant and nursing dog foods available at pet stores across the country.
Give Her Treats
Your dog is likely to become very protective and anxious shortly after giving birth, refusing even for food or water. She needs highly palatable, good quality food readily available near by.
She should consume a diet high in proteins and calcium as she will need to produce lots of milk for breastfeeding.
As nursing her puppies can cause her to lose a significant amount of water, it is vital that you monitor her weight closely as this could result in dangerously low body weight levels.
As soon as her puppies have been weaned off her breast milk, the mother can be given a mixture of canned dog food, water and vanilla ice cream to help make her meals more palatable and easier for her body to digest. You should give small meals throughout the day rather than one large one to give her time between feedings to rest between feedings; she can return to eating her usual dog food once her puppies have been weaned.
Keep Her Comfortable
Your pup should experience some sort of vaginal discharge following birthing, though it shouldn’t be thick or foul-smelling. Be sure to monitor her contractions until all have subsided and she has passed the placentas; if this hasn’t happened by itself it might be time for an evaluation with your vet.
Once your mother dog gives birth, it is essential that she has a safe and comfortable place to recover after she gives birth. In addition to providing her with plenty of warmth and food and water – ideally puppy/maternity food contains more essential vitamins for nursing mothers; you should feed small meals throughout the day rather than one large one; additionally providing her with access to clean water will ensure dehydration doesn’t occur while producing puppies’ milk and keep weight down while providing health coverage during nursing motherhood.
