VMD 513: Pet animal Breeding, Management, Nutrition and Health Care (1+1)

FEEDING MANAGEMENT DURING PREGNANCY AND LACTATION

• In pregnant bitches, less than 30% of fetal growth in size occurs during the first 5 weeks of pregnancy. Although the fetuses are developing rapidly, they are very small until the last third of the 9-week gestation As a result, there is only a slight increase in the dam’s weight and total nutritional needs during the first 5 weeks of gestation.
• After the fifth week, fetal weight and size increase rapidly for the remaining 3 to 4 weeks of gestation. In the dog, more than 75% of weight, and at least half of fetal length, is attained between the fortieth and fifty-fifth day of gestation.
• Although optimal nutrition is important throughout reproduction, it is especially crucial during the last few weeks of gestation to ensure optimal fetal growth and development. If a bitch is at ideal weight at the time of breeding, no increase in food intake is necessary until the fifth week of gestation.
• Contrary to popular belief, a bitch should not receive a greater amount of food immediately after she has been bred. An increase of food at this time is unnecessary and could lead to excessive weight gain during pregnancy. It is not unusual for bitches to undergo a transient period of appetite loss at approximately 3 weeks of gestation. However, this change lasts for only a few days and is usually not a health concern.
• After the fifth or sixth week of pregnancy, the bitch’s food intake should be increased gradually so that at the time of whelping her daily intake is approximately 25%to 50% higher than her normal maintenance needs, depending on the size of the litter and the size of the bitch. Her body weight should increase by approximately 15% to 25% by the time of whelping. Using the previous example, a bitch whose optimum weight is 15 kilograms should weigh between 17 and 19 kg at the end of her pregnancy.
• As the developing puppies increase in size, there is a reduction in the abdominal space available for expansion of the bitch’s digestive tract after a meal. Therefore it is helpful to provide several small meals per day during the last few weeks of gestation so that abdominal space does not limit the bitch’s ability to consume an adequate quantity of food.
• It is important to provide enough food during this period because dams that are underweight during middle and late gestation may have difficulty maintaining body condition for the high demands of milk production that occur during lactation. Likewise, it is also important not to over feed pregnant bitches. Excessive intake and weight gain will be reflected in heavier fetuses and may result in complications at the time of whelping.
•  Mammary gland development and milk production occur 1 to 5 days before parturition, and many bitches refuse all food approximately 12 hours before whelping.
• A slight drop in body temperature, occurring 12 to 18 hours before the start of labor, is a fairly reliable indicator of impending parturition.
• Once the bitch has whelped the litter and expelled all of the fetal placentas, and when her puppies are resting normally, she should be provided with fresh water and food.
• Most bitches will begin eating within 24 hours of whelping. If necessary, the dam’s appetite can be stimulated by moistening her food with warm water.
• Adding water to the food also ensures that adequate fluid is consumed, which is an important consideration.
  If the bitch has been adequately prepared for lactation, she should have a post whelping weight that is 5% to 10% above her pre-breeding maintenance weight.