What to feed dogs after giving birth is an issue that should be considered carefully because it will affect both the well being of the mother and of the puppies. Your dog will manifest increased appetite. Her diet can vary, but she will need a greater intake of high quality proteins, fats and calcium carbonate, to be able to produce milk. You should provide her with the nutrients she needs to keep in shape.
What to Feed Dogs after Giving Birth
Female dogs do not generally eat immediately after giving birth. They wait around 12 hours before their first meal. If your dog refuses to leave the puppies and eat, you can tempt her with foods she likes the best.
After giving birth, it is important that your dog is nourished properly to regain her strength and produce high quality milk for the puppies. She needs to eat more, even double the usual amount, and the food should have high quality and higher caloric values. You should also give her snacks between meals.
The mother can be given puppy food, which will offer the amount and quality of nutrients she needs during lactation. Her diet should be controlled and she should be given only high quality proteins, fats, calcium carbonate, iron and water.
Regular Meals
Puppy food is rich in calories, proteins and fats. It is recommended that you feed your dog puppy food for a few weeks after giving birth. Puppy food offers her the nutrients she needs. Puppy formula powder can also be added to the dog's normal food. The puppy formula powder is a supplement for puppies, but you can give it to the mother because it helps with lactation and improves the taste of the food.
You can also feed her cooked ground beef mixed with white rice meal, which are rich in fibers and proteins. Canned food can be given to dogs after giving birth. It is wet and will supply the liquids necessary to prevent your dog from dehydrating.
You should feed your dog small portions several times a day during this period. Her appetite will increase as the puppies grow, because she needs to produce more milk. Depending on the number of puppies, she might eat almost double what she used to. Grease, lard and vegetable oil can be added to her meals if she continues to lose weight.
What to Feed Dogs between Meals
During lactation, your dog needs large amounts of high quality proteins. In between meals, you should also feed her egg yolks, cheese and plain yogurt. Raw liver is strongly recommended, because it contains iron and helps her body restore the blood supply lost during delivery. Liver also contains a high amount of proteins.
Water Intake
Your dog needs to drink large quantities of water while breastfeeding. Producing milk requires lots of liquid, and you should provide her with fresh water in order to prevent dehydration and other complications.