HOW MUCH SHOULD I FEED MY PREGNANT BITCH?
Growing puppies and producing enough milk for five to eight weeks takes energy. For the first six weeks of pregnancy, bitches can be served their normal food allowance, but in the last three weeks, they need up to 30% more food than before. When their milk production peaks, in weeks 3 to 4, they need up to 3.5 times more.
However, it’s simply not possible to eat enough food to supply all the energy required to produce the right amount of milk, so they also convert body fat. By the time the puppies are weaned, your bitch could be 10% lighter than before pregnancy. So it’s vital that breeding bitches are in peak condition before mating. And that comes down to the right balance of a nutritious diet and exercise. Underweight bitches can have smaller, weaker puppies and overweight bitches can have bigger pups, which can be difficult to deliver.
WHAT SHOULD I FEED MY LACTATING BITCH?
Pregnancy is a bit of a juggling act on the food front. Bitches need a lot of energy but have a limited appetite, so they need food with higher levels of energy than normal. But we’ve got you covered: James Wellbeloved™ Puppy and Large Breed Junior Foods are also designed to meet the needs of lactating bitches and should be fed instead of adult food from the sixth week of pregnancy. Multiple mealtimes help them to eat more overall and, in weeks 2 to 4 of lactation, it’s a good idea to give them constant free access to food.
