Finding the right high-quality commercial food can be difficult. Do we ever truly know what is in those cans and bags? When we do it ourselves, we don’t have to wonder. It doesn't have to be expensive or complicated, but it does have to be balanced. Read on so that your mama dog can munch her way to a healthier labor and nurse happy, well-nourished puppies.
Pre-Pregnancy Nutrition Matters
All dogs should have proper nutrition, but if you plan to breed your female dog, it is extra important she receives a balanced diet from the get-go. Being underweight, overweight, or malnourished increases the risk of fertility problems, such as the quality and quantity of eggs released, irregular estrus cycles (also known as “heat cycles”), and can negatively impact overall health. Make sure your female dogs stay within a healthy weight range for their size and get plenty of exercise.
The best way to provide a balanced meal is to keep the right ratios between traditional dog food and homemade foods. Also, rotate foods so that your pup is getting all the vitamins and minerals they need. The standard recommendation includes 40% Protein, 50% Vegetable, and 10% Starch. Make sure to switch your ingredients frequently by using things like red meats, chicken, and fish for your proteins and a variety of dark leafy greens along with vegetables like squash, zucchini, or pumpkin. Healthy starch choices include chickpeas, oats, quinoa, and rice.
Including healthy fats for dog meals is important, especially for growing dogs. Include sunflower butter, flax seeds, and fish oils in your meals and treats. My dogs love it when I give them frozen yogurt in the summer. I just blend plain Greek yogurt with pumpkin puree, add flax seeds, and freeze it in ice cube trays.
How Much Food Should My Dog Be Eating?
With a homemade dog diet, the goal is to feed your adult dog around 2% to 3% of their body weight. That means a 12-pound dog gets one cup of food (or 4oz), around 4 cups (16oz) for a 50-pound dog, or up to 8 cups (32oz) for a 100-pound dog.
Like humans, dogs are individuals, so if you notice your dog gaining or losing too much weight, adjust the portions. I use the recommendations as a minimum offering and go from there. Some dogs are amazingly self-controlled and will not overfeed, while others will gorge themselves into a food coma. No one knows or loves your dog more than you do, so trust what you know enough about them and talk to your vet if you have questions.
To transition your dog from commercial foods to homemade, it is important to ease them in. If your dog is on dry food, those pellets expand to a ridiculous size once they are inside your dog. This stretches their tummies out to make them “feel” full. Switching too suddenly may cause your dog to feel hungry and overeat, which may upset their tummy. This does not mean the food is bad for your dog, their system needs a little time to adjust.
Most dogs will transition well to homemade food over a period of 7 days, while others may take a little longer. For example, in the first 2 days, you can use a 3:1 ratio by mixing 75% of the old food with 25% of the new food. On days 3 and 4, move to a 1:1 ratio so that they are getting 50% of each type. By days 5 and 6 your dog should be fine handling a 3:1 ratio of 75% new diet to 25% old diet so that on day 7, they are fully transitioned.
During Pregnancy
If your dog is already on a balanced homemade diet, you do not have to switch anything around because they are getting all the vitamins and minerals they need, but you will have to increase the amount of food later in the pregnancy. If you know your dog is expecting a large litter, you can add a fresh egg to their plate daily and mix up a crushed shell into it. If you are not comfortable with a raw egg, just scramble it with the crushed shell. Your pup will enjoy the quick crunchy breakfast omelet. This will add a small boost of daily calcium without going overboard.
A dog pregnancy usually lasts between 57 and 65 days, and somewhere between days 35 and 40, those puppies will undergo a phase of rapid growth. Your dog will need 2 to 4 times the amount of food they normally consume, and this will go on until they have fully weaned their puppies. If your dog is asking for more food, increase as needed because growth spurt days are just a range, and these can vary from one dog to the next. Your vet can help you with an individual plan.
Portion sizes can stay the same, just add more feedings throughout the day. For example, I give my mama dog 5 meals a day to keep her nourished and producing enough milk for her six puppies. She is a 50lb Collie/Husky mix, but the father is a Giant White German Shepherd, and at least twice her size.
The puppies took after him! If I didn’t let her feed as needed, she would have been unable to support the pregnancy. If you need to stay on commercial foods for any reason, choose a high-quality food, and consider adding 2 scoops of puppy formula to the mix.
This will build up the fatty content to meet the extra energy needs. Happy Cooking!
