What Should I Feed My Dog That Delivered Puppies?

During a dog's pregnancy, which lasts about nine weeks, she gradually eats more and more to nourish the puppies she's carrying. While often mother dogs lose their appetite right before, and sometimes right after, giving birth, once the puppies are nursing she needs a lot more food than she took in even in the last weeks of the pregnancy.

  1. How Much?

    • Once the puppies are born, everything the mom eats goes straight to them, through her milk. Depending on the size of the litter, she could need four times as much food as normal every day to keep herself, and them, alive. While you shouldn't give her bigger meals than usual, you should feed her more frequently than before she gave birth. It is also advisable to keep dry food nearby all day, so she can take in more nourishment at will if she needs it.

    What?

    • Regular dog food is formulated for adult dogs with average energy needs, so it is insufficient for your nursing dog and the three to nine puppies she is feeding. Your dog should be given puppy food, which is designed to be extra nutrient-rich. Do not use food for large-breed puppies, as this has less protein, fat and minerals. Another option is to feed food designed for "performance" dogs, that is, dogs that do a lot of hard work. It, too, is designed with extra energy needs in mind.

      She should also have constant access to water. If she becomes dehydrated, she will produce less milk for the puppies.

    Where?

    • The new mom probably won't want to leave her puppies, so you should keep her food near her living area. Do not put the dishes in the puppy box, though, because the little ones could crawl or fall into the bowls.

    Weaning

    • At about 4 weeks old, the puppies will start to want to eat Mom's food, and special mixtures can be made for them. At this point it's okay to start adding adult dog food back into your dog's diet. This will help decrease milk production as the puppies switch from nursing to eating solid food. By the time the puppies are 7 weeks old, your dog can be back to her regular, pre-pregnancy diet.