Nutrition for Lactating Dogs

Just as with human women, a female dog who is lactating needs an increased amount of calories to maintain her own health while still producing milk for her puppies. In addition to food, lactating dogs also need to have access to plenty of water to ensure milk production and to keep from dehydrating.

  1. Incorporating More Food

    • During the first week of lactation, the dog will need to have her food increased by 150 percent and then 200 percent for the second week. Then 300 percent for the third and fourth week when lactation is at its peak. This will continue until the puppies are weaned at around 6 weeks. After the fourth week, puppies will ned to have semi-solid foods introduced into their own diet to begin to supplement the lactation from the mother.

    Ensure a Balanced Diet

    • Picking higher-end food during this time is key to maintaining the health of all the dogs involved. Feed her a complete and balanced diet dense in energy to ensure optimum lactation. You can also moisten the kibble with a little bit of water to aid the mother in digestion. Avoid giving the mother any supplements, as this can cause health problems unless directed by your veterinarian.

    Diet During Weaning

    • When the weaning of the puppies occurs at 6 weeks, the mother may still produce milk even though there are no puppies for her to feed it to. Should this occur, cut down on the food given to the mother to stop milk production. Consult your veterinarian on the weight and size of your dog to work out a plan for reducing the mother's food.