Food during pregnancy?

[TatumsMom]

I've read a couple differences in opinion.... 1) regular, normal food throughout pregnancy 2) good puppy food during pregnancy. Which do you breeders prefer for your pregnant bitches?

I'm asking for our Aussie who we will be breeding again hopefully in August. We fed her a good puppy food last time but I've since read (on here, I think) that just continuing with her regular food is the preferred way to go. I've learned a lot about pregnancy in general from this board and really appreciate all the advise.

Just curious on the opinions....

[bjh]

I have been raising yorkies for over 13 years and I have always kept my bred females on a quality puppy food their whole pregnancy. In fact I feed all my dogs Chicken Soup dry puppy food and I just add a little canned Pedigree Chopped Chicken or Healthy Digestion. Once the pups are born I give a calcium supplement to the nursing mom. I also start adding some canned Pedigree puppy food to their dry food.

[TatumsMom]

Originally Posted by bjh

I have been raising yorkies for over 13 years and I have always kept my bred females on a quality puppy food their whole pregnancy. In fact I feed all my dogs Chicken Soup dry puppy food and I just add a little canned Pedigree Chopped Chicken or Healthy Digestion. Once the pups are born I give a calcium supplement to the nursing mom. I also start adding some canned Pedigree puppy food to their dry food.

Are you saying you feed your other (non-pregnant) dogs the puppy food too? The problem I foresee this time is that with her last litter we kept a male - to be used as a stud hopefully in a year or so - and while they do eat from separate bowls, we don't exactly monitor them and they eat from each other's bowl sometimes so I'm thinking that it would be so much easier to feed them the same food.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by TatumsMom

Are you saying you feed your other (non-pregnant) dogs the puppy food too? The problem I foresee this time is that with her last litter we kept a male - to be used as a stud hopefully in a year or so - and while they do eat from separate bowls, we don't exactly monitor them and they eat from each other's bowl sometimes so I'm thinking that it would be so much easier to feed them the same food.

Each breeder preferences are predicated on what they decide with their vet. Some vets feel if you are feeding a high quality adult food their is no need to change to a puppy food. My vet feels that each female should be treated to their own invidual preference. Some of my girls will adjust to a puppy food of the same brand of adult food I've been feeding. Other's won't touch it, so we keep them on their regular food.

Once your girl has been bred and during her last trimester, you'll have to increase the # of meals she'll be getting throughout the day. It is best to feed her seperately. Once she's whelped she'll be eating her meals within close proximity to her pups....so, get her use to it now. I find it easier to feed mine seperately, that way I can monitor each dog's food intake.

[TatumsMom]

Originally Posted by Mardelin

Each breeder preferences are predicated on what they decide with their vet. Some vets feel if you are feeding a high quality adult food their is no need to change to a puppy food. My vet feels that each female should be treated to their own invidual preference. Some of my girls will adjust to a puppy food of the same brand of adult food I've been feeding. Other's won't touch it, so we keep them on their regular food.

Once your girl has been bred and during her last trimester, you'll have to increase the # of meals she'll be getting throughout the day. It is best to feed her seperately. Once she's whelped she'll be eating her meals within close proximity to her pups....so, get her use to it now. I find it easier to feed mine seperately, that way I can monitor each dog's food intake.

That's what I figured. This will be the first time having to feed them separately and I'm not sure how difficult it's going to be. Stormie (mom) and Blaze (son) are pretty inseparable for the most part. At least with this heat, she will be in Kansas (that's where our stud is) and not around Blaze. Her last heat was torture for all of us since they had never had to be separated before. But you're right.... they need to get used to being separated some for when the pups arrive. I'm sure he'll be better at it by then since he's getting older.

But is it "harmful", you think, for Blaze to eat the puppy food also?

[WV~Yorkies]

That is one reason I feed Natural Balance all life stage. My adults and younger ones can eat it without any problem. The last few weeks I start taking momma alone a feeding her extra. Most of the time I give her the Natural balance roll food to up her calories or a couple spoons of high quality wet food mixed with her dry.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by TatumsMom

That's what I figured. This will be the first time having to feed them separately and I'm not sure how difficult it's going to be. Stormie (mom) and Blaze (son) are pretty inseparable for the most part. At least with this heat, she will be in Kansas (that's where our stud is) and not around Blaze. Her last heat was torture for all of us since they had never had to be separated before. But you're right.... they need to get used to being separated some for when the pups arrive. I'm sure he'll be better at it by then since he's getting older.

But is it "harmful", you think, for Blaze to eat the puppy food also?

The only thing I consider is that puppy food has a higher protien value.

The most important thing you need to consider is that if your female isn't eating the food you have chosen, then it isn't doing her any good.

[bjh]

Originally Posted by TatumsMom

Are you saying you feed your other (non-pregnant) dogs the puppy food too? The problem I foresee this time is that with her last litter we kept a male - to be used as a stud hopefully in a year or so - and while they do eat from separate bowls, we don't exactly monitor them and they eat from each other's bowl sometimes so I'm thinking that it would be so much easier to feed them the same food.

All my yorkies, males included, eat the same food. In past years I have fed Canidae, an all stages of life food but for the last couple of years I have stuck with the Chicken Soup puppy food because all my dogs do well on it. I have yorkies ranging from puppy to almost 14 years old and they all do very well with free feeding. Everyone does things differently. I never separate my pregnant females from the others until she goes into labor. I found that separating them is very stressful for them. Of course I am home most of the time so it is very easy for me to watch them since they all live in the house with me. When it gets close to whelping time I don't leave the house and the expectant momma will sleep in the bedroom with us.
I really feel that it is best to keep the expectant mommas routine as normal as possible throughout her pregnancy.