What should lactating dogs eat?

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Sarah Johnson

Healthcare Technology Correspondent

What should lactating dogs eat?

What should dogs eat during lactation? It is best for dogs to eat liquid food, and eat small meals frequently. After the dog recovers, start feeding protein, fat, vitamins and other foods; lactation dogs need to secrete milk every day, so It is necessary to strengthen nutrition, prepare enough drinking water, and feed broth appropriately. If the dog is not having enough milk during lactation, you can try brown sugar water or glucose water to feed the dog.

Within two or three days after the female dog gives birth, the food should be preferably liquid, and the feeding amount should be appropriately reduced, gradually increase after four days, and return to normal in about a week. After the dog's body gradually recovers, prepare some foods rich in protein, fat, vitamins and minerals, and you can start to provide dog food and other foods.

During the lactation period, the female dog must secrete a sufficient amount of milk every day, so the amount of food and the frequency of feeding should be gradually increased to enhance nutrition. They should be fed 3-4 times a day and have enough water ready to drink at any time. In terms of nutritional content, in addition to appropriately increasing protein and vegetables in concentrated feeding foods, broth or milk should also be appropriately increased. Some bitches, especially first-time bitches, do not have enough milk. You can try brown sugar water or glucose water and add vitamin C.

If the bitch’s milk secretion is insufficient or the lactation stops, the puppies can be given to other bitches that have fewer litters and more milk to breastfeed. The method is to first separate the mother dog from her own litter for 2 hours, move the litter into the kennel of the surrogate mother, and then apply scented oil or the surrogate mother's milk on both litters of puppies. This can avoid the mother dog from There is a danger of the puppy being bitten to death if he refuses to nurse. If there is no surrogate female dog, artificial breastfeeding can be carried out, 4-6 times a day, using a straw or rubber nipple, and allowing it to suck until its abdomen is slightly swollen. Dog milk is thick, and feeding milk alone is not nutritious enough, so some milk powder must be added.