What dog food is best for my nursing dog: puppy chow or high protein?

Lylah would do well on a good-quality puppy food while she is nursing. Having it available for the next couple of months will also make sure that it is available when the puppies start to eat solid foods. I feed my dogs ProPlan: https://www.chewy.com/purina-pro-plan-focus-puppy-chicken/dp/52414

Puppy food is recommended over all life stages, i personally recommend one of the following: Orijen, Acana or Evolve. i advise giving her small meals 4-5 times a day, you can add wet puppy food as well it may help with her energy levels.

Personally, I really like Royal Canin's line of puppy foods - they even have a breed-specific diet for Chihuahuas :) Other good options would include Purina Pro Plan and Hills Science Diet. Whatever brand you choose, make sure to feed Peaches the puppy version the entire time that she's nursing, since she will need the extra calories to make milk for the puppies.

Yes, you should feed a pregnant and lactating mother a puppy food as this has more calories for the extra demand of nutrition that she will need while pregnant and nursing. Once her puppies are weaned she can go back on to her regular adult maintenance diet. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It isn't ideal to feed adult food but if it is impossible to get it then you can only do what you can do. I would discuss with your Vet supplementing with Calcium as she is a small breed dog and low calcium is risky right after birth from nursing. They can decide if she is at risk and provide dosing and when to start. I wish you and Coco the best!

Well that is quite simple actually. Pregnant dogs only require puppy food which is higher in calories and provides exactly what she needs to maintain a good milk supply and muscle mass during her last trimester. You should start about halfway through her pregnancy and continue this food daily until she has completely weaned her puppies (at 3-4 weeks of age). You don't really need a daily food chart, just feed her the normal amount of food that you would feed her on a regular basis an she should be just fine. It is also a good idea to get her examined around day 45 by a veterinarian to find out how many pups she is having (via x-ray) and also for a general health exam to make sure mama is in good medical condition for her upcoming labor. Here is a website link with lots more tips and recommendations on how to care for a pregnant dog http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=678 http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1459

Hello, and thank you for your question! The back of the bag looks like it says the diet is suitable for puppies, so it should have enough fat and calories for lactating mothers as well. I hope this helps, and that mom and puppies are doing well!