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My dog just had puppies. Why is she always hungry? How much food?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 2 months old

My chihuahua had puppies 2 weeks ago and she seems to want to eat none stop is this normal and how many bowls of food should i feed her a day

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Jessica Desrosiers

Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

Veterinary Technician

Published on November 13th, 2016

It is very normal for mother dogs to be eating constantly after giving birth and while nursing as they need to have enough calories and energy to produce milk for growing puppies while keeping their own health up. If not already, Peaches should be fed a puppy diet or other high-calorie food so that she has enough nutrients to keep herself and the puppies healthy. Make sure she is being fed at least 2-3 times daily so she can eat enough to satisfy her and the puppies needs. As they get closer to weaning age and begin to eat on their own, you can gradually switch mom over to her regular feeding schedule and the puppies to the puppy food.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

    Licensed Veterinary Technician

    Published on November 23rd, 2016

    Feed Peaches a good quality puppy food until the litter is weaned. You can feed according to directions on the bag. Pups will begin eating solid food around 3-4 weeks of age and should be weaned by 8 weeks. Once they are eating solely solid food, you can transition Peaches to a maintenance diet of adult dog food.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

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My nursing dog lost weight after puppies, eating a lot. How to help?
Hello, congratulations on your new puppies. Pregnant bitches and those who have just birthed puppies will have a substantially higher calorie demand. Most of the time, we even recommend switching mothers to puppy food (richer in calories) to keep up with there caloric demand. Alternatively, at four weeks you may wean the puppies off from nursing an onto wet/canned puppy food so that mom stops producing milk and her caloric demand returns to normal. You may feed her up to 4-6 times per day while she continues to nurse. Hope this helps and best of luck.
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What puppy food should I feed my chihuahua nursing new puppies?
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.
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Is it normal for a dog mom to be so skinny after nursing 9 pups?
9 pups will take a lot from a mother at any age, they do tend to lose a lot of weight when nursing the puppies. She will gain it back after they are weaned, make sure to feed her as much as she wants and feed her puppy food instead of normal adult food.
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Why is my mother dog peeing inside and so hungry after puppies?
Yes, Prim may be acting this way due to hormones. I suggest you get her to your vet though for an exam in case there is something more pressing underlying. She may have a urinary tract infection causing the abnormal wee-ing. She could have some nutritional deficiency that is causing the extreme hunger. It is best to get her checked out by your vet.
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Is puppy food suitable for my pregnant Shih Tzu's nutritional needs?
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.
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My dog is skinny after puppies, eating constantly. Is she okay?
I recommend getting her seen by your vet for an exam and bloodwork. She could have parasites, also, voracious appetite without weight gain or weight loss is a sign of diabetes. It could be that the pups have worn her out. She should have been eating puppy food the whole time she was pregnant and nursing. If she was not, this could be partly responsible for her thin condition. Your vet will give you a treatment plan, based on the findings.
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My dog just had puppies and won't eat. What food is best for her?
Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Adorable picture! Lucy should be eating puppy food. Any brand is fine, I like Purina, Hill's and Royal Canin, You can feed her dry, dry mixed with canned or all canned. Whatever she will eat. Be sure she is feeling ok and doesn't have a fever or abnormal vaginal discharge. If she is refusing to eat she should see a vet to be sure she doesn't have an infection. I hope this helps and I wish Lucy the best!
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