My dog is nursing 6 pups. What food is best and how can I increase her energy?

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.

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

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

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!

The term high-protein is a little vague, so puppy chow would probably be better for a lactating mom. You can always check the back of the bag and see if it's formulated for lactation. This would be found under the garaunteed analysis. The biggest requirements for a lactating dog is energy and calcium, so I wouldn't be overly concerned with protein content. I hope that helps and all is well with Harley.

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.

If you haven't yet, transition her to a quality puppy food. Feed her this diet until she weans the litter then transition slowly back to an adult maintenance diet. Provide plenty of fresh water as well. If necessary, you can supplement the pups with a puppy milk replacer such as Esbilac or Pet Lac. Either may be purchased from your veterinarian or the local Petco.