My dog is 53 days pregnant. Should I add puppy kibble to her food?

At six weeks of pregnancy, she should be getting a third more food than her normal amount; for example, if she was getting 1 cup of food twice a day before she was pregnant, she should be getting 1.3 cups of food twice a day. It's important to stop giving her puppy food 10 days before her expected whelping date, and then I would feed her an adult formulated food. She can go back on the puppy food after she gives birth to the puppies. A dog's normal pregnancy is 58-68 days, so I would stop the puppy food when she is 48 days pregnant.

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

A dog's pregnancy typically lasts around 63 days. Pregnancy is divided into trimesters. A healthy, pregnant botch will usually gain around 15 -20% beyond her weight at breeding. You should neither over- nor underfeed your dog during pregnancy, as overfeeding will cause obesity past the pregnancy and underfeeding can cause thee puppies to be underdeveloped, abortion or stillbirth and a small litter size and/or low birth weight puppies. During the first two trimesters (approx. up to the 40th day of pregnancy) you should feed her her normal amount of feed, observing whether she is losing weight or condition. If so, increase her food as needed, During the third trimester, after about day 40 of gestation, the puppies wil start growing rapidly and exponentially and so the bitch will need extra nutrition. Feed her an about 30-60% higher ration depending on the size of the litter and general condition. This may mean you have to feed her several times a day as she will have less and less room in her abdomen due to the space the growing puppies are requiring. So, if her normal amount of food is around 400g/day and she now eats 700g, that should be plenty provided she does not start getting fat (from feed) nor lose weight. Feeding a good quality dog food ensures proper development of the puppies as well as keeping their mother healthy.

I would keep giving the Betty the bland diet for the next couple of days, and then slowly add back in her normal adult dog food diet. She need to be off the puppy food now, as it's not recommended to feed a high calcium dog food in the last 10-14 days before giving birth. That's because too much calcium will prevent the uterus from contracting properly. Once she gives birth to her puppies, she can go back on the puppy food. If the diarrhea isn't clearing up, I would have Betty seen by a vet again. She may need additional medications to help with the diarrhea, which the vet can prescribe.

No vitamins are needed, but you can feed her with a more energetic food (wet if she does not like dry), like puppy food, from now. Good luck with the little ones and let us know how she is getting on!!!!

Feed Rita puppy food to give her extra calories, calcium, and protein. During the last five weeks of her pregnancy, increase her food intake gradually, until she consumes 35-to-50 percent more than usual. Increase her intake slowly and feed her small, frequent meals, as large meals can cause discomfort. Make sure to take her into a vet tomorrow to confirm she is pregnant, and have regular vet visits during the pregnancy. Emergencies happen during pregnancy. While you are at your veterinarian for a prenatal checkup, ask your veterinarian about what to do in the event of an emergency and set up a plan with your family and pet sitter.

I don't normally recommend giving pregnant females any kind of extra calcium supplementation during pregnancy, since there is evidence to show that this can actually increase their risk of post-birth complications such as eclampsia. Instead, feed her a high-quality puppy food such as Royal Canin or Purina Pro Plan during her pregnancy and while she is nursing her puppies - puppy food has a higher calorie content than normal adult dog food, and will meet all of the mother's nutritional needs during this time without the need for any additional supplements.