Is puppy food suitable for my pregnant Shih Tzu's nutritional needs?

A multivitamin is ok, but it doesn't contain the protein and fats that Bella needs to grow healthy puppies. I would try a few different brands of puppy food. You can also use balanceit.com to make a homemade recipe for her. If she still isn't eating in a few days, I would talk to your vet about her being ill.

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

I'm wondering if your friend meant puppy food, not baby food. Yes you can give puppy food to nursing mothers to get extra calories, calcium, and protein to support nursing, but food switches should be done slowly to avoid GI upset. Because Peper has had diarrhea for a week, I would take her and her puppies into a vet today to get checked out.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! I recommend starting pregnant mothers on puppy food. Commercial puppy food will provide all the nutrients, vitamins and appropriate calories she needs. I do not recommend raw or home cooked diets as they are deficient in the appropriate nutrients unless balanced by a nutritionist. You can pay for websites like Balance It to create diets, see link below. Now is fine for puppy food or if you continue your plan now for the vitamins It is fine that she jumps it shouldn't cause miscarriages. https://secure.balanceit.com/ Good luck!

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.

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.

Cookie will need extra calories and nutrition during her pregnancy and while nursing. She should eat a puppy food during this time, and can have wet food if she doesn't like dry food. See the links below for more information: https://www.purina.co.uk/dogs/health-and-nutrition/pregnancy/feeding-your-pregnant-dog https://www.hillspet.com/dog-care/nutrition-feeding/what-to-feed-a-pregnant-dog https://www.royalcanin.com/us/dogs/puppy/what-and-how-to-feed-your-pregnant-dog