š¾ A pregnancy is an amazing time but it is of course vital that mum is looked after, as well as her precious pups.
ā ļø To begin, liaise with your vet to ensure mum is starting the pregnancy nice and healthy. We strongly advise feeding your pregnant dog a raw diet using our guides to assist, however, mum should be happy, fit and healthy too so any pain, itchy skin, yeast issues or temperament issues are not able to pass to pups from mum. Transitioning to raw can be done using weeks 1-3 of the blogs Transition to Raw
Please note: Garlic, Fenugreek & Neem should all be stopped during pregnancy. For garlic, this is because of the reasons outlined in our blog. For Fenugreek & Neem, although there is conflicting science, we recommend stopping these too as they possibly can stimulate uterine contractions. Of course, this means you have very limited options for parasite prevention so we recommend using:
Alexanders Bugzilla spray or similar
Organic pumpkin seeds: Must be organic and must be crushed before feeding to avoid blockages and enable digestion. 1/2 teaspoon to be given for ever 10kg of dog weight, up to twice a day but maintenance is once per day.
What to feed:
Once on raw, no changes are needed however some breeders use a little more heart content for extra folic acid. Once transitioned to raw, Paleo Plus is a well balanced food, with high quality ingredients and is not just organic but also ethical so is perfect to feed. Another great option is Naturaw Forage range for those who like to use complete foods, ensuring mum has all she needs.
Portion wise, early in pregnancy, no increase is needed.
Be sure to Booster the raw you use with the following:
Raw eggs 2-3 times a week (Naturaw contains egg but you can still give up to half this amount to booster her intake)
Kelp Seaweed daily (if using anything other than a complete food)
Cooked, frozen mussels 2-3 times a week (just a couple as they are powerful)
Small oily fish like sardines 2-3 times a week (if feeding Naturaw there is no need to add this, but you could still feed a little bit extra)
Some antioxidants like blueberries, a few a days a week
As mum is also experiencing a time of stress (its very hard work after all to grow pups) you may wish to consider using Prodog Raw Revive
Week 5 of pregnancy:
Mum-to-be should be hungrier now, so you will need to begin increasing food slightly. The general rule is below but we will walk you through each phase too as she nears birthing:
Week 5 - increase of 5-10%
Week 6 - increase of 5-10%
Week 7 - increased by another 5-10%
Week 8 - increased by a further 5-10%
Week 6-7 of pregnancy:
As her pups grow, mum's stomach capacity will shrink so we recommend:
Increase meal frequency to up to 6 times a day so that she has smaller meals at a time
Increase fat content by selecting higher fat proteins such as duck, pork and beef.
Adding some fatty beef mince (that has been frozen first of course) can give vital energy & helps decrease bone content, so see below for calcium advise
āļø What about calcium?
š¾ There is conflicting science around calcium for pregnant bitches so we would recommend you work with a pro-raw or holistic vet at this stage or in advance to discuss.
ā ļø Never, ever use calcium supplements for your pregnant bitch. Seek support from a pro-raw or holistic vet for this.
āļø Week 8-9 of pregnancy:
By week 8, your pregnant dog should now be eating up to 50% more food than pre-pregnancy. Bone content should be fairly low or even none by now depending on your veterinary advice.
In the final week, she may begin to eat less, so you can gradually reduce food.
A day or 2 before the birth many bitches stop eating altogether but do not worry, she has plenty of reserves built up by now.
Just before the birthing, give some cooked vegetables. This has a laxative effect allowing your dog to empty her bowels and make more room for pups during the birthing process.
What about post-birth / lactating?
Once mum has given birth she should begin to eat again.
You now need to give her raw meaty bones again as she needs them for feeding the litter, the bigger the litter the more calcium she will need. This is crucial to avoid eclampsia.
Chicken backs, necks, carcass and wings are great, or a pre made raw with 10% bone, plus provide plenty of fresh drinking water.
Some dogs eat the placenta and that is fine but it can have a laxative effect, and if any birth complications happened or it smells off, do not feed it.
Post birth boost for mum?
š¾ Dr Ian Billinghurst recommends this recipe daily for a few days:
1 cup of whole goat milk
1 teaspoon of local or Manuka Honey
1 raw egg
1-2 teaspoons of flax seed oil
š¾ Dr Conor Brady recommends also adding:
Some ground liver
Fenugreek and Milk Thistle to aid milk production
Kelp Seaweed if you donāt already add it
ā ļø Avoid all unnecessary chemicals including chemical flea and wormers. Work with a pro-raw or holistic vet for help with this.
Can I wean the pups onto raw?
Yes!
Aged 3-4 weeks old, they can begin their raw journey. To do this we recommend:
ā ļø As this is the peak lactation stage for mum, feed her 25% more food than pre-pregnancy, for each pup she is feeding.
Mix a weaning paste such as Paleo Ridge or Nutriment weaning paste with full fat goat milk into a yoghurt type consistency. You could also look to give pups an extra booster by using a Colostrum such as Prodog which is packed with immunoglobulins (antibodies) and growth factors that help to maintain healthy: immune function, cellular development and gut environmentā the ideal daily dietary addition to aid dogsā natural defences, digestion and overall health. You could also look to mix in some Bone Broth
Serve at room temperate
After a few days, start to reduce the amount of added goat milk slowly
Start slowly, with just 1 meal and gradually build up more and more over weeks 3 to 6
ā ļø Let mum feed the pups still, follow the instructions as per the packaging of the paste. As pups are weaned, slowly reduce mum's food back to her pre-pregnancy amount by end of week 8
When can I move the pups to full raw?
š¾ We would recommend a puppy range of raw be can now be fed until pups are 8 weeks old when they can then follow our transition blog to slowly increase their variety whilst any new pet parents learn about raw to!
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