How to Care for a Pregnant Dog - Feeding a Pregnant Dog

1. Check the label on the food you feed your dog. Ensure that the food has passed an AAFCO feeding test. The label should read, “Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that _____ provides complete and balanced nutrition for ______.”[5]

2. Feed a normal amount of high-quality commercial dog food for the first 4 weeks of pregnancy. Commercial dog foods are sold at pet food and grocery stores. These foods typically contain all necessary nutrients in the correct amounts and ratios.
- Homemade foods often do not contain the proper balance of the necessary nutrients and should be avoided.

3. Switch to a high-quality puppy food during the 5th or 6th week of pregnancy. At this point in the pregnancy, your dog will have higher nutritional demands. Puppy food contains higher amounts of protein, fat, energy and minerals.
- At this point you should also increase the amount that you feed your dog by 20-25%.
- Do not feed large-breed dog or large-breed puppy foods, even if you have a large-breed dog. These foods typically do not contain enough energy or calcium for a pregnant dog.

4. Increase the amount that you feed your dog by another 25% for the end of her pregnancy, during the 8th and 9th week. At this point your dog will be eating 50% more than she did before pregnancy. For example, if your dog ate 2 cups of food twice daily before she was pregnant, she will need 6 cups of food per day by the end of her pregnancy.
- Because the puppies will be pushing on her stomach, she may not be able to eat this much food in one meal. Dividing her food into smaller, more frequent meals will ensure that she gets all of her nutritional requirements. Some dogs need to be “free fed” at this point, meaning that their food is left down throughout the day to allow them to eat as needed.

5. Do not supplement your dog’s food with vitamins, minerals, or meats unless directed by your veterinarian. You may think that additional calcium is required, and some inaccurate websites even recommend it, but do not give your dog any additional calcium. Additional calcium can affect your dog’s internal ability to regulate calcium and can put your dog at risk for a life-threatening drop in calcium (called eclampsia).[6]
- Adding meats to your dog’s food can cause them to eat fewer carbohydrates and decrease her energy intake.