How to care for your bitch before and during pregnancy

Prenatal Care of the Bitch before Mating

• Female should receive a veterinarian examination.
• Be sure the female is free of parasites and diseases.
• She should not be over or underweight.
• She should be physically, mentally and emotionally mature.
• Vaccinations should be given one month before the bitch is mated.

Prenatal Care of the Bitch during Pregnancy
Start feeding your female a high quality Puppy food right after breeding. Puppy food has higher protein and fat content which her body needs to support her growing puppies. Halfway through pregnancy, her body requires about 10% more nourishment.  By the seventh week, her requirements are increased by 30%, and beginning the eighth week they require 50% more nourishment.  At the time of whelping, her energy requirements are 60% above normal levels.  Overfeeding during early pregnancy is bad, and underfeeding in late pregnancy is worse!  The rate in fetal re-absorption is believed to be higher in bitches that are overfed in the few weeks after breeding. 

The bitch will gain more weight and gain it faster with a larger litter.  It should be obvious around five to six weeks whether her litter is small, medium, or large.

During the fist month of pregnancy, the bitch can exercise and play as normal.  It’s during the last few weeks of her pregnancy she should not jump off couches or exert herself.  This can cause a developing pup to detach from the uterine wall and cause a still birth. 
 
She should never be given any drugs or have flea/tick products applied to her skin.