There are a few adjustments to ensure the pregnant or lactating female receives all the nutrients she needs for herself and her litter. Generally, feeding a pregnant or lactating female dog is similar to feeding an adult dog raw.

Your dog's body will undergo several changes throughout pregnancy. She will continue to require added nutrition until her puppies are fully weaned.

When your dog is pregnant, you should start changing her diet around the third trimester and keep doing so until the puppies are completely weaned and moving to their raw food bowl.

Nutritional Modifications for Pregnant and Lactating Dogs

Your dog's gestation period should be between 57 and 67 days, with an average of 63 days. Like human pregnancies, your dog's pregnancy is divided into three trimesters.

During the first two trimesters, you can continue to feed her in the same manner you have in the pars. You might notice that she requires a bit more food. Each dog is unique, so tracking how much she needs is crucial.

Keep in mind that the third trimester starts at around 40 days. You might wonder why she needs dietary changes in the third trimester but not the first two. She will begin producing milk, and her puppies will grow quickly.

It is vital to supplement the food with nutrients due to the growth spurt of her puppies and milk production for her future offspring. Her body will need more nourishment as it prepares to grow strong puppies for the outside world and the best milk for them to drink. Essential nutrients will be moved from the mother to the milk to supply the nutrition puppies require. If insufficient nutrients are fed to the mother, the mother and the litter will be malnourished.

You may or may not be following NRC guidelines. Regardless, additional nutrients are necessary. However, if you follow guidelines, they have developed recommended allowances during the final trimester and lactation period. Their recommendations are as follows.

Protein: A minimum of 50 g per 1000kcal consumed.

Fat: A minimum of 21.3 grams with a maximum of 82.5 grams per 1000kcal consumed.

Carbohydrates: There is no standard for carbohydrates; nevertheless, the National Research Council (NRC) claims that pregnant and lactating dogs benefit from including starches, a rapid energy source, during the third trimester and throughout the nursing period.

The NRC sets these recommended allowances to ensure the mother dog and offspring obtain the proper nutrients in their diet. Without these regulations, pet food manufacturers would be highly unregulated and less likely to meet the demands of dogs' different life stages.

For optimal nutrition, your pregnant (third trimester) or lactating dog's bowl must contain an additional source of iron and copper. These nutrients allow the dog to maintain her health and well-being and provide nutrients to her puppies through milk. 

Generally, the percentage of liver you feed an adult dog is 5%, but during the third trimester of pregnancy and throughout nursing, this amount should be raised to 7%. 

It's important to note that grass-fed ruminant livers are more nutrient-dense, especially in copper than other liver types. Ruminant animals are grazing animals like cows, lambs, bison, and goats.

The other organs, such as the spleen, kidney, and pancreas, must also be increased by 2%. These organs are another source of iron and supply many other minerals needed for fetal growth.

As you can imagine, while puppies grow rapidly during the third trimester, their skeletal systems require added nutrients. An essential nutrient to increase is calcium to support the growth of her litter's developing bones!

Increase the mother's raw meaty bone intake to accomplish this. Generally, the amount may range between 10%-12% of raw meaty bones for the average adult dog. Pregnant dogs require 15-20% RMBs. 

It's also important to note that RMBs are the ideal choice for calcium intake. Dog lovers may grab a calcium supplement, but improper calcium amounts can do more harm than good, as the calcium/phosphorus ratio can be altered. Increasing a whole food source is the way to maintain homeostasis. 

Monitoring the female's stool is the best way to determine if too little or too much bone is being eaten. If her stools are hard, white, chalky, or have many bone pieces, reduce the percentage until they look more normal. Conversely, if her stools become loose, additional bone is needed.

Increasing the fat percentage in the diet to around 19% during the final trimester of gestation will ensure optimal performance for pregnant and lactating females. The increased amount may be less for dogs carrying small litter or more for the large and giant breed dogs. The increased fat will provide essential fatty acids for both the female and the puppies. 

A study found that the fat content in the female's milk post-whelping increased by 30% when the female was boosted from 12% fat intake to 20% fat intake, thus providing the pups with a substantial energy supply. However, the other components must be increased to maintain a nutritional balance.

Atlantic Mackerel: Atlantic mackerel contains significant amounts of EPA, DHA, and Vitamin D.

Atlantic Herring: High quantities of EPA and DHA are also found in Atlantic herring. Herring does have a lower Vitamin D concentration.

Pink Salmon: Salmon is widely available and contains both EPA and DHA. Its vitamin D content is high, although lower than that of mackerel. 

Sardines: Sardines are one of the most popular fatty fish selections on the market. They contain a high amount of EPA and DHA and a modest amount of vitamin D.

Raw Oysters: Oysters contain very little DHA and EPA but help improve zinc deficiency. However, because oysters are not a great source of omega-3s, fatty fish should still be included in her diet.  

Green-Lipped Mussels: Green-lipped mussels are full of Omega-3s, glucosamine, and chondroitin and are a natural alternative to NSAIDs.

Choline is an essential nutrient that supports numerous physiological processes vital for fetal growth and development. One of the primary roles of choline is in forming cell membranes, ensuring the structural integrity and proper function of every cell in the developing puppies. 

Additionally, choline is critical for brain development; it influences the formation and function of the hippocampus, the brain's memory center, which is fundamental for learning and memory. Choline also acts as a precursor for acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter in muscle control and cognitive function. 

During pregnancy, the mother dog's body prioritizes choline for the growing fetuses, leading to higher demands for this nutrient. Adequate choline intake during pregnancy can prevent neural tube defects and support overall neurological development, contributing to healthier, more cognitively adept puppies. 

Excellent sources of choline include all of the components of the Real Ancestral 6X DietTM and organically pasture-raised eggs, particularly the yolks. You can add eggs several times a week to your dog's meal. 

The energy requirements of a lactating female are three to four times greater than those for her adult maintenance. The food must contain the increased nutrients but remain balanced for all components to avoid any vitamin or mineral imbalances. Signs that there is an appropriate food intake are if the female can maintain a normal body condition score (BCS 2.5/5 to 3.5/5) and the puppies' growth rate is normal. 

Keep up the diet changes until the puppies are completely weaned. They will start to wean at around four weeks but still rely on their mother for some nutritional requirements. Once they stop needing their mother's milk and start eating independently, you can reintroduce your female to her regular diet.

Feeding your puppy a raw diet when it first begins eating real food can benefit its health and overall well-being. 

Nutritional modifications are necessary for pregnant and lactating dogs.

Protein requirements increase by 40-70% during late gestation.

For females with a small litter, the energy requirements for gestation peak at about 30% above adult maintenance but can increase by 50-60% when a female carries a large litter.

Food Intake and Nutrition During Pregnancy, Lactation, and Weaning in the Dam and Offspring - PMC  

Nutritional Requirements and Related Diseases of Small Animals - Management and Nutrition - Merck Veterinary Manual  

Nutritional importance of choline for brain development 

Dietary choline supplementation in pregnant rats increases hippocampal phospholipase D activity of the offspring - Holler - 1996 - The FASEB Journal - Wiley Online Library  

Choline: Exploring the Growing Science on Its Benefits for Moms and Babies  

Articles from future units will be accessible once you have completed that unit.

Unit 3 - AAFCO And NRC: Why Were Standards Established? 

Unit 6 - Testing Your Raw-Fed Dog's Health 

Your Pregnant or Lactating Dog's Raw Bowl

Feed Real Institute

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