NUTRITION

Feeding your Pregnant Bitch

Diet plays a huge roll in your animal reproduction programme. If you are having problems start by looking at their diet.

Phytoestrogens are endocrine disruptors that disrupt normal hormonal function. Phytoestrogens do not bind to estrogen receptors as firmly as estrogen produced by the body, so the effect may be weaker.

You can feed the same diet to a dozen bitches and they all may have no issue apart the odd one who fails to conceive.

Feeding some bitches Phytoestrogens sometimes referred to as false estrogen, is just like giving them the contraceptive pill. Like a a human taking the pill tricking them into thinking they are pregnant so they can’t get pregnant twice. In these cases the bitch would benefit from a diet change.

The list of some of the foods that contain phytoestrogens includes
soy beans, tofu, tempeh, soy beverages, linseed oil (flax), sesame seeds, wheat, berries, oats, barley, dried beans, lentils, rice, alfalfa, mung beans, apples, carrots, wheat germ, rice, bran, rye, wheatgerm, alfafa, split peas, and soy linseed bread.

A lot of these ingredients are in complete diets, so you will need to read the labels.

What about Peas?

When conducting a search online for why Peas are adverse to fertility I came across this statement: "There is a natural chemical in peas known as m-xylohydroquinone that may keep you from getting pregnant. Research on peas goes back as far as the 1950s. There is even research ongoing about how peas could be used as a natural contraceptive."

There is no published research available in the last 50 years on the topic of peas and infertility

During a healthy pregnancy, female dogs increase their weight by an average of 25% to 50%. Therefore, nutrition during that period should be of high quality and rich in nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

The overall condition and weight of future brood bitch will influence their health, the milk they produce produce, and the well-being of their puppies.

As a dog's pregnancy is relatively short, and as long as they are on a good quality, nutritious diet, there is no need to change anything during the first few weeks.

Until the fourth week of pregnancy, most females can have their regular diet as usual.

If you feed raw food or raw bones, do not give these after the sixth week of gestation. Although a natural diet and high in calcium, the pregnant dog can eat them only up to sixth week of pregnancy. After that, bones are not recommended to avoid eclampsia (milk tetany) during lactation.

I have found that the majority of bitches bought to me to be scanned that are fed a complete diet of dried biscuit kibble go off this type of food very early on during their pregnancy.

I would usually recommend a wet food like Forthglade, which has a high meat content, together with fatty fish, fish oils (sardines, sprats and mackerel etc), and eggs. Scrambled egg with cheese has always been a favourite with my girls, and goes down well with the puppies when weaning too.

By the sixth week of gestation, puppies are growing larger and the capacity of the mums stomach will shrink in proportion. You may need to break meals down into several small meals three or four times a day.

In the final third of pregnancy, the dog needs high-energy, nutritionally balanced meals. The bitch will generally be consuming at least 50 - 75% of her normal diet by week 7 - 8.

During the last week of gestation your bitch will generally want less food, don't worry if she is eating more than 50% less than she was the week before as she will have made lots of reserves during the previous few weeks.

The labour process itself can cause stomach upsets, and you shouldn't try and force your bitch to eat. But ensure she drinks enough water to avoid dehydration during labour. Life aid electrolyte made by Norbrook is a useful part of your whelping kit as this can later be used for your puppies. I sell a product recommended and used by vets called Oralade, and a lot of my clients use this during labour to encourage the bitch to drink more and start milk production.

RAW FOOD DIET
Dogs are not just intelligent creatures, but humble, caring, and emotionally intuitive as well. Their diet, plays an important role in maintaining their overall health. Research has shown that if pregnant dogs are fed with raw food, they are highly likely to not just give birth to healthy pups, but also those pups have lower chances of acquiring allergies when they grow up. This shows that their immunity and gut systems remain strong as compared to the pups who are normally fed with processed kibble.

A lot of studies have shown that kibble is responsible for weaker immune systems in dogs. However, kibble is much easier to buy and consume, thus people prefer it more. Of course, convenience must be balanced with a high protein raw food diet. Raw food has a high content of protein, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals as compared to artificially grown food or processed kibble. This is because raw food comes in many forms like muscle meat, chicken, fish, organ meat like kidney or liver, bones, raw eggs, iron-rich vegetables such as broccoli, celery, and spinach, some dairy, and some fruits like apples, etc. Being fed with such a balanced and wholesome diet, your dog will rarely get sick unless some external situations hinder their growth pattern. According to some findings, almost 28% of dogs have canine atopic dermatitis (CAD), which is genetically inherited. This makes them prone to excessive seasonal itching, scratching, hot spots, flaky skin, hair loss, and a desire to chew on their paws all the time. These conditions can be nuisances in a dog’s everyday routine.

The hypersensitivity to environmental substances and changes can be very dangerous if not controlled on time. Dogs are sensitive animals and they require a clean and healthy breathing space to fully nurture and grow into happy pets. Research has also shown that raw food for dogs keeps the animal safe from cancerous development in cells, mobility issues, skin, and most prominently, gut problems. If the gut and digestive tract of your dog get ill, it can deteriorate the dog’s health faster than any other disease as it will not be able to eat or digest any nutrient. Raw food is healthier as it contains much more bioactive factors than processed food. It is because processed food destroys the nutrients once heated. These bioactive factors are highly beneficial in reducing inflammation, and DNA damage.

Caulophyllum 30c Prepares the cervix for labour and empowers Contractions

One dose of this remedy should be given every two weeks with a final dose during the last week. If there is difficulty at parturition with os uteri which fails to dilate properly, it will bring labour relaxation if given frequently for a few doses, e.g one dose every half hour for four doses.

• assist the slackening of pelvic ligaments their by facilitating the birth.
• Caulophyllum will empower the uterine contractions during the second stage of labour
• Eases the dilation of the cervix during first stages of labour.
• Caulophyllum eases labour pains and will facilitate expulsion of the placenta.

Caulophyllum 30C
Natures Oxytocin, only give when the bitch is actively pushing

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Phytopet Herpes Combination 30c (Homeopathic Nosodes)

Homeopathic dilution of;

Herpes Simplex 30C, Herpes Zoster 30C

Suggested use:

One pillule two or three daily begin before mating and continue through pregnancy up to two weeks post whelping.

For acute conditions increase dosage to one dose every 2-3 hours up to 6 doses per day

All of your whelping supplies can be purchased from Abnoba Pet Store