Comments on: Take Care of Your Dog: Feed Him or Her Dog Food

By: SabrinaD

SabrinaD — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 08:58:59 +0000

Careful about adding puppy food. Some breeders I've talked to have had bad luck when they do. The puppies got larger on them causing a c-section. When they stopped using puppy food, they stopped having so many c-sections. Let her eat as much as she wants of her regular food. I've given a pregnant chi bread (it has folic acid now you know). You can offer her cottage cheese, I don't think I've had a dog turn up their nose at it. Will she eat dog vitamins? My vet gave me some for my girls. But not all my chis will take them.
References :
Other chi breeders

By: lovemypups3

lovemypups3 — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 08:56:59 +0000

I fed my Shih-tzu Innova EVO (this food is very high in protein) while she was pregnant and all the puppies were born VERY healthy and strong. Most of the better foods don't have a puppy and an adult formula they're good for all life stages.

DO NOT ADD ANY VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS IN THE FIRST MONTH OF PREGNANCY.
BIRTH DEFECTS WILL DEVELOP FROM TOO MUCH VITAMINS A & D.
DO NOT GIVE ANY MEDICINE NOW EITHER WITHOUT THE EXPRESS ORDER OF THE VETERINARIAN.

At week 5 you should increase her feeding by 25%.
Give her a daily Vitamin supplement from your Veterinarian

At week 6, increase her feeding again by 25% and divide her feedings into 2 meals a day.

You will notice that she is sleeping a little more now.
At week 7, increase her meal amount again by 25%.

At week 8, increase the feed again by 25%. She is now eating double her normal amount.
Begin feeding her 3 times a day now and make the exercise time shorter, but more frequent.
Walking will be very tiring for her and she is very uncomfortable through the last week of the pregnancy.

Begin taking her temperature rectally twice a day.
The normal dog temperature is about 100.3F – 101.3F.
It will normally drop to about 98. degrees F 8 – 24 hours before the onset of labour and she will refuse to eat or drink anything.
There are books about dog deliveries you can read
NEVER EXPECT YOUR DOG TO DELIVER A LITTER BY HERSELF.
Although animal whelping is a 'natural event' this does not mean that the animal does not get into serious trouble if left unattended.
Mother and puppies frequently die because the owner thoughtlessly left her alone during this crucial time.
References :
http://www.petbitsforyou.com/pregnant.html

By: chihuahua lady

chihuahua lady — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 08:54:59 +0000

Any good quality puppy food is okay and you can supplement it with cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc, calcium rich food during the last few weeks of pregnancy. Best of luck with your chi and the upcoming litter. Try to be home during her last few days before the pups are born to watch her closely. C-sections are pretty common in chis.
References :

By: dogmom

dogmom — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 08:52:59 +0000

Purina Pro Plan Puppy
References :

By: KimbeeJ

KimbeeJ — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 08:50:59 +0000

The only thing you need to do is to feed a high quality puppy food in the last trimester of pregnancy. She doesn't need people food, and it may cause upset stomach as dogs are lactose intolerant. After the puppies are born, give her all the puppy food she wants to eat. Some toy breeds are prone to eclampsia, a condition that comes from depleted calcium levels in the bloodstream. Usually after the pups have been nursing for about 2 weeks. The mom can have tremors or seizures. This is not very common, and I wouldn't be overly worried about it…just aware of it. If it happens, she'll need calcium injections from the vet right away. Adding extra calcium to the diet may even cause this, so don't do so unless your vet specifically tells you to. Read the link below for more info on this subject.
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/eclampsia-in-dogs/page1.aspx
References :
CVT

By: M C

M C — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 08:48:59 +0000

Use Medical Development Formula. It's a food only sold in vet clinics, and no, u dont have to see a dr, to get it. It's the highest quality food for pregnant and lactating mothers, as well as for the puppies until they reach a year old. I love the Medical brand.
References :

By: Stephanie T

Stephanie T — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 03:46:13 +0000

What is considered as quality food you feed for prenatal care of chihuahuas?
I've seen a lot of chi owners on this site talking about prenatal care for their chis. My concerned is what type of food specifically do you feed for prenatal chi care? is it a certain brand of puppy food? is it home made foods? what can i feed her to produce more milk? i was told by a vet to give her yogurt and cottage cheese but what if she refuses? then what do i feed her then?