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When your dog is pregnant, it’s important that she receives appropriate care – whether it’s her first litter or her second. As it’s a big-time in her life, you should take particular steps and measures to ensure that she is comfortable, relaxed and ready to welcome her pups into the world! If your dog is pregnant, this list of tips will help with the process. 

What Do I Feed Her? 

It’s vital to know that you will have to change her diet when she becomes pregnant. Adult-formula food simply doesn’t provide the nutrients she needs throughout the pregnancy – so you will have to switch her diet back to puppy formula when she is around 6 weeks pregnant. This will ensure that the extra nutrients pass on to her puppies when she feeds them milk. You should try and introduce the different food in stages so that her tummy adjusts to the changes. 

It’s common for pregnant dogs to get ‘morning sickness’ in which she is physically sick or goes off her food – this is perfectly normal. If this continues, however, you should visit your vet. 

You can start to increase the amount of formula you give her a little each week so that it’s approximately 3 x the normal amount by week 9. You should make sure that you measure these portions to ensure that she is not becoming obese – which could cause her problems in labour. 

If she has had any medical problems in the past, you must check the appropriate diet for her before changing her food.

Here at Barking Heads, we have a wide range of pet food that is appropriate for pregnant dogs. Made with natural ingredients that have been approved by vets, our selection of the best dog food 2019 will give your dog the nutrients she needs. 

Can I Still Take Her On Walks?

When it comes to exercise, it’s important that you continue to walk her so that she keeps up her strength. However, you should try and avoid any form of intensive training and any bumps to her body from other dogs. Throughout her pregnancy, she will also start to become uncomfortable – so you should start to make the walks a little shorter. 

Vaccination or No Vaccination?

To guarantee that your dog passes on immunity to the puppies through her milk, she should have all of the appropriate vaccinations before mating (including hepatitis, parvo, canine distemper and rabies). If you have forgotten to get her vaccinated, it’s vital that you talk to your vet as some vaccinations can be given to her while pregnant. 

Provide Her With An Area to Give Birth In 

As her due date comes closer, it’s a good idea to get an area ready in which she can give birth. Whether it’s a cardboard box that’s filled with towels and clean blankets, a dog bed or another enclosed area, it’s crucial that it’s comfortable for her. It should also be placed in a quiet area of the house so that she won’t be disturbed and kept at room temperature.