At the time of writing this, my litter of puppies is scheduled to be born on Jan. 27! Many are surprised to learn that dogs are only pregnant for about 63 to 65 days. That time seems to fly by in preparation and planning.
I was emailed the question of whether there is anything I am doing differently for Miki’s daily routine and feeding while she’s pregnant. For the first 15-20 days after implantation, I don’t do much differently, other than maybe if there was a surgical implant, I try to keep my girls somewhat quiet. After 21 days, when pregnancy is confirmed, I start letting my girls tell me what they need. As far as exercise, I like to keep my expectant mothers moving and as fit as possible. I also try not to let them put on a ton of excessive weight, as that makes whelping harder on them. So I am still taking Miki for walks, just not in places where there are a lot of other dogs. By the way, I recently received an inquiry about dog training, where the person asking informed me they were struggling to walk their dog on a local bike path. That is something I can easily help with. However, this person freely admitted that they do not vaccinate their dog, which prevented me from working with them. While Miki is fully protected, I find it is safer to walk her at the farm where I board my horse, as the only dogs ever there are my own, and I don’t have to worry about communicable diseases. A few days this week, when we were headed to the farm, Miki didn’t want to move from the couch. Based on how cold it is, I can’t say I blame her. I let her stay home and rest. However, I do like to keep a mom moving, when I can, to stimulate their appetite.
As for feeding, the proper balance of how much is too much is always a struggle for me. I do not switch her food or add any supplements but opt to increase her food at certain milestones of pregnancy. At about 40 days, which is where we are now, the puppies really start to take shape and expand. She absolutely needs extra calories, so I increased her food by about 50 percent. With the puppies now taking up so much room in her abdomen, I am feeding her four smaller meals throughout the day. I do not give any extra calcium until after the puppies are born, as giving an expectant mom too much calcium has been linked to causing preeclampsia. I will try and get them to eat egg yolks, which can help fight off mastitis. Miki has decided she cannot, under any circumstances, eat out of any food dish or off a plate. I am currently hand-feeding her all of her meals, which is fine with me as long as she is eating. I do think that you have to keep an eye on how many treats you are giving as well. Giving a mom more of her balanced diet is always preferable to giving them an excessive amount of treats, which many will gladly take.
I did take Miki for a recheck and am thrilled all five heartbeats are still going strong. Things are progressing nicely. Next week, I will share with everyone the process of getting a room ready for the arrival of our five little mini Mikis!
If you have any questions, please feel free to email heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net.
Heidi Clayton started Four On the Floor Dog Training to provide positive, reward-based dog training in South Jersey. She breeds, trains and shows bull terriers under the SoraBully’s Bull Terriers kennel name. Email questions to heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net or learn more at https://fouronthefloordogtraining.net
