Prenatal care for dogs

[PatriciaM]

Hi,
I would like your input on nutrition you would recommend for a pregnant German Shepard. In the past I have supplemented with egg shell in diet along with other supplement. Recently another breeder recommended mixing Tums and ice cream for the calcium factor. I am not saying I will do that. But wondering what you would recommend for during pregnancy and after whelping as far as good nutrition and supplements?

 

[Dr. Sara]

Please get a good, science based book about breeding management, like Dr. Root Kustritz's "The Dog Breeder's Guide to Successful Breeding and Health Management". Ignore the parts that are negative about raw feeding; the rest is excellent. Unfortunately, a lot of misinformation about calcium supplementation is perpetuated among breeders.
Bitches should NOT be supplemented with calcium during pregnancy. During pregnancy the bitch must start to mobilize calcium from her own bones to be able to manage the needs of the growing fetuses and the later milk needs of the pups. This is natural and appropriate. If you supplement calcium during pregnancy beyond what is present in a balanced diet, the hormone (parathormone) that mobilizes calcium is not released. This increases the risk of hypocalcemia (low blood calcium) during lactation, as the mum can not physically take in enough calcium to supply the pups with milk without the aid of her bone stores. She has to have that parathormone working to mobilize her body calcium BEFORE the demands of lactation.
During lactation, supplementation of calcium, with vitamin D to promote uptake from the intestine, may be needed for small breeds nursing large litters, or for bitches with a history of eclampsia.
My Berner bitches ate their balanced raw right through pregnancy and lactation, with no additional calcium supplementation. They did need extra carbohydrates during late gestation and lactation to help maintain weight.
Dr. Sara

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Thanks for asking Patricia. The G. Shep greed is fortunate to have you working to make the breed better through natural practices.

Patricia, are you using the Eggshellent to balance out phosphorus all of the time, or are you using it only during pregnancy.

Dr. Sara's wise words are very important for maintaining normal parathyroid function during pregnancy. As she wrote, supplementing can reduce the natural balance calcium and phosphorus and increase chance of eclampsia (or other calcium problems) during whelping and lactating.

I'd just keep using the calcium to balance the boneless meat and then focus on great post-whelping nutrition.

Has this bitch had pups before? If so, how many and how was her milk supply?

 

[PatriciaM]

Hi
i have used the eggshell as a supplement to food only before and after whelping. But given this knowledge, I would probably now only use it with raw that had no bone, which I rarely do.
This bitch has never had puppies before and is an older mom.
thank you both for yours advice,
Patricia (Trease)