Joined: Wed Dec 31 1969, 07:00PM Location: Underground Posts: 1347
Increasing The Food Ration
When is it advisable for the breeder to increase the amount of food for the bitch, and when does she need additives to enable her to nourish her puppies properly? Let us go back to the migration undertaken by the fertilized ovum down to its nidation in the uterus; let us call to mind the time needed for this journey and the very slight amount of fetal growth in those first few weeks. It has been scientifically established that up till the 30th day of the pregnancy, the fetus has achieved a 10 per cent of its final birth weight. The remaining 90 per cent is gained in the second half of the pregnancy. It is no problem for the bitch to sustain the embryos perfectly adequately for thirty days after mating without any increase in her diet-even if it is a large litter. From the 30th day onward the dog food industry advises increased quantities of food for the pregnant bitch.As regards feeding times for an in- whelp bitch, for the first four weeks stick to the normal routine she was used to before mating. As a rule, this is one meal a day. After the first four weeks of the gestation period have passed, the additional amount should be given in the form of a second meal. When the bitch begins to become heavy, at the latest in the seventh week, the food should be divided into three or four meals. When feeding several meals a day, it is very easy to vary the feeds, and, thus, sustain the bitches appetite. In this way, the bitch is receiving a comprehensive and well-balanced diet containing all the necessary requirements. Now this should be adapted to suit the in- whelp bitch, since it is of vital importance to steer the amount of food given in the later stages of pregnancy in accordance with the size of the expected litter. If the bitch is still slender after the sixth week, so that it seems likely that she will have just a few puppies or perhaps no puppies at all, then quite obviously the increased amount of food given should only be slight, according to my own calculations about 20 per cent. One puppy births pose particular problems for the dam. The excessive growth that takes place in single puppies should not be augmented by rich feeding. If, on the other hand, the bitch rapidly becomes very heavy and litter looks like a very large one, the quantities of food should be increased. In my own experience, the bitch's food intake should be somewhat reduced. Many bitches, especially those carrying large litters, reduce their food intake of their own accord at this stage. In large litters, this should be compensated for by raising the quality of the food.
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