Feeding Pregnant Bitches

Frank's Pro Gold Performance is an ideal pre-natal diet as it provides the higher levels of nutrition required to support the demands placed on the bitches body by pregnancy and lactation. Veterinary formulated Frank's Pro Gold Performance is made with highly digestible ingredients, including chicken meal, rice, eggs and chicken fat. In addition, Frank's Pro Gold Performance also includes fish, which contains Omega3 fatty acids - necessary for the health and well-being of your dog's skin and coat. Frank's Pro Gold Performance does not contain any of the most common ingredients to cause allergies or oversensitive reactions such as wheat, beef, pork, soy, corn or ethoxyquin. Additional vitamins - vitamin C included - and minerals provide nutritionally balanced food for your bitch. It is a very easily digestible premium food at a time when optimal nutritional benefit is required.

Very little foetal growth occurs in the first four to five weeks so it is not necessary to increase the quantity fed until the bitch is generally entering the seventh week of pregnancy. Development in the unborn puppies at this time becomes quite rapid and it is at this time the bitch will begin to "show" and a higher level of nutrition is required. The quantities to increase to will vary depending upon the breed and size of dog, however, a general guide is as follows:-

Again, smaller frequent feeds are easier to manage especially towards the end of her pregnancy when the puppies are taking up as much room as they can! After whelping the demands on the bitches body remain high and Frank's PRO GOLD Active provides the highest level of nutrition in a concentrated easily digestible form so that she has sufficient nutrients to produce the best quality milk. After the puppies first week of weaning the quantity the bitch is fed can be slowly reduced as the quantity of food they eat increases. This helps prevent the bitch increasing in weight as the demands on her nutrient levels decrease and assists the drying up of milk as the puppies are taking more nutrients from solid food.

Fresh water should be available at all times.