Feeding An In Whelp Bitch

The lovely Rhian (English Setter) is on day 35 and has been confirmed in whelp by the local sheep scanner.

She is normally a greedy girl and loves her nosh but I am having trouble feeding her as she doesnt want her normal food. I have tried adding various tinned meats, gravies, veggies, sauces etc I can get her to eat pasta and chicken boiled in water and stock cubes but she doesnt seem to eat enough either in volume or in nutritional content to support herself never mind the whelps.

My usual tempting standby is pilchards but I dont really want to give her such a strong tasting food as I dont want it to affect her milk supply.

Has anyone any suggestions please ?

Thalice's Mum

I actually give my bitches pilchards when they are in whelp! Would much rather give them a natural source of calcium than tablets.

Is she on dried food normally - have you tried zapping it in the microwave just to release the oils (about 15 seconds) to see if that tempts her. Or possibly try giving her a small something she really likes about half an hour before her meal so that she realises she's hungry and her stomach has started working on something. Mine get a small amount of whole fat goats milk about half an hour before a meal when they are in whelp

Other things I've given mine when they aren't eating include - live yoghurt, scrambled eggs, cheese (hard and cottage cheese), liver water.

I've never had a bitch go off her food when she's inwhelp for more than a day or so but friends have been in your position - one had a bitch that would only eat one chicken wing every third day (large breed) and went onto have 8 healthy pups, another would only eat human sausages for the last two weeks - she wouldn't look at them after the pups were born.

Good luck with Rhian!

Kate

Thanks Kate

I am still worried. I know that the puppies will draw on her reserves in order to develop and that they wont suffer, but I do know that my bitches do their puppies so well that they end up looking like a refugee from Biafra (are you old enough to remember that African famine ?). So I want to avoid Rhian looking like I should be reported to the RSPCA.

I can now get buttered bread into her and I have boiled some eggs for the morning - she can have the shells too ! But I would like her to eat proper food !

Thalice's Mum

My vall girls always looked like they'd been in Belsen when the pups were about 4 weeks no matter what i fed them during their pregnancy. When the pups land now i tend to free feed mum with whatever she wants and however much she wants.

I used to live with a really finicky eater - who i resorted to feeding toast and pate, cheese on toast and ocasionally marmite on toast.... all with butter on as well.

how long has she got to go now?

Kate

My girls generally go on a hunger strike from around 4 weeks until post whelping, first couple of times we rushed off to the vet who sold us expensive tins of dog meat - only for them to turn their noses up at it - changed vets and he said they will eat when hungry and then to let them eat what they want! Mine have had pilchards, sardines, pasta basically anything they will eat.

It's also a long way off before her milk comes in and 'generally' once they have whelped they will eat for England, so I wouldn't worry about the strong taste.

In January my Bella had a litter of 8, she looked like a half starved street dog after whelping (she also hardly ate during pregnancy) but she soon picked up.

If it's any consolation my girl decided not to eat at about the same time - we spent ages trying to coax her to eat. Eventually in the latter stages of her pregnancy she started to eat again. My vet also said to try and get her to eat the puppy food that you plan on giving the pups as this will help with the milk production, like the others I gave pilchards, tuna as well as chicken, beef mince, liver etc. She went onto have 8 puppies and two weeks after having them I could have taken her back into the show ring as she looked so good.

The one thing I found that did tempt her to eat was the James Wellbeloved pouches of food over her kibble (that and ambrosia rice pudding!)

My girl ate the whole way through her pregnancy, in fact from about day 30 she would eat anything and everything that resembled food, even a feather, she only turned her nose up at 1 meal the day before she had them and ate another meal, but promptly brought it back up. Her pups are now 8 days old and she looks really well!

We have 2 weeks to go and she will eat bananas and buttered bread.

I am concerned as well because the KC want us to have dogs that at 'fit for function' etc so I dont really want potential puppy buyers thinking that I maltreat my dogs - as nothing could be further from the truth !

I dont want to end up on one of those TV programmes !

Thalice's Mum

try and not worry about the tv programs ect if she was my bitch i would be feeding her small amount little and aften as pups grow she have less room for normal amount of food, have you tried her on puppy foods, i find some times this is a touch more interesting for the bitch and good for the pups too, and dont worry most whelped bitches look thin after the birth, and by the time new puppy owners have come and saw them your bitch will have more than likely put on the weight.

Rhian now has 11 day old puppies who are doing really well. They are plump and succulent and growing very quickly so she is feeding them well. I am still having feeding problems. She must be ravenous but is still picky over food. She will nibble at dog food and the only thing she relishes is wholemeal toast with butter and honey. She is getting through a loaf a day which I dont mind, but its hardly a balanced diet.

Anything fishy she turns her nose up at, she will eat the odd egg, chicken or mince is neither here not there.

Is there anything else I can try ?

Thalice's Mum