Pregnancy is a very demanding stage for your bitch especially concerning nutrition. It is vitally important that her nutritional needs are met to help ensure she maintains good health and that her pups developing inside her do too.
Lactation is also very demanding on her body and she will require a much higher energy content to help her body deal with this added stress therefore during pregnancy and lactation she must be fed a food designed for this life stage.
The Royal Canin starter diet is a complete food designed for pregnant and lactating bitches and for weaning the pups up until they are two months of age. The food is designed to be highly palatable to both the bitch and pups and the kibble can be softened down to a consistency similar to porridge to help wean the pups from their mother’s milk.
Its specially developed formula ensures that your dog and puppies receive a nutritionally balanced food that helps to support their natural defences and promotes good digestive health, both of which are very important at this time.
As with all dogs and their life stage it is vitally important that you feed them a diet that is suited to their size as their bodies have different energy requirements which are catered for in these foods.
The Royal Canin mini starter diet is suitable for small breeds of dog which weigh between 1-10kg at their adult weight.
The Royal Canin medium starter food is designed for breeds of dog which weigh 11-25kg at their adult weight.
The Royal Canin maxi starter diet is best for large breeds that at their adult weight weigh 26-44kg.
Always follow the food’s recommended feeding guide to ensure you are not over or under feeding as both can have serious consequences on your dog’s health.
It is important during your dog’s pregnancy that you seek veterinary advice and regularly visit your vet to ensure your dog is healthy and there are no problems. Your vet will also be able to advise you if your dog requires more food than is recommended which can happen in special cases.
