Hi again

Our bitch is not eating lots and as she is lactating and feeding pups I want her to eat plenty but she is being fussy. Normaly I dont give her what she wants but given the situation I am incuriging eating any way I can. she is ignoring dry food so shes having the pouches and I cook her dog meals (sad I know but she laps it up). Basic stuff like mince with whole wheat paster carrots and peas. The cooked food is after she has finished wet food pouches.

My question is does meat contain calcium I dont want to give suppliments as BOTB advises againt unless there is a health issue. I was interested in whether these types of food should have the calcium and any tips on feeding whelped bicthes lactating.

Thank You

Are you soaking the dry food? Is it her normal dryed or puppy food?

Our girl became a fussy eater at 5 week into the pregnancy we found soaking the puppy food and adding cooked chicken helped, also goats milk for her to drink she got very fussy after pups were born and we was trying to get as much as possible into her because the pups were huge for the breed (she actually only had 4) also we would feed her in the whelping box so she didnt have to leave the pups and somenights we sat there and fed her by hand just to make sure she had something, when pups reached 3 weeks she started to feel hungry again and now at 4 weeks after pups she is back to her old self of stealing any food she can, so we have to shut her out when we put the pups food down and she will go in after and finish off what they dont eat as well as eating her normal meals.

did she eat any of the placentas ? i had to hand feed RC starter mousse while in whelping box as i believe do most breeders on here.

Edited to say they hand feed in whelping box - the food used is whatever the bitch fancies at the time

My puppies are 2weeks old, and my bitch is on 4 small meals a day, she went very fussy for a few days and now is back to normal, she was  only eating a whole cooked chicken a day, and a pint of goats milk!

oooh forgot to say the gruel recipe on here was what actually got my bitch eating properly.

> Normaly I dont give her what she wants

Why?   Her mouth will be very sore from cleaning pups, and she needs soft food.  Even my toy breeds will eat up to 6 small meals a day while lactating.  She needs plenty of protein rich feed.  I poach white fish in half milk, half water.  Give them tinned fish as well.  Chicken, scrambled egg, minced steak.  Anything high protein that is easily eaten.

Make sure that she is drinking plenty.  If she isn't drinking enough water, tempt her with goats milk to encourage lactation.

It was the poor fluid intake which worried me so resorted to broth either on it's own or poured over the kibble and goats milk, fresh water was always available but it was weeks before she would drink it.

I agree about getting them to eat anything, the more aroma the better tempted they are to eat it.

> i had to hand feed RC starter mousse while in whelping box

Very, very important point made here.  It is amazing how many inexperienced breeders expect a bitch to get out of the whelping box and eat her dinner!

Some bitches would rather starve than leave pups.  I routinely hand feed in the whelping box.  I was gobsmacked at the skeletal boxer bitch I saw at a friends.  She put food down in a different room   and then told me that her bitch wouldn't go into the kitchen to get her dinner!

I despair sometimes.  There are far too many people that think breeding is a piece of cake, and expect a bitch to "get on with it."