my girl is 51 days pregnant , definate belly and teats , the problem if you can call it that is she acts like she is starving , i started added a third feed at 6 weeks but she is looking for food constantley, should i just keep to the feeds i'm giving her or add another feed , she is large breed fed on fish4dogs puppy and gets 550 gms in each feed , she also eats veg but nothing seems to fill her ,

I increase to 4 meals with treats in between, little and often is the best way to go as the pups are growing rapidly now, as I said on another thread if you don't give the bitch enough to eat the puppies will take from her leaving her in poor condition post whelping to produce milk and rear puppies for at least 4 weeks.

Can you free feed so she can help herself when she feels like it.

thanks yes i could free feed because she is away from the others now, but i think she would eat everything put infront of her no matter how much there was, she is so different from any other girl i have bred, at this stage i have had trouble getting them to eat , so its a new thing for me

Don't worry about her getting too fat, she will burn off any excess raising her pups. Has she gained alot of weight during the pregnancy, in my breed the pups have been between 7-9 ozs and Mum has gained approx. 1lb per pup which I was told by my mentors is about right.

she was  a very slim girl before mating 32kg, i have not weighed her through her pregnancy but would say she looks quite slim except for her hanging belly , not the best description i know , sorry

I'd judge on condition, but would certainly be feeding half as much again as for maintenance, I don't find my own breed need more than that, but some breeds may need double, especially in breeds that have large litters. 

Acting as if they'd have your hand off was what our Inka did, opened up an elderly friends finger by snatching a tit bit!!!

You don't want a fat bitch at whelping do you need to judge body condition (ignoring the belly), but a well nourished one.

>i have not weighed her through her pregnancy

Just a thought, as it rang alarm bells when I read it.  If you have not weighed her, how do you know how much Panacur to give her from day 40 of gestation? 

Most people dose for the bitch's pre-pregnancy weight.

> Most people dose for the bitch's pre-pregnancy weight.

That is what I do.  I think the drug is quite powerful enough, the dosage is actually lower for some other species.

> Most people dose for the bitch's pre-pregnancy weight.

WOW!  Thanks for that!  In all my years, I have always weighed at day 40 to work out my Panacur dose.  :-(

Never even considered otherwise.  It's a good job that it's been tested to well over recommended doses!

i do worm pre-pregnancy weight , otherwise i would have to take her to the vets to be weighed and i would not want her to come in contact with anything nasty, i have added a 4th meal which she is enjoying she's only got 10 days left so i am thinking it's a small litter or she would not have room for all her food,

> otherwise i would have to take her to the vets to be weighed

I have 3 big dogs, and I use Drontal for them (not talking pregnant.)  When it is Drontal time I use my digital bathroom scales.  Stand on  and weigh myself.  Then stand holding the dog, to work out Drontal doses!

i have no way of lifting her i only weigh 7 stone and would be frightened of squeezing her and hurting her

I fully appreciate that, but my post about weighing does indicate weighing none preggers ones!

:-)