I'm pretty sure you will all be blocking me before long due to my million questions. But I know you people are full of the best advice... So our girl is 6 weeks & 1 day (ish) her nipples are getting bigger by the day but I don't think she has gained much weight or shape. The vet could see 2 pups at the scan. And although she's a little rounder around the rib cage area she doesn't seem much bigger anywhere else... Should I be worried? For a [small breed] she's slight of frame to start with. She normally runs laps around the local fields so that keeps the weight off, although she's not going out for walks at the mo. But she's eating very little and doesn't look all that much different in size. Just curious as to how other dogs compare at around 6 weeks?

The pups really don't start growing appreciably until last three weeks, so she should only be getting increased rations from now  so that by whelping she is on about half as much again as normal. 

Split her meals though as she may find it hard to eat all her food in one sitting or even at particular times of day.

In my breed with a maiden or fit bitch I would not really see any obvious until after 7 weeks, though  would notice the fact she is pregancnt from about 5 1/2 - 6 weeks.

> she's not going out for walks at the mo.

Also it is wise to keep exercise up as you don't want an unfit bitch trying to whelp.

I agree totally with Barbara,

I have a small/toy breed (non terrier) and a maiden bitch will usually only just be starting to 'thicken' around her waist by 6 weeks, her nipples will be bigger and her breast tissue might be softening but with only possible two pups you might not see too much for a little while longer. particularly with two they will hide in the ribs for quite some time only dropping down nearer the time.

Is the lack of appetite normal for her or do you mean she is just having her normal rations? if you are feeding normal rations then like Barbara says gradually increase the amount from around now.

As for the exercise unless she is not well she should still be doing a near normal lead walk (not free romping if possible, my personal choice to reduce the chance of accidents), mine are still doing 2 to 2.5 miles a day at 6 weeks, even with days to go they get as much as they want which can be 1 to 1.5 miles. If she is reluctant, some girls are really lazy, (one of mine was, she acted as if she was 9 weeks pregnant at 3 weeks), you must gently insist and take them for some exercise, she must be in good condition to have the energy to get safely through delivery and it helps tighten up her breast tissue afterwards if she is fit.

Thanks so much for the info. She has grown in the last few days since my original post. I have took her out for a few strolls since your post. I took the advice from someone else who kept their bitch inside from around 4 weeks. And also because I was worried with the herpes vaccine not being available to us. I must say she was delighted to go out for a walk. Although she didn't have her usual run across the fields she was happy to be out. Can I finally ask how you supplement the diet over the last three weeks? Thanks again for your help, it's very much appreciated. Little & often seems to be working much better. She seems constantly hungry but just can't eat as much.

Hi Hollybobs

I am glad she has grown, hope it eases your mind a bit.

It is a real worry about the canine herpes vaccine - I can understand your concern, but you risk having a very stressed girl if she cannot get rid of some of her energy, this could lead to problems in itself including stress induced colitis, we had this when one of ours needed an operation on her leg and could not be walked.

I generally up her diet by 10% a week from about now, I feed a cooked scrambled egg every other day but her overall rations are done to allow for the additional calories. My dogs are small/toy but are active and this has to be taken into account. I will put them onto puppy food from about 5 weeks and then move them back over to adult food about 10 days before the due date. I find small meals often is better, by the due date I will normally be splitting the daily ration into four meals. That is how I do it, I know is sounds a faff but I have found it works for me, each breeder finds what works best for them.

good luck!

I don't supplement their diet at all as long as they are eating well

Darn.   I came back to the page and hit the TU button, losing ALL I'd written but not posted!!

If I can remember what I wanted to say ..... we didn't up the amount our bitches were eating until AFTER the litter was on the ground and we could see how many they were going to be catering for.  The last thing a pregnant bitch needs is, like us, to become fat.   Provided she's having a good quality food, as always, she'll be fine and the puppies will take what they need before and after birth.   Once you see what you have there, then is the time to increase her food.   You may find if she gets big inside, you'll have to feed her smaller meals, more often, and cut back on the bulk, increasing the protein if needed.   And no supplements.   Again if she needs supplementing the time to be doing that is after she's whelped, as required.   It is tempting to think more is good, but it's not.   Newborn puppies don't take that much milk and if you have too much coming down, she could run into mastitis and the tiny puppies may not be able to cope with lashings of milk either.

As is well known around here (!) I have did scanning.   That only says yes or no to a pregnancy and only at the time of the scan.   Yes we did have one bitch who seemed to be expanding as normal for her breed (and with a wide long ribcage, puppies could be hidden for some weeks) but by around 5 - 6 weeks didn't seem to get significantly bigger.   She had 2 puppies the first time and a singleton the second at which point she was retired, and spayed!    The Section she needed for the singleton puppy didn't suggest she'd reabsorbed, but she may have, and ditto with the first litter.   It happens.   Unfortunately.

As for not walking - just as with letting them get fat, not walking won't help keep her muscle tone up so as long as she doesn't get over-tired, I'd be taking her out for a stroll.  At least until her increased girth restricts how much she can do!