What do you give your bitches once they are mated?  Do you feed them differently, give them supplements etc?  Would love to know what you all do and how the litters etc. turned out.

One of my friends is crazy about the Bitch Diet, what do others think?

As my dogs are on a good quality diet anyway I feed them normally, just more.

The bitch diet - I saw this advertised prior to Crufts and must admit it worries me.  There was something about increasing blood flow - in a breed that suffers from a bleeding disorder increasing blood flow is one of the last things we wish to do!

There were a couple of other things I thought irrevelant if the bitch was fed a decent diet but can't remember what they were now.

I give raspberry leaf tablets, but apart from that I don't change their routine at all till about 6 weeks. Then, if they have been confirmed pregnant, I'll start gradually increasing the protein and cutting back on the biscuit. It can't be too bad because so far I've had no still-births or neonatal deaths (touching wood!).
:)

Daisy is fed the BARF diet, but once her pregnancy was confirned, I switched her to Wellness puppy food and kept her on it until she weaned the pups. 

About 3 weeks before the due date I change her on to Red Mills Breeder, and keep her fed on this until I wean the pups.  I don't give any other supplements, and have been more than happy with the results I've had using the Breeder Mix...it's also brilliant for weaning the pups on to as well...

Caroline x

1 day to the vets for a check up
2 day worm and vit e for 4 weeks
7 day start antibotic to cover over the mating she mated fro 10 t0 14 days.
then week 5 charge to a puppy food plus rasberry leaf from the 6 week.with vit b and c,week before arinca help with the bleed and bursing,at birth for a week after too.plus antibotic for the first 2 week after the puppies are born,to cover her from a step b and other inferction which come down the after birth,on puppy food untill the puppies go their new home.

Briedog, any signs of your girl coming into season yet?  Fingers crossed that the mating with her and her new boyfriend goes well!!

By the way did you not get my e-mail re. my import?

yes wispa in as well as gollie and brie it hell here keeping all the dog a part,gollie day 10,wispa day 8,brie day 2,just waiting for teyha,

I kept her on the Burns with an extra protein meal of goats milk and egg.  At six weeks I changed to the higher protein version of Burns and carried on with that until the puppies were 8 weeks.  The quantity changed to approx 4 times her normal amount while she was lactating.  Happy to report all puppies good and healthy and mum back to sleek and fit.  I don't have a scientific reason for the milk and egg, but it's something my dad used when he bred cocker spaniels back in the 1940's and it seemed to work.
Lorna

When my bitches are in pup I just increase their diet which as they get on in the weeks I will just give them smaller amounts of food through out the day they are also given Raspberry leaf Tablets, Pups all turn out great.
Although have had one bitch which was mated twice and she always produce tiny puppies, Std longhair dachshuhnds whos normal birth weight is around 9-11 ounces was producing pups the biggest 6 ounces lightest not even 1 ounce ( that one didn't survive).
The end results of the pups though were great producing in show winners.
 

Hi Diane not heard of the bitch diet, but I think I`d go with some of the products from the link below. :)
http://www.greenark.mcmail.com/rasp.htm
http://www.greenark.mcmail.com/herbal.htm
http://www.greenark.mcmail.com/garlic.htm
[link]http://www.greenark.mcmail.com/gruel.htm[/link

Christine, Spain.