hi im pretty sure my small breed girl is 3 weeks gone and have switched her to puppy meat and handful ov her old dry adult food plus added in bits of cooked meat chicken,pork lamb(whatevers for tea really) and doing this on a bowl never empty policy...she seems fine.. bit uncomfy at nite(i think she can feel her pups and wonders whats going on!) anyway just sounding this out really?....sound ok?? thanx in advance
                                                                                    emma x

It's much too early to start to increase the food. Presumably you don't even know for sure yet whether she is pregnant as scans are usually done after more than 4 weeks? The risk is then you'll only end up making her too  fat. :) Start adding extra amounts of food once she's 6 weeks gone, not sooner.

At three weeks the embryos will only just have implanted so she certainly won't be able to feel them at all.

Don't increase her food yet because she doesn't need any extra until 6 weeks pregnant, when you need to just reduce the carbohydrate and increase the protein level of her food. If you feed her too much you'll just end up with a fat unfit bitch who's likely to have trouble whelping.

I change to puppy at 6 weeks too, but have scanned before that so am sure they are having pups.

oh right, just wanting her to have all the vitamins to keep her strength up....takes it out ov a girl growing babies  :)
am going to keep her on puppy and just reduce how much i give her i think
                                                                   emma x

>am going to keep her on puppy

She does not need puppy food.  As long as you are feeding a premium quality dog food (not something like Bakers or WAGG!) she is getting all the nutrients she requires.  If you read up on breeding it will help you realise that you are making the wrong decision (as already explained.)

Carrying puppies is far less of a strain than rearing puppies for your girl.

>takes it out ov a girl growing babies

Not at this early stage it doesn't. Giving her what she doesn't need won't help her.

o dear :( "hangs head yet again) but im laughing at same time, i just want to scream too ....ok please now youve got your poor girl into this why dont you get some books and start reading up the book of the bitch is a great book!

i beg yur pardon lilly? my girrl is far from poor and u should be hanging your head!! because of your obvious rude manner please dont bother to reply to any of my posts in future as i only have time for constructive advice/ critism...thank you!
as for other replys okay... heard loud and clear...its just in my nature to want to feed her more! im same with my children :)....will put her back on normal dry food 2day(she wont be hppy tho!)
                                                      thanx emma x

im sorry if you feel i should hang my head! BUT people come on here asking very silly questions AFTER they have breed their girl ,things like feeding should have been studied before she was mated, have you gone into this without finding anything out? im not a rude person ,im very nice thankyou, i just find it strange... and when i say poor girl ,how she going to be well looked after and pups cared for if you havnt got a clue about feeding a in whelp bitch ??? so my dear its you that needs to hanging your head!!

Can we keep things polite please. White Lily, you were a new here once and I know you got plenty of advice from other members so perhaps you could offer some constructive advice yourself to this first time breeder?

yes very true jane sorry :)

you do have to be careful with the smaller breeds that you don't create more problems with over feeding - fat bitches and fat pups mean problems with birthing... fat pups may need a c-section so better for your girl not to put on weight with the pregnancy - she needs good quality food, but not over feeding to avoid problems... you'll find as someone has said earlier that providing milk means she'll need more food than when she's pregnant :-)

well she really liked the puppy food...she turning her nose up at her normal food! another thing thats making people chuckle at me.... that everything she does now relates 2 her maybe pregnancy...sum1 last nite asked me if i was gonna make like paris hilton and carry her for her walks(in order 2 conserve her energy!) pfft cheeky!
and she also learning that there many perks including sleeping on the bed...really enjoying this experience and glad i got this forum 2 ask for "realistic" help and advice also i dont believe there is any such thing as a silly question..if sum1 asked it ...its not silly...x