I've just read on a post on Facebook that you should give a dog a raw egg and a cod liver oil capsule every day during pregnancy. Is this true? My bitch is a terrier sized dog if this makes any difference who is currently 37 days pregnant. I'm slowing swapping her onto puppy food. She's having 3-4 meals a day (tho smaller than she normally has) so should I now be adding raw egg and cod liver?

This is nothing we've ever given our bitches and nor did we feed 'puppy food' to pregnant bitches.   Puppy food is for PUPPIES and I honestly don't know where this idea came from.   The pregnant bitch should be on the same good quality food she was on BEFORE BEING MATED and right through the pregnancy.   Just as with us, pregnant bitches shouldn't be allowed to become unduly overweight wic could lead to difficulties whelping.  They will need smaller meals and more often as the litter begins to take up all the room inside.   The puppies will take what they need before whelping - and once you see what number of puppies the mum has to provide for, THEN you up the food maybe giving more protein than before.

But again, NO PUPPY FOOD.   Cod liver oil /raw egg is up to you, but again, with a good quality complete food, not necessary.

Further you do not want to encourage premature lactation - newborn puppies don't need lashings of milk and if there is more being produced than they need, the bitch risks developing mastitis.   It's normally only into the second week when you have to up the amount of food mum is being given and again depending on how big the litter is.  With mine, we breed for bone, and feed to enhance what's there, genetically.

You'd be far better advised about care through pregnancy and beyond, by a reputable experienced breeder - ideally the person who bred your bitch provided she is experienced.

Many moons ago an old timer advised me that 'raw egg' isn't as good as an egg that has been lightly cooked/boiled, apparently dogs absorb the protein far better from eggs that have been lightly cooked. I believe this to be true from what I have read ....?

I think Mamabas post above is giving 'excellent advice'.

Yes 8 agree mamabas advice is great. The breeder I used is brilliant and she said she didn't do this but thought I'd ask on the wider range of people. My dog is on a good quality food. (Lucky for me I work in a pets hope that sells natural and raw food) I'll keep her on her normal food then.
I had noticed she wasn't eating as much so rather than give her her normal amount and the cats nick it I've reduced the size but now feed her more times a day.

I wouldn't give cod liver oil anyway regardless of pregnancy as it can be too high in vit a.  There are far better oils if needed eg salmon and krill but also need to include vit e

I wouldn't give cod liver oil anyway regardless of pregnancy as it can be too high in vit a.  There are far better oils if needed eg salmon and krill but also need to include vit e

I am feeding a tin of sardines/mackerel every other day and an egg on the days in between. I have also fed 3 tablespoons of minced heart daily to help with folic acid for the first 3 weeks BUT I am a raw feeder and diet does need to contain more protein as pregnancy progresses. I do not up food until week five and even then only add 50g per day for that week, 100g per day for week 6 and 7 and then another 150/220g or so if she is carrying a big litter to the end. Extra nutrition is only really needed once milk demand from the pups kicks in...until then you do not need to over feed and allow unnecessary weight gain.

As for oil...rape seed contains more omega 3 than 6 which is what is needed and therefore is better than fish/olive and coconut oil as far as ratio v/s amount is concerned.

Puppy food is higher in calcium which is why it should not be fed to a bitch before whelping.  Giving a bitch extra calcium before pups can cause issues and even lead to eclampsia. 
As soon as puppies start arriving its fine but never before.  Once pups are born mums needs become much greater and good quality food is important but not necessarily puppy food but lots of calcium rich food along with her regular food.  I do up her feeds in the last few weeks if its a decent size litter and within a few days of whelping the bitches usually become ravenous.

I remember years ago an 'English Bull Terrier Breeder' saying that eclampsia was a big problem in Bull Terriers, not sure if its still the same today within the breed ....?

Not sure if its coincidence but I remember quite a few Bull Terrier owners give calcium supplements to their Bull Terrier pups and adults as they wanted them to have very thick boned legs, they like a lot of bone on bull terrier's.

Like the old saying, too much of anything is no good for us/canine.

Was a time with Bassets, when we'd feed Stress (bone supplement) but that was then - with today's food available, all this supplementing is not normally needed unless there is a problem with mum or puppies, as confirmed and advised by a vet.

For sure, more is not necessarily better!!!

I believe that cod liver oil can reduce the uptake of some minerals and eggs are not necessary apart from possibly giving your bitch terrible wind.  High quality adult food is all that is needed although I do feed tinned sardines in oil, don't really have a good reason for this but they love it, you should aim for your bitch to maintain a sensible weight during pregnancy and then after whelping she can be eating as much as she likes to keep herself and the puppies.

Well she's currently eating nature's diet chicken and tripe raw food. She seems to love it so will keep her on that. She is happier eating raw food than anything else I've tried her on.

If you are feeding raw you will need to add more to chicken and tripe. You need a variety of meats and some offal too. Please check the RAW Feeding Rebels website and look at joining some raw feeding groups on facebook if you have it.

By only feeding her chicken and tripe - you might be missing out on vital nutrients.

As an example, my girls have had pork with bone, a small piece of the fat/rind, an egg, liver, kidney and a spoon of cottage cheese for breakfast and will be getting diced lamb and beef heart for dinner. Tomorrow they will get chicken carcasses, tin of mackerel and kefir for breakfast and beef with liver and kidney for dinner.

I stay away from additives of any kind during pregnancy.  Just a really good food (I use Orijen) and now and then bit of fresh salmon here (omega 3), a hard-cooked egg yolk there (good source of zinc, they say), the occasional table scraps, but that's about it.  I don't like to fool around with vitamin/mineral additives, as too much vitamin A or too much calcium can be disastrous.  Raw eggs give me the creeps, unless they are maximum 48 hours old and come from a good farm.  The most expensive "bio-eggs" in our super market are up to one month old!  I agree with MamaBas:  just feed a really good food and stick to it.

> Was a time with Bassets, when we'd feed Stress (bone supplement) but that was then - with today's food available, all this supplementing is not normally needed unless there is a problem with mum or puppies

I remember Stress supplement well from the olden days! 

And I even remember being advised by a breeder to give dogs a Halibut liver oil tablet daily.  But there was no balanced feeds, just a dry biscuit added to scraps in those days.  Even in the early 70's I remember feeding slaughterhouse meat.  How times change.  It is so easy now to feed a balanced meal that has all been thought out for us.

> By only feeding her chicken and tripe - you might be missing out on vital nutrients. <br /><br />As an example, my girls have had pork with bone, a small piece of the fat/rind, an egg, liver, kidney and a spoon of cottage cheese for breakfast and will be getting diced lamb and beef heart for dinner. Tomorrow they will get chicken carcasses, tin of mackerel and kefir for breakfast and beef with liver and kidney for dinner.

Here here!

I too love to feed varied natural diet, my dogs get all sorts of raw meats, tripe, hearts and livers and kidneys, and fish, and wild stuff when its on offer/reduced in shops! Such as pheasant carcasses, a bit of venison, rabbit, whole quale birds which they adore. Raw eggs. Kefir is also a regular for them, and applesauce (100% apples unsweetened). A bit of steamed sweet potatoes occasionally. And of course veggies - alternating steamed carrots, raw broccoli,  a spoon of passata (sieved tomatoes), salad leaves, bit of cucumber as a snack, you name it. And various various fruits. Just a bit, and alternating, but always regularly.

The folk on BARF diet say all this is unnecessary, to me - lots of these things have incredibly useful components not only nutrients/vitamins/minerals but also anti-cancer etc, so unless I know these foods are harming my dog, I'll feed it - especially when the dogs themselves love to eat it all!

(Mad dog lady )

I choose not to feed vegetables as the sugar feeds yeast and can make one of my dogs itchy. I do however, give an ice cube of frozen spinach that has been lightly steamed once or twice a week. I only give this to aid fiber consumption as most wild dogs would eat the contents of the stomach of prey animals.

Wild meat is given as and when I get it - usually pheasant, rabbit or venison. but they also get duck, turkey, salmon and live yoghurt. Mine have yet to try quail but don't like wild duck or hare.

Currently I have half a pig's head boiling away with turmeric, garlic and pepper corns for bone broth and liver slowly drying out in the oven for training treats :)

Feeding RAW has lots of benefits BUT it needs to be balanced and you need to know what you are doing. Unless you have read and understood the ratios and nutritional requirements, it is better to feed a good quality kibble instead.