May I ask opinions on feeding a pregnant bitch puppy food in the latter weeks of her pregnancy please?

This is a bitch from show lines which tend to be smaller and stockier than the working lines. Bitch is fit and healthy but noticeably bigger (now 5.5 weeks) so owner is trying not to let her weight balloon, with an eye towards whelping as this will also be her first litter.

Your thoughts would be welcome.

Unless I had a picky bitch who was eating poorly in whelp, then I have found using higher protein and fat feed (basically that is what puppy food is) to be counter productive and cause digestive upset.

Feeding more of a good quality food, and not increasing it until week 6 and only be feeding about half as muych again as normal by end of pregnancy has been the best for a fit bitch at whelping.

Once pups are born I am inclined to feed the bitch as much as she wants after the first few days.

Thank you Barbara x

Me too continued to feed the good quality normal diet through a pregnancy, maybe cutting back on the bulk and adding more protein as her increased space available was reduced.   And probably feed more smaller meals through the day, than a couple of big ones, as normal.   It was only once I saw the number of puppies she had to feed, that I adjusted the amounts.