postpartum feeding

Question
Is there anything special I can feed my new mom Shih Tzu to help increase her milk production? She is really tiny after delivering 6 puppies.  Thanks, Dixie

Answer
Hi Dixie,

Actually, you should have transitioned your dog onto a diet of a high quality puppy food, during the last month of her pregnancy!

A nursing dog's nutritional requirements can be 2 to 3 times of her normal requirement depending on litter size. Puppy food has the extra nutrition your nursing dog requires. Don't change foods abruptly, you need to gradually switch foods over a period of about 5 days, feeding an ever increasing amount of the puppy food, until she's getting 100% of the new food.

While nursing, your dog should have unlimited access to dry food and fresh water at all times. When her puppies are weaned, at about 5 weeks of age, you can transition your dog back to her regular diet.

It's always wise to have a mother dog and her new born puppies examined by a veterinarian.

Best of luck,

Patti