Husky mom losing weight

Question
Hi, I have a Siberian Husky that just had a little of four puppies. They are 11 days old today. She was up to 65 pounds when she was pregnant and after she whelped she was down to 50lbs. Lately I've noticed that she seems to have gotten very thin. Her back is much smaller than it was prepregnancy. I've been free feeding for the past three days as much as she wants, and she's eating quite a bit. I would say probably 4 cup fulls three times a day, but she's not gaining any weight. And she seems to be more tired than normal. At first she would leave her puppies for a while, but lately she just stays in the room and sleeps outside the whelping box. I know it's very warm for her in there, as she is a Siberian Husky, but she crawls into the crate and lays in there on the cooler floor. The puppies seem to be doing well, and are getting very large and they have nice full tummies. I was also adding some yogurt to her meals once a day, but I ran out. And I would throw an egg in with it once a week. Should I be concerned at her weight loss? I know we probably weren"t feeding her enough in the beginning, only double what she had before.

She has a healthy appetite, but she just seems really thin. What should I do?

And is her increase desire to sleep normal? I know it must be exhausting to feed four big puppies, but I'm a little concerned.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Christina

Answer
Hi. Many new moms look awful after whelping. They lose weight, look like skin and bones, and may even blow their coat so badly, they look like they have the mange. This is all just part of whelping. Just keep free feeding her and make sure she has constant access to water at all times. If you're worried about her, take her in to the vet for a check up, and while you're there, you may want to get some Nutri-Cal. This will give her extra nutriants that she may be loosing, and extra calories. It will also pep her up. This is also good to have on hand for puppies. Good luck!