During pregnancy
Pregnant
cats and dogs require a highly nutritious diet that is made up of a wide
variety of food produce.
During
the first 6 weeks of a dog pregnancy, food requirements remain the same as
before pregnancy. The temptation
to overfeed should be avoided at this time. Cats however are different, their food intake increases as
soon as they are pregnant and they should be fed more at this time.
High
quality protein and fat are essential for a healthy pregnancy and fetal
development.
Around
week 6 of the dog pregnancy, nutritional needs increase. From here on meals should be given more
regularly in small portions. This
prevents putting too much food into a body already pushed for space due to
developing fetuses.
During
the cat pregnancy, her body is preparing early for the developing fetuses. Energy stores are built up throughout
the pregnancy. In the last 2
weeks, she eats twice her normal food amount.
Following the birth
When
the dog gives birth she may loose her appetite temporarily. Small, nutritious, portions of food
should be offered so that she can maintain her strength.
As
the puppies develop and become more demanding for milk, the mother’s appetite should also increase. Her food intake may increase up to 4 times the normal amount
in order to provide the puppies with rich milk.
Feeding the puppies or kittens
When
puppies and kittens are around 3 weeks old they can be given minced meat and
bones.
Between
4-6 weeks old, the permanent teeth are ready to cut through and the demand for
nutritious food increases.
At
6 weeks of age, puppies and kitten can be fed chicken carcasses, necks and
rabbit.
Growing
kittens and puppies require 2-3 times as much energy per kilogram of body
weight than adult cats and dogs.
Why should
food quantities be monitored for puppies, particularly larger breeds?
When
there is a new puppy in the family there is a temptation to spoil him with
overfeeding. Whilst puppies do
require more energy per kilogram of body weight than the adult dog, this still
needs to be limited to avoid obesity.
According
to author of, ‘Give your dog a Bone,’
puppies should certainly not be overfed to ensure that growth is achieved
slowly and gradually. “The way you feed your new puppy will determine its health
for the rest of its life. Its that
important.” (Billinghurst1993)
At what age
can raw meaty bones be introduced to puppies and kittens?
Between
4 and 6 weeks puppies and kittens begin to cut their permanent teeth.
According
to Veterinarian and author ‘Tom Lonsdale,’ puppies and kittens are able to eat chicken carcasses,
necks and rabbits at around 6 weeks old. This coincides with the time puppies
and kittens begin to cut their permanent teeth.
Does the cat
eat more or less within a week of successful mating?
When
a cat becomes pregnant she begins to eat more within the first week of her
pregnancy, laying down early energy stores for the developing fetuses.
(Lonsdale 2001)
Is it normal
for a bitch immediately after giving birth to lose her appetite temporarily?
When
the dog has given birth to her pups, she may lose her appetite temporarily.
(Billinghurst 1998)
Dietary
considerations during pregnancy and post pregnancy through to 6 months of age.
A
pregnant dog at the onset of the pregnancy will normally, for the first 2
weeks, not need to increase her food intake. However, the food she does consume should be, as always, of
the highest quality made up of a variety of foods.
Diet for the pregnant dog
The
female dog has a gestation period of 63 days, which is exactly 9 weeks.
Once
the female has mated she will require more protein in her diet, more vitamins
and more minerals. This means her diet at this stage should include more
chicken wings, more offal (such as liver and kidney), more flaxseed oil, more
raw eggs, more kelp and cod liver oil, plus additional supplements of vitamin
B, C and E. As vitamin C boosts
the immune system and is a powerful antioxidant, it should be added to the diet
throughout the pregnancy and into the lactation period. The dosage for vitamin
C is a minimum of 500mg per 20kg of body weight twice a day.
Following the mating period and during weeks 1 to 5:
-Maintain
the raw meaty bone diet
-Eliminate
cod liver oil (it is high in vitamin A and can be dangerous to fetal health)
At
this stage the puppies are growing very slowly, therefore the mothers diet does
not need to increase in quantity. She needs to keep slim and active rather than
be fed too much and put on unnecessary weight.
The
diet should be made up of high quality raw produce, which includes vitamins B,
C and E.
During week 4
The
pregnant female may experience morning sickness.
Her
appetite may decrease
Keep
the diet simple; do not introduce any unfamiliar foods.
Weeks 6 to 7
The
puppies are now growing at a faster rate and as a result the mother will
require a larger food intake. As there is now less space in her body for large
meals, she should be fed small meals at more regular intervals. This will
maintain her energy levels without weighing her down by giving her a full and
uncomfortable belly.
The
nutrition density of food needs to now include:
-More
eggs, more high quality meat, more offal, flaxseed oil and less fruit and vegetables.
-The
raw meaty bones can be reduced at this stage
-The
long, large bones can be eliminated
-During
this time add extra kelp, Vitamin B, C and E to the food.
-Cod
liver oil can now be reintroduced back into the diet.
Week 8
-The
food should now be increased to one and a half times the amount of food she was
consuming in weeks 6 and 7.
-Carbohydrates
can be added such as cooked brown rice, whole meal bread and rolled oats soaked
in water or milk. These complex carbohydrates should be no more than 20% of her
overall food intake.
Week 9
-During
this final week of pregnancy the puppies do not grow very much. As a result the
mothers food intake can be reduced.
-The
vegetables should be increased
-The
meat and offal decreased
-The
flaxseed oil can be increased.
-This
altering of food ratios makes up a slightly laxative type diet, allowing waste
material to pass easily.
-Close
to the time of birth reduce the food to a quarter of normal food intake.
It
is interesting to note that pregnant dogs in the wild eat far more offal and
meat than bones, which dramatically lowers the amount of calcium intake and
increases the amount of phosphorus in their diet. Research has shown that too
much calcium in the diet at this time can cause soft tissue calcification and
other birth defects.
(Billinghurst
1998) In agreement with
Billinghurst, author of ‘The Complete
Holistic Dog Book,’ warns that excess calcium leads to fetal problems. However, it is advised that calcium is
adequate for the mother during pregnancy as low calcium can lead to weak bones
and seizures. (Allegretti et al 2003)
When
the puppies are born and her appetite has been restored following giving birth,
the quantity of her food needs to be increased.
Diet for lactating mother
Following
the birth of the puppies, the mother can basically be fed however much food she
wants, especially if she is supporting a large litter. Her raw, high quality diet should
continue and can be based on three specific meal types. These three meal types
ensure that she provides high quality milk to her pups, whilst maintaining her
own immune system, overall health and energy.
1.
Raw meaty bones
2.
Meat and vegetable raw patty mix
3.
Fortified Milk
1. The raw
meaty bones should be made up of raw chicken necks, wings and carcasses. Meaty
bones from the chicken provide high quality protein, a balance of calcium and
phosphorus, omega 6 and a concentrated source of energy; the fat. If raw meaty
bones are refused, they should be minced and incorporated into the patty mix.
2. The raw meat
and vegetable raw patty mix. The patty mix should have a ratio of 20-40% vegetables
and 60-80% minced meat plus supplements. The following recipe is to make a
total mixture of 2kg.
Recipe
for ‘Meat and Vegetable Raw Patty Mix.’
20-40% raw pulped/crushed vegetables
and fruit (choose from)
Silver
beet
Spinach
Celery
Carrots
Sugar
beet
Tomatoes
Apples
Bananas
Pears
Berries
60-80% minced raw meat (choose from the following)
Chicken
Lamb
Kangaroo
Beef
Rabbit
Supplements including offal (include
all of the following)
200ml
plain live yoghurt
3-5
eggs
3-4
tbs flaxseed oil
lambs
liver (this should be approx 10% of all meat content)
1-2
cloves garlic
3-4
tbs kelp
Vitamins
B and C
230g
cottage cheese
2
tbs brewers yeast
All
of the ingredients should be of a high human grade quality, preferably organic.
Other
additions to the mix can include Vitamin A (for the immune system and the internal
lining of mammary glands) and extra essential fatty acids such as salmon oil
and borage seed oil.
During
lactation, the mother will also require extra calcium in the form of synthetic
calcium supplements. This is the
only time whilst feeding a raw meaty bone diet that she will require calcium in
excess of what the bones can give her.
Cod
Liver Oil should also be added. A
25kg dog should be given 3-4ml daily.
B
and C vitamins can be given without danger of excess, as they will easily pass
through the liver and kidneys to be excreted in the urine. Vitamin C can be given up to bowel
tolerance. B vitamins can be given
on body weight ratio to the human dose.
The
ingredients, once thoroughly mixed can be divided into small portions and
frozen. When they are being thawed
prior to feeding, vitamin E should be added. A 25kg dog should be given 400iu Vitamin E per day.
3. Fortified Milk
This
recipe should be blended and served at room temperature. Vitamins B and C can be added if the
dog or cat isn’t put off by this addition.
Fortified
Milk recipe:
250ml milk
1-2tsp Flaxseed
Oil
2 raw
egg yolks
1 digestive
enzyme supplement (eg: bromelain)
The
aim is to return the mother back to her original body weight. If there are times of loss of appetite,
Zinc and B vitamins can be added to
the diet to assist. An herbal
supplement ‘Fenugreek’ can be added to the
diet to stimulate lactation.
During
the second week of lactation the busy mother can be consuming double the amount
of food.
In
the third week of lactation this may increase to three times the normal amount
of food intake.
At
week 7-8 of lactation the puppies can be weaned from the mother. The amount of milk being produced can
be reduced by: lowering raw meaty bones, stopping the fortified milk and
increasing the ratio of vegetables to meat in the mixed patties. At this time, the mother can be given
long, large meaty bones to keep her busy and active.
If for any
reason the mother is not feeding her puppies, replacement milk can be made at
home for them:
Replacement milk for orphan puppy
250ml full
cream milk
20ml natural
yoghurt
2
egg
yolks
10ml flaxseed
or hemp oil
10ml honey
10drops Vitamin
B
250mg Vitamin
C (non acidic e.g.: Ester C)
(Billinghurst
1998)
At
about 3 weeks of age the puppies become interested in the food their mother is
eating. At this time they can be
introduced to a raw, nutritious diet that will lay down the foundations for health,
longevity, growth and energy.
The puppy diet 3-5 weeks old
This
is the time when the puppy will be interested in his mother’s food.
Therefore, this is a good time to introduce the raw meaty bone diet in
the form of finely minced patties made of bone and lean meat. (Lonsdale 2001) The meat and vegetable patties can slowly
be introduced prior to starting on raw meaty bones.
A
highly nutritious puppy porridge recipe from author of ‘Grow Your Pups With Bones,’
can also form part of the diet at this stage:
Puppy Porridge
100g soaked
oatmeal porridge (in water)
1
tsp honey
1
tsp olive
oil
1
tsp brewers
yeast powder
2-3
tbs pulped
vegetables and or fruit
1
tbs shredded
coconut
1/8
tsp kelp
powder
2 egg
yolks (Billinghurst
1998)
Once
the puppies begin to cut their permanent teeth, small soft bones can be
introduced such as chicken or rabbit carcasses and chicken necks. (Lonsdale
2001)
The puppy diet from 4-6 weeks to 6 months old
Based
on the BARF diet for pups by Dr Billinghurst, the diet should consist of raw meaty
bones, raw vegetable and lean mince patties.
The
raw meaty bones can be fed on their own:
-Chicken
necks
-Chicken
wings
These
bones are soft and small, therefore suitable for puppies.
The
recipe for the:
Raw Vegetable and Mince Meat Patties
1kg
raw crushed vegetables* and fruit*
1kg
finely minced lean meat (chicken, beef, lamb, kangaroo)
200g plain,
low fat yoghurt
3 raw
free-range eggs (yolk and egg white)
2
to 3 tbs flaxseed
oil
200g lambs
liver
1 to 2 cloves of garlic
(only if your pet likes the taste!)
2
to 3 tbs kelp
powder
2g Vitamin
C
2g B
Vitamins (Brewers Yeast)
2.5g Calcium
carbonate powder
The
mixture can be separated into small 100g packages and frozen for convenience.
Vitamin
E should be added to the patty just prior to feeding time.
The
amount of Vitamin E is: 5kg body weight = 100iu Vitamin E/daily
Cod
Liver Oil should also be added upon feeding.
The
amount of Cod Liver Oil is: 5kg
body weight = 1-2ml/daily
The
calcium added is to balance the high phosphorus levels in the meat and
offal. The general rule is for
every 150 grams of meat, 300mg of calcium carbonate should be added. Fortunately when feeding raw bones
there is no need for synthetically added calcium.
*Vegetables
that can be used for the patties are: silver beet, spinach, celery, and root
vegetables such as carrots and sugar beets.
*Fruits
that can be added include: tomatoes, apple, orange, mangoes, and bananas
The
ratio of vegetables to lean mince in the patties should, over time, be changed
to include more vegetables and less meat. This prevents the puppy from
receiving too much protein and an excessive growth rate, both of which can
cause skeletal problems, especially in the larger breed dogs.
To
increase variety to the puppy’s diet, healthy food
scraps and an occasional porridge meal can be added as well. Healthy scraps for example are left
over rice, scrambled egg, cottage cheese, fruit salad and plain yoghurt.
Large
bones should also be given to the puppy so that he can chew the cartilage from
the ends and obtain lots of exercise and teeth cleaning in the process. This activity also assists teeth that
are cutting through. (Billinghurst 1998)
Nutrients
found in the raw meaty bone diet for puppies:
Raw
Meaty Bones provide most of the protein, fat, minerals and vitamins a puppy
needs to be healthy. They are
however short in B vitamins.
Fat
found in the chicken bones provides a balance of essential fatty acids and fat-soluble
vitamins. In particular, chicken
wings contain lots of iron in the marrow.
Chicken
produce is always from a young bird, therefore there are no toxins, and the
bones are soft and a great size for puppies cutting their teeth.
As
raw meaty bones are naturally balanced in calcium and phosphorus, calcium
supplements are not required. If
added to a raw meaty bone diet, they could do more harm than good as excessive
calcium can lead to skeletal problems.
Information on the supplements, which form part of the
puppy’s diet
B Vitamins
are essential to maintain a healthy puppy. In particular vitamin B6 assists in the absorption of
minerals. A lack of B6 can cause a
lack of appetite, anaemia and nausea.
As all the B vitamins are water soluble, excess of them is not a problem
and will be easily excreted out of the body by the kidneys.
Vitamin C
is the, “safest and least toxic vitamin…” (Billinghurst 1993) Vitamin C can be given up to bowel
tolerance on a daily basis. A
starting amount is 50mg Vitamin C per kilo of body weight. Every cat and dog is different. If the Vitamin C causes diarrhea then
you’ve given too much.
Vitamin C assists the immune system, reduces inflammation, it is an
antioxidant destroying dangerous free radicals, assists in the formation of red
blood cells, assists in the uptake of iron from the digestive tract and is strongly
recommended for pregnant mothers and during lactation. (Billinghurst 1998)
Vitamins A and D
are supplied in the cod liver oil supplement. Cod Liver oil should be given, at least 1 teaspoon (5ml) per
week. Vitamin A is essential for
growth and development of bones and teeth. It is important for the immune system, to maintain hormone
levels, for healthy eyes and skin, eyes, the lining of the gastrointestinal
tract, the urinary tract and the activity of the adrenal glands.
Vitamin D
is important to prevent an unhealthy skeletal system. Rancid fats can destroy Vitamin D, therefore EFA’s such as flaxseed oil should not be given if its old, not
in a dark bottle and if its not been kept refrigerated. By adding Vitamin E to the diet, it can
protect such oils and prevent them from going rancid. Rancid fats in the body promote degeneration.
Vitamin E
is an antioxidant and protects the fats in the cell membranes. It is vital to
the immune system and is involved in the formation of DNA. In particular when
feeding cod liver oil or flaxseed oil, Vitamin E should be added to prevent
destruction by any free radicals if the oil is possibly rancid. Vitamin E can be given daily, the
average amount for a puppy being 200iu.
Brewers Yeast,
being a popular and important addition to the diet is made from the dead bodies
of yeast organisms is packed full of B vitamins, it is rich in phosphorus and
contains a chromium compound known as GTF (glucose tolerance factor) which
controls blood sugar levels. It
also contains the antioxidant selenium, which is known to slow down the ageing
process, assist the immune system (by increasing antibody production) and
assist in the treatment of arthritis. (Billinghurst 1993) As meat and bones are in short supply
of B vitamins, Brewers Yeast is a good addition to the puppy diet.
Kelp is the most
abundant, iodine rich sea vegetable.
The iodine in Kelp helps to restore thyroid function, which improves and
increases metabolism. It is also
abundant in other essential minerals.
Eggs are a
wonderful source of protein, Omega 3, vitamins and given with the shell, they
provide calcium too. I usually
save all of my eggshells, dry them out in a warm oven and then grind them into
a powder using a coffee bean grinder.
I can add this to my cat or dog’s
diet if no bones are available.
1
egg shell = 1000mg calcium
A
6kg puppy not being given bones with the meat, requires approximately 500mg of
calcium a day, which is a quarter of a large eggshell. (Allegretti et al 2003)
Garlic assists the
immune system and is known to rid the body of internal and external parasites.
Plain yogurt
with live culture is excellent food for cats and dogs, kittens and
puppies. It’s high in protein, calcium, Vitamins B and A, enzymes,
maintains a healthy gut and it is an excellent source of fat and calcium.
Liver is high in
protein, rich in vitamin A, rich in minerals (Zinc, Selenium, Iron, Manganese),
contains vitamin C, is high in B vitamins and contains vitamin E and D. However, as liver is very rich in
nutrients (like other offal), it should only be fed in small amounts. It should only form 5-10% of the puppy’s diet.
Crushed or pulped vegetables and fruit provide vitamins, minerals and fibre.
A list of what not to give or do with a growing puppy or
kitten
-Commercial
pet food*
-Nylon
bones (they can cause bowel blockage)
-It’s essential to not overfeed
-Do
not use your puppy or kitten as a dustbin, unhealthy scraps belong in the
trash.
In
reference to commercial pet food, author of ‘Give
a Dog a Bone,’ describes it as, “just a belly full of lifeless food. Food that sits in a lump in a swollen,
flabby belly of a thinly muscled pup that will never grow to its full potential.” (Billinghurst
1993) I believe this quote sums up
beautifully why commercial, heavily processed pet food is not the way to a healthy, happy growing puppy or kitten.
As
the puppy grows and develops, it remains important to not overfeed him. With a raw, highly nutritious diet and
access to the outdoors, a ‘wild dog’ lifestyle can be imitated to maintain a happy healthy dog. This means that he may occasionally eat
soil, faeces from another animal, the bark from a tree and of course a tasty
insect that he proudly caught himself.
This behaviour not only adds variety to the diet but it gives the puppy
lots of exercise, which can sometimes be far more beneficial than long, tedious
walks on a lead. Whilst walking
with the lead is important to learn, especially in social settings and of
course in places where there are busy roads and lots of people, playtime should
not be underestimated. (Billinghurst 1993)
References:
Allegretti, J. & Sommers, K D.V.M. 2003, ‘The Complete
Holistic Dog Book, Home Health Care for our Canine Companions.’ Celestial Arts,
USA
Billinghurst, I 1998, ‘Grow your pups with bones,’ Warrigal
Publishing, Australia.
Billinghurst, I 1993, ‘Give your dog a bone,’ Warrigal Publishing, Australia.
Internet references:
Lonsdale, T. 2001. Article entitled, ‘Diet Guide
for Domestic Dogs and Cats.’ http://www.rawmeatybones.com/diet/ExpDiet.html
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