Short Summary and extracts from:
Nutrition for successful breeding: from conception to weaning
Russ L. Kelley MS1, David M. Morgan BSc, MA, VetMB, CertVR, MRCVS2
1
Research and Development Division, Procter & Gamble Pet Care, Lewisburg, Ohio, USA, and 2Procter &
Gamble Pet Care, Geneva, Switzerland
Pre-breeding:
The dam needs to be:
1. current on all vaccinations
2. free from infections and disease
3. free from parasites
4. in optimal physical condition
5. exercised regularly and maintained on a diet that matches energy needs relative to energy output
During the reproductive process a dam’s diet must support: 1) her body maintenance, 2) the growth of her
reproductive tissues, and 3) the growth and development of her offspring. So the dam must obtain a sufficient
supply of nutrients from her diet or mobilise them from her body stores. Should her diet fail to meet the required
nutrient levels she will respond by sacrificing her own body condition and mobilize nutrients from fat, muscle and
skeletal tissue. In extreme cases her only solution may be to reduce the demand by decreasing the number of
offspring or by completely aborting the pregnancy.
a) Fish oil to aid learning and development
One of the most important nutrients in the dam’s diet right from the start of pregnancy needs to be the omega-3
fatty acid called Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
b) optimal omega-6:omega-3 balanced diet
Findings from a study involving over 16,000 Beagle matings demonstrated benefits of feeding a dietary matrix
(Eukanuba® Working & Endurance), with an optimal omega-6:omega-3 fatty acid ratio in the range of 5:1 to 10:1,
compared against a 20:1 ratio.10 When fed throughout the reproductive cycle, this diet resulted in fewer missed
conceptions, a reduced number of stillbirths and more consistent-sized litters from breeding to breeding
Pre-breeding: recommendations
1. Select a commercially available premium food with animal-based protein sources that is recommended for
gestation and lactation and is produced by a reputable company.
2. Approximately two weeks prior to breeding, the dam should be transitioned (if necessary) from her
maintenance diet to a diet comprised of approximately 30% highly digestible animal-based protein and 20%
lipids (fat).
3. The lipid portion of the diet should be balanced for fatty acid content to supply an omega-6 to omega-3 fatty
acid ratio in the range of 5:1 to 10:1. To aid puppy development the diet should be high in the omega-3 fish
oil Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
4. The exact amount of food required will vary depending on breed and metabolic rate; however, caloric intake
should be similar to maintenance levels, thus avoiding over-feeding the dam.
Pregnancy
During the first 4 weeks of pregnancy (42days), continue to feed a 30% protein 20% fat diet at maintenance levels.
At approximately 5 weeks post-breeding, the food intake of the dam should be increased slightly each day to achieve
a 50% increase in energy by the very end of week 6
Lactation
Nutritional management of the dam during lactation (fig 5) is more difficult than during pregnancy. The exact
amount of food will depend on:
1. How many puppies are being nursed
2. Dam’s normal metabolic rate
3. Energy (nutrient) density of the chosen diet
4. What is the stage of lactation?
A diet high in the omega-3 fatty acid DHA should be fed through both pregnancy and lactation to aid with puppy
learning and development.
Lactation recommendations (fig 6)
Early lactation: the dam may have a depressed appetite for the first few days. By day 4-5 post-whelping she should
have targeted intake of about 150% of maintenance calories. Adequate water should be available as milk is
approximately 78% water
Mid-lactation: slowly increase amount of food from day 8 to 30. Offer 4-6 measl/day. The general target would be to
achieve approximately 200% of maintenance by the end of week 2, 250-300% by the end of week 3 and 300% for
weeks 4 and 5. Large litters may require the dam to increase to 500% - which may be difficult for her to attain, so
that’s why having correct weight gain during pregnancy is so important.
Late-lactation: nutritional management is dependent on what age the puppies are weaned, normally at 6 to 8 weeks
of age. After 35 days of lactation the dam’s intake can be 250% of maintenance and can be slowly reduced to 125%
at the desired weaning time.
% Maintenance requirement
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Lactation (weeks)
Figure 6. Estimated energy requirements for lactating bitches
Weaning
There is no perfect age for weaning and each litter should be managed individually. The final decision should be
based on how well the puppies are eating and drinking. It’s important to use the right breed size puppy diet (small,
medium, large/giant), with a high DHA level, from weaning onwards as they have been specifically tailored to
support their growth: i.e. extensive studies in large/giant breeds have shown that these diets need to have low
calcium (0.8%) to help reduce the risk of skeletal disease
Top Tips
Calcium: if the dam is supplemented with high levels of calcium during pregnancy, her body is not metabolically
primed to mobilise calcium from her bones. Therefore, when the demands for calcium are suddenly and dramatically
elevated at the initiation of lactation, she is unable to keep up with the metabolic demands, which can result in
serious health complications. The dam will receive any added calcium she may require through her increased food
intake. Adding calcium also has the additional risk for puppies if they eat the mother’s food during weaning as excess
intake can cause bone disorders in large and giant breeds.
Folic acid: this nutrient is highly promoted in humans to help prevent neurological defects; however, this
developmental disorder is very rarely seen in the dog. In addition, most commercial formulas recommended for
reproduction typically contain much higher levels than needed.
Conclusions
feed the appropriate amount of a recommended diet that meets the mother’s needs Based on our research in the
area of canine reproduction, the greatest success has been achieved feeding a diet* with 30% protein (animal
source-based) and 20% fat with an omega-6:3 ratio of 5:1 to 10:1 and a high DHA level. The benefits of feeding such
a formula have included increased conception rate and live births and more consistent maternal productivity and
quick maternal recovery postpartum. While nutrition is only one component of dam management, it is one of the
most (if not the most) important. Thus by providing the proper nutrition, we can take a great step forward in
achieving a successful breeding programme.
Recommendations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
choose a diet that is formulated for prebreeding, pregnancy and lactation*
aim for a high protein (≈ 30%), high fat (≈ 20%) diet, formulated with animal based refined protein
balanced omega-6:omega-3 fatty acid ratio in the range of 5:1 to 10:1.
a high level of the omega-3 fish oil Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
wean the puppies onto their appropriate breed size diet (from 3-4 weeks of age)
*Eukanuba® Working & Endurance formula
References
1. Nutritional recommendations for gestation and lactation in the dog. Mosier JE. Vet Clin N Am 1977; 7:
683-692.
2. Feeding to optimize canine reproduction efficiency. Moser E. Prob Vet Med 1992; 4:545-550.
3. Prenatal development. Evans HE. In: Evans HE, ed. Miller’s Anatomy of the Dog. 3rd edition.
Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders Company,1993; 32-97.
4. Book of the Dam: A Complete Guide to Under-standing and Caring for Dames. Evans JM, White K. New
York: Howell Book House, 1997
5. The reproducing dam. Collins DR. In: The Collins Guide to Dog Nutrition. 6th edition. New York: Howell
Book House, 1972: 223-228.
6. Duration of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids availability in the diet and visual acuity. Morale SE,
Hoffman DR et al. Early Hum Dev 2005; 81(2): 197-203.
7. Effect of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in infant formula on problem solving at 10 months of age.
Willatts P, Forsyth JS et al. Lancet 1998; 352: 688-91.
8. Effect of dietary fish oil on puppy trainability (abstract). Kelley RL, Lepine AJ et al. In Proceedings.
Preconf Workshop 6th Int Soc Study Fatty Acids Lipids Cong 2004: 51
9. Docosahexaenoic acid and neurologic development in animals. Heinemann KM, Bauer JE. J Am Vet
Med Assoc. 2006; 228 (5): 700-705
10. Canine Reproduction: What should we expect? Kelley RL. In: Reinhart GA, Carey DP, eds. Recent
Advances in Canine and Feline Nutrition, Volume III: 2000 Iams Nutrition Symposium Proceedings.
Wilmington, OH: Orange Frazer Press, 2000; 225-242.