Pet Nutrition
Pet Nutrition Stages
ASPCA Pet Nutrition and Science Advisory Service
Reproductive Stages
Nutritional needs of cats and dogs during reproduction are different for gestation (pregnancy)
and lactation. The gestation period in both cats and dogs is about nine weeks - 63 days. The
important point to remember is that dogs and cats in any life stage or with any lifestyle should
be fed to condition. Keep them looking healthy and avoid laying down excess fat.
Gestation: During the first six weeks of gestation, the fetuses do not grow significantly and
the mother's nutritional needs can be met with her maintenance food, providing it is suitable
for all life stages or specifically identified as a gestation diet.
Beginning with the seventh week of gestation, food intake should be increased gradually by
up to 50% over her maintenance intake at the time of breeding. The mild increase is
continued until delivery (called "whelping" in dogs and "queening" in cats). This will support
the rapid growth of the fetuses during the last three weeks of gestation.
A bitch or queen with a large litter may need to be fed more frequently, especially in the final
stages of pregnancy since her stomach may not be able to expand sufficiently for normal-sized
meals. It is not unusual for a drop in appetite near whelping or queening. At whelping or
queening and the day immediately after, bitches and queens frequently lose their appetite.
Keeping nutrient dense, highly palatable foods available at this time is beneficial so that when
they do eat, they get as much nutrition in each mouthful as possible.
Practical feeding tips: Gestation
Feed a diet that is highly digestible and energy and
nutrient dense
Do not increase feed intake until the seventh week of
gestation
Provide several small meals per day during gestation
Increase food intake to approximately 1.5 times
maintenance by the end of gestation (a 50% increase)
Bitches and queens should gain about 15% to 25% of
their body weight by the end of gestation
Bitches and queens should weigh 5% to 10% above
their normal body weight after whelping/queening
Lactation:
Large amounts of nutrients are required for a lactating animal. During the first week of
lactation, food intake will typically be about 50 to 75% greater than the maintenance level.
During the second week, food intake may be increased to twice the maintenance level and to
three times maintenance during the third week. Queens often increase their intake more, on
a percentage basis, than bitches.
The third and fourth weeks of lactation are the most nutritionally demanding for the new
moms. Their offspring are still consuming almost all of their nutrients from milk and have not
begun substantial intake of either dry or canned food. Once the kittens or puppies start
eating some of mom's food or food placed out specifically for them, their consumption of milk
will begin to level off and may even decrease until weaning. Because the large volumes of
food the bitch or queen needs to support this large milk production may be difficult to
consume, it is important to feed a nutrient dense diet to prevent the break down of body
proteins and fats. Both lactating queens and bitches can usually be fed free?choice during
lactation.
At weaning time, the food amount for either the queen or the bitch should be tapered back
to the amount she was receiving when she was bred. Continued feeding of the lactation
amount will only put extra weight on her.
Milk production is influenced by the quantity and quality of dietary protein. If a queen or bitch
is being fed a high quality, nutritionally balanced pet food, she will not require additional
vitamin or mineral supplementation during her breeding cycle. The use of such supplements is
unlikely to be beneficial and, in some cases, may actually do harm.
Practical feeding tips: Lactation
Feed a diet that is highly digestible and energy and nutrient dense.
Provide adequate calories to prevent excess weight loss.
Feed two to three times maintenance during peak lactation.
Provide free-choice feeding or several small meals per day during peak lactation.
Slowly reduce the mother's intake for the week before weaning.
Always provide clean, fresh water free-choice.
© 2004 ASPCA
ASPCA Pet Nutrition and Science Advisory Service
Reproductive Stages
Nutritional needs of cats and dogs during reproduction are different for gestation (pregnancy)
and lactation. The gestation period in both cats and dogs is about nine weeks - 63 days. The
important point to remember is that dogs and cats in any life stage or with any lifestyle should
be fed to condition. Keep them looking healthy and avoid laying down excess fat.
Gestation: During the first six weeks of gestation, the fetuses do not grow significantly and
the mother's nutritional needs can be met with her maintenance food, providing it is suitable
for all life stages or specifically identified as a gestation diet.
Beginning with the seventh week of gestation, food intake should be increased gradually by
up to 50% over her maintenance intake at the time of breeding. The mild increase is
continued until delivery (called "whelping" in dogs and "queening" in cats). This will support
the rapid growth of the fetuses during the last three weeks of gestation.
A bitch or queen with a large litter may need to be fed more frequently, especially in the final
stages of pregnancy since her stomach may not be able to expand sufficiently for normal-sized
meals. It is not unusual for a drop in appetite near whelping or queening. At whelping or
queening and the day immediately after, bitches and queens frequently lose their appetite.
Keeping nutrient dense, highly palatable foods available at this time is beneficial so that when
they do eat, they get as much nutrition in each mouthful as possible.
Practical feeding tips: Gestation
Feed a diet that is highly digestible and energy and
nutrient dense
Do not increase feed intake until the seventh week of
gestation
Provide several small meals per day during gestation
Increase food intake to approximately 1.5 times
maintenance by the end of gestation (a 50% increase)
Bitches and queens should gain about 15% to 25% of
their body weight by the end of gestation
Bitches and queens should weigh 5% to 10% above
their normal body weight after whelping/queening
Lactation:
Large amounts of nutrients are required for a lactating animal. During the first week of
lactation, food intake will typically be about 50 to 75% greater than the maintenance level.
During the second week, food intake may be increased to twice the maintenance level and to
three times maintenance during the third week. Queens often increase their intake more, on
a percentage basis, than bitches.
The third and fourth weeks of lactation are the most nutritionally demanding for the new
moms. Their offspring are still consuming almost all of their nutrients from milk and have not
begun substantial intake of either dry or canned food. Once the kittens or puppies start
eating some of mom's food or food placed out specifically for them, their consumption of milk
will begin to level off and may even decrease until weaning. Because the large volumes of
food the bitch or queen needs to support this large milk production may be difficult to
consume, it is important to feed a nutrient dense diet to prevent the break down of body
proteins and fats. Both lactating queens and bitches can usually be fed free?choice during
lactation.
At weaning time, the food amount for either the queen or the bitch should be tapered back
to the amount she was receiving when she was bred. Continued feeding of the lactation
amount will only put extra weight on her.
Milk production is influenced by the quantity and quality of dietary protein. If a queen or bitch
is being fed a high quality, nutritionally balanced pet food, she will not require additional
vitamin or mineral supplementation during her breeding cycle. The use of such supplements is
unlikely to be beneficial and, in some cases, may actually do harm.
Practical feeding tips: Lactation
Feed a diet that is highly digestible and energy and nutrient dense.
Provide adequate calories to prevent excess weight loss.
Feed two to three times maintenance during peak lactation.
Provide free-choice feeding or several small meals per day during peak lactation.
Slowly reduce the mother's intake for the week before weaning.
Always provide clean, fresh water free-choice.
© 2004 ASPCA
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Pet Food Labels: Part Two
Selecting A Commercial Pet Food
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Food Pets Die For
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Diet and the Skin
Feeding Puppies & Kittens
Feeding - Reproductive Stages
Feeding Geriatric Pets
Special Nutrition Care For Cats
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