Nutritional Management of the Bitch: Pre-breeding to
Whelping
By Russ L.Kelley, MS
Research and Development Division The lams Company,
Lewisburg, Ohio
INTRODUCTION
The
goal of any breeding program should focus on the generation of an adequate size
litter of healthy viable puppies reflecting the genetic potential of the bitch.
To achieve this goal, the breeder will be required to not only select the
proper breeding stock, but to also develop a plan by which the stock will be
managed. While the basis of the program must be applicable to an entire kennel,
it must also have some degree of flexibility to meet the needs of each
individual bitch.
PRE-BREEDING
Prior to any mating, the breeder should take every precaution to ensure
that the bitch is in ideal health. This includes not only being current on all
vaccinations and free from infections and parasites, but also in optimal
physical condition. To ensure this, animals should be exercised regularly and
maintained on a diet that matches energy needs relative to energy output. An
important note to remember is that the reproductive process does not begin at
mating, but several weeks prior to the mating process when ovarian follicles
are being recruited for the upcoming cycle. Because of this, it is important that
the breeder not confuse optimal physical condition with athletically finished.
The breeding bitch should have evident muscle tone, but also have a slight
degree of body fat. This body condition will help promote a healthy endocrine
system that will influence the degree of reproductive success.
WHAT TO FEED?
Nutrition
has long been recognized as an influential factor in bitch reproduction.(1-8) The recommendations from these
references are generally vague in that they recommend feeding a high-quality food
with sufficient energy for reproduction. There are a few publications (2,5) that have addressed the effect of
certain nutrient classes on canine reproduction. However, past research has
directed little effort to defining diet "quality" or to the role of
specific nutrients in canine reproduction. Additionally, there has been a
severe lack of studies designed to separate diet sufficiency and "optimal
nutrition". There are numerous diets, both commercially available and home
recipes, that have been recommended as sufficient for reproduction. This merely
means that animals were able to reproductively perform within expected levels
while consuming a defined diet. Unfortunately, these expected levels are often
well below the level that the bitch is genetically capable of performing.
Almost
thirty years ago, Collins(9)
surmised that the stress associated with reproduction would manifest even the
smallest of nutrient inadequacies in diets assumed to be complete. The
inadequacies of a diet may not be severe enough to halt the bitch from
reproducing; however, they most likely will prevent her from performing at her
genetic potential and/or would require an increased nutrient mobilization from
her body stores to meet the nutritional requirements of her progeny. Furthermore,
since deficiencies in maternal nutrition in other species have now been
associated with adult disorders in progeny (10) it is essential that we understand and optimize maternal
nutrition. It is also critical that the breeder keeps in mind that the mother
must supply all essential nutrients for the developing puppies. Because of
this, the bitch must obtain a sufficient supply from her diet or mobilize these
nutrients from her body stores. These essential nutrients would include all of
the essential amino acids (building blocks for proteins), the essential fatty
acids (functional components of cellular membranes and the endocrine system),
as well as various vitamins and minerals
However, this is not to imply that one should simply
switch to a diet with the highest available nutrient (protein or energy or
both) content or use various dietary supplements in an attempt to enhance a
food. Over-nutrition can be as detrimental as nutrient deficiencies. Excess
dietary energy can often contribute to extreme maternal weight gain, which
dramatically increases the risk of dystocia during parturition. The use of
dietary supplements can supply excessive amounts of nutrients such as minerals,
thus altering the balanced dietary matrix of the diet.
Again, you may ask, "what should I feed?"
First and foremost, 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. While there are many "home-based"
diet recipes circulating, it is extremely difficult to achieve a complete and
balanced diet using these recipes. These diets can often be deficient in
vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients and are undefined with regard to amino
acid and fatty acid levels. They may also vary over time due to an inconsistent
ingredient supply. Commercial formulas offer distinct advantages by allowing
the breeder to feed a product of known nutrient content and type to support the
reproductive process.
Approximately two weeks prior to breeding, the bitch
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). 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. Findings from a recent study conducted by The lams Company involving over
17,000 canine matings demonstrated benefits of feeding such a dietary
matrix (Eukanuba@ Premium Performance Formula) compared against two other
diets.(11) 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.!! 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 bitch.
PREGNANCY
During the first 4 weeks of pregnancy, the breeder
should continue to feed the bitch the above-mentioned 30-20 (% protein and fat)
diet at maintenance levels. It is possible that you may observe an increased
appetite in the bitch at approximately 3 weeks post-breeding. This, however,
may not indicate that you are underfeeding the bitch. During this period,
maternal recognition of pregnancy and embryonic implantation may trigger an
increased appetite in the bitch. It is very important that the bitch be
maintained on her normal routine during this period to prevent any undue stress,
which could be detrimental to the pregnancy.
At approximately 5 weeks post-breeding, the food
intake of the bitch should be increased slightly each day to achieve a 50%
increase in energy by the end of week 6. For example, if the bitch is consuming
1,000 calories/day for maintenance, by the end of the 6th week she
should be consuming approximately 1,500 calories/day. The amount to feed can be determined by contacting the
manufacturer for the metabolizable energy content of the diet, generally
reported in kcal/kg or kcal/cup. It will be necessary to closely monitor the
bitch during the later portion of gestation to ensure that she is gaining
sufficient weight. It is impossible to give an exact percentage of weight that
a bitch should gain, since the increase will vary greatly from breed to breed
even within similar adult sizes. For instance, one might expect a Golden
Retriever to gain more weight than a German Shepherd Dog on average, since
retrievers typically give birth to larger litters. However, a good rule of
thumb would be to target a 25% weight gain in the bitch by the end of week 8 (day 56) post-breeding.
The use of dietary
supplements is a highly debated topic.
Everyone knows someone who claims that some special additive will help
solve a given reproductive problem. Unforunately, there is little information
in the scientific literature to support such claims. It is very important to understand that dietary supplements are
needed only when the diet fails to supply the optimal levels of a nutrient. If
a breeder is feeding a diet that requires elaborate supplementation regimens,
it would be advisable to seek a high-quality food that has been formulated to
meet the nutritional needs of the pregnant or lactating bitch.
One of the most touted
supplemental regimens for the bitch is to increase calcium intake during
pregnancy. While this may seem logical,
it is not only unnecessary but it can be detrimental. One of the most critical needs of a lactating bitch is the ability to
regulate the deposition and mobilization of calcium for milk production. If the
bitch is supplemented with high levels of calcium during pregnancy, her body is
not metabolically primed to mobilize 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. While her absolute
requirement may increase due to pregnancy, one should not confuse this with a
percentage requirement change. The bitch will receive any added calcium she may
require through her increased food intake.
Another common dietary supplement that is touted is
folic acid. This nutrient is highly promoted in humans to help prevent neural
tube defects; however, this developmental disorder is very rarely seen in the
dog. In addition, most commercial formulas recommended for reproduction
typically contain greater that 200% of the level of folic acid set as the
Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) minimum for growth and
reproduction; therefore, deficiencies are highly unlikely.
CONCLUSIONS
Feeding your bitch does not have to be complicated.
While the science associated with nutrition and reproduction may require years
to understand, the actual practice of providing nutrition can be summarized
fairly simply: feed the appropriate amount of a diet that meets the animal's
needs. While this practice still requires the breeder to make decisions as
to the exact diet that will be fed, it does eliminate questions such as to what
mix of products and/or supplements must be utilized.
Based on our research in the area of canine
reproduction, the greatest success has been achieved feeding a diet, such as
Eukanuba@ Premium Performance Formula, consisting of approximately 30% protein
(animal source-based) and 20% fat with an omega-6:3 ratio of 5:1 to 10:1. The
benefits of feeding this formula have included increased conception rate and
live births and more consistent maternal productivity. While nutrition is only
one component of bitch management, it is one of the most (if not the most)
important. Thus by providing the proper nutrition, the breeder has taken a
great step forward in achieving a successful breeding program.
REFERENCES
1.
Sokolowski JH. Reproductive patterns in the bitch. Vet Clin N Am
1977;
7:653-666.
2.
Mosier JE. Nutritional recommendations for gestation and lactation
in
the dog. Vet Clin N Am 1977; 7:683-692.
3. Evans HE. Reproduction and
prenatal development. In: Evans HE,
ed.
Miller's Anatomy of the Dog. 2nd edition. Philadelphia, PA: W.B.
Saunders
Company, 1979; 13-77.
4. Concannon PW. Reproduction in
the dog and cat. In: Cole H, Cupps
PT,
eds. Reproduction in Domestic Animals. 3rd edition. Orlando, FL:
Academic
Press, 1991; 517-554.
5.
Moser E. Feeding to optimize canine reproduction efficiency. Prob
Vet
Med 1992; 4:545-550.
6. Evans HE. Prenatal development.
In: Evans HE, ed. Miller's Anatomy
of
the Dog. 3rd
edition. Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders Company,
1993;
32-97.
7.
Evans JM, White K. Book of the Bitch: A Complete Guide to Under
standing
and Caring for
Bitches. New York: Howell Book House, 1997.
8.
Bebiak OM, Lawler OF, Reutzel LF. Nutrition and management of
the
dog. Vet Clin N Am Small Anim Pract 1987; 17:505-533.
9. Collins DR. The reproducing bitch. In: The
Collins Guide to Dog Nutrition. 6th edition. New York: Howell Book
House, 1972; 223-228.
10. Langley-Evans SC, Gardner OS, Welham SJM.
Intrauterine
programming
of cardiovascular disease by maternal nutritional status.
Nutrition
1998; 14:39-47.
11. Kelley RL. Canine Reproduction: What should we expect? In: Reinhart
GA, Carey OP, eds. Recent Advances in Canine and Feline
Nutrition, Volume III: 2000 lams Nutrition Symposium Proceedings.
Wilmington, OH: Orange Frazer Press, 2000;
225-242.
As taken from the IAMS “Canine Reproduction for
Breeders
from a symposium presented at
Westminster KC, 2/10/01
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