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Gestation and Lactation diets for dogs

AFFCO minimums growth

Glucose is a major energy source for the fetus. Though dogs normally do not have a requirement for carbohydrate, as energy can be produced by fat and protein, bitches close to whelping should be given some carbohydrates. When a diet that did not contain carbohydrates (but contained the same amount of energy) was compared to a diet with 44% of it's energy derived from carbohydrates, the bitches whelped earlier and had fewer puppies survive to three days of age. Only 36% of the puppies survived when their mothers had not been given carbohydrates compared to 93% in the control group. Blood glucose in these females deceased right before whelping and free fatty acids were elevated throughout gestationa and lactation.

EPA and DHA (Linked) are used for brain and retina development. When pregnant bitches and their puppies were fed diets high in long chain omega 3 fatty acids (link) the puppies had better retinal health compared to puppies who were fed diets low in long chain omega 3 fatty acids. Bitches and puppies fed diets high in alpha linolenic acid (ALA)(link) did not have as great an increase in retinal health because ALA is too slowly metabolized into DHA. The fatty acid content of milk is directly affected by the mother's diet. Lactating females had a decrease in plasma aracadonic acid (link), likely because the demand for aracadonic acid in milk.