Dog Pregnancy and Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation

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Thursday, May 3rd, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

Are vitamin and mineral supplements necessary for the pregnant bitch? The answer is: Yes, absolutely! In addition to a healthy and balanced diet, pregnant females who are near their fourth week of gestation should be given an additional vitamin and mineral supplement. In addition, a balanced di-calcium phosphate may need to be added.

Di-calcium phosphate tablets and vitamin/mineral supplements can be found in most any veterinarian hospital as well as a few specific grocery outlets. Health food stores have been known to carry all types of dog supplements as well.

Read the labels for instruction

Every type of additional supplement that can be found for dogs will also have labels that cater towards the pregnant dog. There are many supplements that are specifically designed for matrons as well as puppies. And it is important to know that all prenatal dog supplements undergo thorough lab testing before they are marketed and released on the shelves. You’ll also notice that each label has very specific instructions on how often to give each supplement to your pregnant dog, as well as the dose size at each sitting.

Just like vitamins and minerals for people, prenatal dog supplements are sold in both powder form and tablet form. Many people get overly concerned about which form is better but the truth is that it is an individual choice that depends on the dog and you as the owner. Whether it is power or a tablet, all quality is the same.

Some dogs are just not able to have tablets put in their mouth and swallowed, therefore, mixing a powder in their food can be an easier way. Speaking from personal experience, my Chihuahua has absolutely no problem with gulping down a tablet when I place it in the back of his throat. For this reason alone, I opt for buying tablet forms when it comes to supplements. However, I would have no problem with using powder form if that is what my dog was better at ingesting.