7. nutrition for canine and feline pregnancy and neonates SLD

Question 1

outline what types of food should be fed when to a pregnant bitch

Answer 1

small to medium breeds:
- start of pregnancy up to day 40: complete adult
- final 3 weeks preg through lactation: complete puppy food

large/giant breeds:
- start of preg up to day 40: complete puppy for medium breeds during entire preg
- large and giant breed foods will not be acceptable for any stage as they are too low in energy density
- switch mom back to large breed adult when no longer involved in nursing

Question 2

when should puppies transition to solids

Answer 2

After 4 weeks, milk alone no longer provides enough energy and nutrients to sustain the growth of the neonates, and therefore, the transition to solid food must start. Weaning starts around 4–5 weeks, but in orphaned puppies/kittens, it can be as early as 3 weeks of age. Mix dry food with water and/or milk replacer in a ratio of 1: 3 to form gruel.

Question 3

should fod intake in a pregnant bitch be increased straight away

Answer 3

no - The major growing and energy needs of the puppies is during the last third of pregnancy when the foetuses are rapidly putting on weight,
Cats differ in that they will increase their nutrient intake from day one.

Question 4

how much additional weight should a bitch gain in percent between mating and whelping

Answer 4

15-25% increase from original starting weight

Question 5

do pregnant bitches require additional calcium supplements during the later parts of pregnancy

Answer 5

No, feed a suitable balanced and complete puppy food and there is no need for additional supplementation. If the owner is feeding a homemade diet, then calculate a calcium/phosphorus supplementation.
It is especially important that the bitch has access to fresh water all the time. We can relate this to cattle and the enormous amounts of water consumed by a dairy herd to produce milk.
Calcium is important in the development of bone and will therefore need increasing in the later third of pregnancy whilst the foetuses are developing skeletons, but it works with another mineral to maintain a balance within the body.

Question 6

what is the recommended level of calcium and phosphorus (%) during pregnancy

Answer 6

First 6 weeks
Calcium 0.75 – 1.5%
Phos 0.6-1.3%

Last 3 weeks of pregnancy and lactation
Calcium 1.0-1.7%
Phos 0.7-1.3%

You will notice that during the last 3 weeks of pregnancy these values increase. This will account for the skeletal phase of growth around the foetuses and the increased energy intake.

Question 7

9. What is the percentage increase in the demand for calcium and phosphorus in the last 35 days of pregnancy? what is the cause of this?

Answer 7

Sixty percent increase in the demand for phosphorus due to the rapidly developing skeletons of the foetuses.
There is a requirement for Calcium and phosphorus for this, the ratio will remain as 1:1-2:1.
Calcium should remain at 0.75% - 1.7% dry matter during pregnancy.

Question 8

what is the expected weight gain of a queen during pregnancy

Answer 8

The expected weight gain of a queen is 38 – 40% of their pre-pregnancy BW by the time of whelping, this is around 5% per week during pregnancy.

Question 9

when should feed be increased in a pregnant queen

Answer 9

From the second week the diet should increase by 70%, offer adlib as a cat’s feeding needs are to eat little but more frequently matching the natural hunting behaviour.
Cats dietary increase of the 9 weeks should be around 40-50% of their starting weight when they reach birthing.

Question 10

what must be included in a pregnant queen’s diet and why

Answer 10

taurine - obligate carnivores but if dont have enough will have abortion

Question 11

what should pregnant queens be fed

Answer 11

continue your cat’s normal diet for the first 2-3 weeks following mating and then increase the energy requirement with a kitten food fed ad lib for the remaining pregnancy and lactation into whelping and weaning of the kittens.

Question 12

what abnormalities can be checked for visually on a newborn puppy or kitten

Answer 12

• cleft palate
• umbilical hernia
• absence of anus (anal atresia)

Question 13

why might kittens need to be hand reared

Answer 13

• death of mom
• disease in the mom preventing milk production
• mom had too many to care for
• babies sick and need seperate treatment to mom

Question 14

what is the required daily energy intake of a neonate during the first 3 weeks of life

Answer 14

130-150 kcal/kg ME/RER

Question 15

What does a neonate’s daily energy increase to from 4 weeks old?

Answer 15

An increase to 200 -220 kcal per KG ME/RER

Question 16

how do you hand rear a puppy or kitten

Answer 16

Kit needed.
* Acceptable milk replacer for puppies or kittens
* Sterilising equipment, (Milton’s fluid, steam baby steriliser)
* Feeding bottle or dropper bottle or 2-5ml syringes
* Warm water (Milk needs to be at 36c)
* Suitable nesting box to keep kittens safe.
* A way of keeping the kittens warm (environmental temperature of 25c)
* Warm damp cotton wool
* Towel

Procedure
* Make sure feeding equipment is clean and sterilised before use.
* Make up the milk replacer as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
* Allow to cool to an acceptable temperature, test this by shaking the bottle to remove hotspots and assess it on the underside of your wrist if you can have the liquid there for five minutes without it hurting it should be ok to use.
* With your kitten on your knee have around 5-10ml of milk ready and allow them to begin to suckle they may need help to find the teat.
* Stimulate the kittens to urinate and defecate, to do this wipe the anogenital area with warm damp cotton wool in small circular motions.
* Make sure they neonates face is clean and dry to avoid over cooling.
* Repeat every 2 hours for the first week after birth and then every 4 hours for the second week and every 6 hours after that until weaning starts.

Question 17

when are puppies and kittens weaned

Answer 17

This is the time when milk alone will no longer satisfy the energy requirements of the neonates, at around 4 weeks old puppies and kittens would normally start to investigate their surrounding more and can begin to lap at semisolid foods and mum would begin to encourage this.
Orphaned puppies and kittens may star this early at around 3 weeks.

Question 18

how do you wean a puppy/kitten

Answer 18

After 4 weeks, milk alone no longer provides enough energy and nutrients to sustain the growth of the neonates, and therefore, the transition to solid food must start. Weaning starts around 4–5 weeks, but in orphaned puppies/kittens, it can be as early as 3 weeks of age. Dry food mixed with water and/or milk replacer in a ratio of 1: 3 forms a gruel.
If canned food, make a 2: 1 ratio. At first, the kittens will eat little of the semi‐solid gruel, and the litter’s major food source will continue to be the dam’s milk. However, by 5 weeks of age, puppies and kittens are readily consuming semi‐solid food. As the deciduous teeth erupt between 21 and 35 days after birth, puppies and kittens can chew and consume dry food by 5–6 weeks of age.
Usually, nutritional weaning is by 6 weeks of age, although bitches and queens might allow their young to nurse for 8 weeks of age or longer. As stated before, during this period, caloric needs are about two hundred – 220 kcal ME/kg BW for kittens and puppies.