Articles

Dog Pregnancy: 3 Common Questions Regarding Vitamin/Mineral Supplementation

When your dog is pregnant is it necessary for you to add vitamin and mineral supplements to her diet? The correct response to this is absolutely! Not only should you keep them on a healthy and balanced diet, but by the time they are in their fourth week of gestation you should also be supplementing additional vitamins and minerals. In addition, a balanced di-calcium phosphate may need to be added.

“Where should I purchase these dog supplements?”

You can find you vitamins, minerals, and di-calcium phosphate tablets in almost any vet hospital or clinic and even some grocery stores may carry these supplements. Health food stores have been known to carry all types of animal supplements as well.

“How do I know what dosage of supplement to administer to my pregnant dog?”

When catering to a pregnant dog check for additional supplement labels that will ensure that you are administrating the right dosage. 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.

“What forms do these prenatal supplements come in?”

Prenatal dog supplements can come in two forms, powder and tablet form, much like the ones for human use. There is no need to stress about which form is the better way.  Choosing which form is best solely depends on the personal preference of the dog and the dog 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.