The most important thing is to recognise when these symptoms and factors appear. This can vary greatly between breeds, breed size and even individually as well, so it is often difficult to predict when a different diet will be required. The situation is further complicated as some symptoms may disappear as the dog ages. A recent study that showed that some 30% of dogs presented to vets were overweight at 6-8 years of age, but by 12 years of age a similar sample showed only 5% to fit this category while 16% were underweight. So, not all senior dogs should be fed a light diet.

Here at The Pet Express we want you to enjoy every time you shop with us. Occasionally we know you may want to return items, we have tried to make our terms as clear as possible to avoid any nasty surprises. Days 28 – 35: At this time the fetuses begin to resemble dogs with developing toes, whiskers and claws. They can be identified as male and female at this point and their eyes will now close (and remain closed until the pups reach until about 10 days old or so.) At this stage they become more resistant to development problems. In the mother, her weight will begin to increase, and swelling will begin to be noticeable. Like we have mentioned above, it’s pretty hard to find any negatives in this product. The only thing we can say is that it isn’t cheap. So, if you are looking for an inexpensive product, Dr John is not the place to look. It’s worth considering working dogs separately to pets with regard to dietary requirements. Rather like human athletes, they can have a variety of different additional needs, dependant on the work they carry out or sport they engage in, however, some general principles apply with working dogs.

SENIOR DOGS

Days 35-42: Puppies become coloured (skin pigment develops) and the mother’s stomach continues to swell.

Large & giant breed puppies will need to be fed a growth diet for much longer than a toy or small breeds, whilst a terrier pup will finish its growth by 6 months of age, a giant breed like a Newfoundland will still be growing at 18 months. It’s particularly important that growth in these larger dogs is evenly spread over this period and the nutrient levels are appropriate. Our growth diets, as with all our diets, require no supplementation as they are complete foods with all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals needed for growth in the right proportions. In fact supplementing with additional minerals or vitamins can create a nutrient imbalance which can affect coat, appetite and even bones. There is some evidence to suggest mineral imbalance can cause bones to become enlarged yet with lower bone density which could have detrimental consequences in later life (osteochondrosis, osteoarthritis). WHY CAN’T I FEED MY PUPPY ADULT FOOD? The duration of pregnancy in dogs can range from anything between 57 – 69 days. Feeding well throughout this period should ensure a successful outcome and healthy well-fed pups. For the first 35 days there is no need to increase the amount to feed, simply feed as normal and monitor appetite, digestion and condition. You may notice that during week 4 and 5 of pregnancy she loses her appetite, which in most cases is entirely normal and indicative of pregnancy. However, in the last third of the pregnancy period she will need to have her food increased by approximately 10% a week so that when she is ready to give birth she is having 1.5 times her maintenance amount. As the pups increase in size in her, her stomach capacity is reduced so feed her little and often or through free choice feeding. FEEDING FOR LACTATION

FEEDING FOR LACTATION

Food and water bowls: These need to be heavy bottomed dishes to ensure they don’t tip over & made of material that cannot be chewed. Puppy sized versions are available which will allow easier access for small puppies. If we miss you on the first delivery attempt, we will try again the next working day. Alternatively, you can visit DHLand easily re-arrange your delivery to something which suits you better! You can choose from the following options: What you feed your puppy is even more important than with an adult dog as this is the key stage for determining their adult health and wellbeing. First of all, they need to be fed a puppy diet and a complete dry food will ensure they get all the nutrients and bone minerals in the right percentages to match their growth. Another common complication is false pregnancy. This can occur soon after the heat cycle and mimic all the signs of pregnancy. Typically symptoms will last for a month or so before subsiding naturally. Getting a vet’s diagnosis can be helpful in ruling out other possible causes.