Articles

Reproductive Care

  • This handout discusses the need for ensuring your pregnant dog is receiving adequate nutrition to make sure both she and her puppies thrive during this time of increased demands on her body. Feeding and diet suggestions are provided.

  • Special attention needs to be given to a cat’s nutrition before and during her pregnancy to promote a healthy birth and healthy kittens. It is important to maintain a good body condition throughout pregnancy as her weight increases. A good quality kitten or all life stages diet is recommended during the entire pregnancy; ideally one evaluated using feeding trials. This diet is usually fed throughout the lactation period, but attention to body condition is essential here as well, and the diet may need to be restricted if there is a small number of kittens or the cat starts becoming overweight. Weaning is usually aided by feeding significantly less food for a few days while restricting access to nursing to decrease milk production.

  • Special attention needs to be given to a dog’s nutrition during her pregnancy to promote a healthy birth and healthy puppies. It is important to maintain a good body condition throughout pregnancy as her weight increases. A good quality adult maintenance diet is recommended during the first 40 days but after this the energy demand increases greatly and this is most easily met by feeding puppy food. This diet is usually fed throughout the lactation period, but attention to body condition is essential here as well, and the diet may need to be restricted if there is a small number of puppies or the dog starts becoming overweight. Weaning is usually aided by feeding significantly less food for a few days while restricting access to nursing to decrease milk production.

  • Despite being loud, alert and agile when on the chase, Lappies are calm, friendly and very submissive with people. Their gentle disposition makes them ideal dogs around small children and the elderly.

  • The Finnish Spitz, the national dog of Finland, loves to bark, and his barking talents are so valued that every year in Finland, officials select a King Barker. Maybe not the breed for peace-and-quiet lovers, the Finkie, as he is known to his friends, is nonetheless a playful and devoted companion.

  • The Frenchie is a quiet but sociable dog who continues to love snoozing on human laps and otherwise cuddle at every opportunity.

  • This is a lively dog with a playful personality that demands to be with people and in the thick of things—and isn't above a bit of high-energy mischief.

  • Curious, courageous, and calm (for a terrier), the happy-go-lucky attitude and gentle nature of the Glen of Imaal Terrier help him adjust to just about any living situation, as long as he can spend time at your side every day.

  • The Golden's gentle face and alluring charisma is an invitation to play. If you're reading a book, you're liable to find a paw in your lap, followed by another, then your face covered with kisses.

  • Devotees of the Gordon Setter say that they're highly intelligent and that they're as good at being faithful companions as they are at finding birds for the hunter. Plenty of daily, regular exercise brings out the best in this sweet-natured (but sometimes bossy) dog, and keeps him from becoming too rowdy.

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