Breeding Nutrition.pdf - Royal Canin Canada

Breeding Nutrition
• Energy needs for breeding dogs
– Little change until week 6 of gestation
– Fetal puppies gain 75% of their birth weight
during last 3 wks
– Last 3 wks of pregnancy, approximately 1.5X
adult maintenance
– Lactation draws up to 3X energy as
maintenance

• Nutritional needs of lactation
Breeding Nutrition
– By weeks 3 and 4, maximum nutritional needs
– Number of nursing offspring directly influences
nutritional needs
– Lactation needs takes priority over the needs of the
dam

• Energy needs for
breeding cats
– From heat and
breeding, increased
energy needs
– Lactation period is
longer in cats than
dogs, prolonged
weaning
Breeding Nutrition

• Reproductive nutrients
Breeding Nutrition
– Energy through fat and carbohydrates
• Dogs
• Cats
– Last 3 weeks of pregnancy higher needs
– First 4 weeks of lactation significantly higher needs
– From time of breeding through gestation, higher needs
– Lactation for 6 weeks, higher

• Carbohydrates
Breeding Nutrition
– Carbohydrates are a key energy source
through glucose
– During gestation/lactation glucose is needed
for fetal development and lactose synthesis
– Glucose directly impacts mothering, as
hypoglycemic bitches are lethargic and do not
encourage their pups to nurse.

• Carbohydrates
Breeding Nutrition
– Low carbohydrate diets negatively influence survival
of puppies (Romos, 1981)
• Statistically significant increased numbers of stillbirths
• Statistically significant increased neonatal mortality within
first 3 days
• This is attributed to the hypoglycemic state of the dam
– Anorexia in the dam is also seen when fed low
carbohydrate diets
– Ketosis can result

• Reproductive
nutrients
– Increased protein
• Fetal growth (organ
development)
• Neonatal growth
(musculoskeletal)
• Mammary tissue
development
• Milk production
Breeding Nutrition

• Reproductive nutrients
– Folic Acid (folate)
• Behavioral changes in estrous
• Follicular growth
• Fertilization
Breeding Nutrition
• DNA replication in embryo and fetal cell division
• Helps prevent cleft palate, spina bifida and other birth
defects

Breeding Nutrition
• Reproductive nutrients
– DHA
• Embryo development
• Growth of fetus
– Major structural component of the retina
– Major structural component of brain tissue
– Β-Carotene
• Promotes estrogen
– Synthesis of sexual pheromones
– Development of uterine endometrium
• Progesterone synthesis
– Prepares uterus for implantation of embryos
– Ensures maintenance of gestation

• Reproductive nutrients
– Tyrosine
Breeding Nutrition
• Precursor of neurotransmitters
• Sexual behavior
• Estrous
– More visible bleeding, better timing of breeding
– Greater acceptance of males
• Follicular growth
• Ovulation

Breeding Nutrition
• Reproductive nutrients
– Vitamin C
• Accumulates in ovarian tissues
• AOX to protect oocytes and assist fertilization
• Plays a role in DNA replication
– Vitamin E
• Ovulation
• AOX
• Spermatogenesis
• Plays a role in DNA replication

• Reproductive nutrients
– Vitamin A
Breeding Nutrition
• Maintains integrity of reproductive tissues
• Promotes maturation of follicles
– Biotin
• Changes in the uterus to enhance pregnancy
• Assists in ovulation
– Taurine
• Fertilization

• Reproductive nutrients
– Arginine
• Ovulation
• Fertilization
– Minerals (Cu, Zn, Mn)
• Sexual cycle
• Follicular growth
• Ovulation
• Fertilization
Breeding Nutrition

Breeding Nutrition
• Nutrition of puppies and kittens
Milk ME
kcal/ml
Protein
g/l
Fat
g/l
Ca++
g/l
Phos
g/l
Dog 1.5 75 95 2.4 1.8
Cow 0.6 33 36 1.2 1.6
Cat 1.2 75 85 1.8 1.6

• Β-Carotene
• Arginine
• Taurine
• EPA and DHA
• Copper
• Zinc
Breeding Nutrition
Optimal Growth, Immunologic Support
• Iron
• Selenium and Vit E
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin A
• B vitamin complex
• FOS

Breeding Nutrition
• Key nutrients for optimal growth
– GI stability
• FOS – feeds the intestinal epithelial cells
• MOS – moves the “bad” bacteria out
– Neurological development
• EPA
• DHA

Breeding Nutrition
• Key nutrients for optimal growth
– Musculoskeletal development
• Protein
• Macrominerals
• Microminerals
• Vitamins
• Controlled energy for controlled growth

• Eclampsia
Breeding Nutrition
– Imbalance in calcium dynamics
– Calcium levels in the body are controlled by
hormones, intestinal absorption and kidney
excretion
– If calcium is over-supplemented during
pregnancy the dam’s physiological wiring will
be short-circuited

• Eclampsia
Breeding Nutrition
– Intestinal absorption of high dietary calcium
supercedes the need to reserve calcium from
excretion through the kidneys, and/or to
access calcium reserves in the skeletal tissue
through hormonal activity
– As a result, the dam loses the ability to
respond quickly to fluctuations in calcium
reserves and demand

• Eclampsia
Breeding Nutrition
– Calcium is a key nutrient in muscle
contraction
– Immediate deficiency results in muscle
tremors, severe weakness, and cardiac
arrhythmias
– Can be life-threatening
– This is an emergency

• Eclampsia
Breeding Nutrition
– In the case of a bitch that has a history of
eclampsia, it is recommended to supplement
calcium under the guidance of a veterinarian,
along with Vitamin D, the last 2 weeks of
gestation and through lactation.
– This is one of the exceptions to the mantra
“Do not supplement.”

Breeding Nutrition
• Maternal behavior affected by nutrition
– Hypoglycemia leads to lethargy and
inattention
– Influence of hypocalcemia on maternal
cannibalism of neonates.
• Borderline hypocalcemia can impact behavior
before, or without, any signs of eclampsia
• To help diagnose, serum ionized calcium levels
are used (not protein bound calcium as is the
norm)