# Free feeding bitch while pregnant and after whelp



## Ladyscarletthawk (Dec 6, 2011)

Do you free feed your pregnant bitches later in their pregnancy or do you merely feed multiple times a day? If you feed multiple times a day, how much and how often compared to normal? If you free feed, do you feed kibble, canned, raw, etc. When my bitch had her first litter she was on kibble, which made free feeding easy. Now she is on dehydrated raw and I am concerned about trying to free feed this food, and would hate to make her sick from bacterial growth. I would prefer to continue to feed her honest kitchen but am willing to feed kibble if need be. Thoughts and advice greatly appreciated! Thanks guys! 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Good question, I'll be following!

I was planning to free feed my bitch after she's whelped but in late pregnancy I'd prefer to do just multiple meals because free feeding is very difficult with Miss Millie around...At least when the puppies are here I'll have an area gated off for mom and pups.


----------



## Ladyscarletthawk (Dec 6, 2011)

CharismaticMillie said:


> Good question, I'll be following!
> 
> I was planning to free feed my bitch after she's whelped but in late pregnancy I'd prefer to do just multiple meals because free feeding is very difficult with Miss Millie around...At least when the puppies are here I'll have an area gated off for mom and pups.


My girl is being fed her honest kitchen twice a day, and l have been leaving a bowl of merricks buffalo grain free in her kennel. I keep the kennel door closed/ locked when she isnt in it to stop my allergy toy who thinks shes part cocker from infiltrating the food shes not supposed to have lol. I figure my mini is a better judge of how much food she needs during the day lol. My dogs are kenneled when I'm at work and when I can't supervise their sneaky selves lol. I think she prefers some carbs in her kibble since she loved her chicken a la veg from fromms. Her last litter loved the fromms(mom ate this) over the pro plan that her breeder wanted to keep them on. I may buy a bag of fromms but I like the grain free better for her.. Thoughts?


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

Honest Kitchen isn't raw. It is human grade cooked meats, just go on their web page, it says nothing about raw meats, so don't worry about bacteria- it is human grade. They even show a video of a woman eating it


----------



## Aubrey (May 18, 2013)

You still wouldn't want to leave a large bowl of it sitting around all day- human grade or not it will grow pathogens.


----------



## Ladyscarletthawk (Dec 6, 2011)

Jamie Hein said:


> Honest Kitchen isn't raw. It is human grade cooked meats, just go on their web page, it says nothing about raw meats, so don't worry about bacteria- it is human grade. They even show a video of a woman eating it


Ergo the basis if it's appeal . Yes I know the meat, now I'll probably slaughter the details, gets lightly cooked during dehydration? I call it "raw" as I believe that is the category it's under. But I love the fact it's human grade and so do my girls. Fergie would prefer I free fed this to her . But like human food one has to worry about bacteria growing on food not kept at 40f if I remember right lol. That's my concern there... 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Ladyscarletthawk (Dec 6, 2011)

Aubrey said:


> You still wouldn't want to leave a large bowl of it sitting around all day- human grade or not it will grow pathogens.


Yes that was my concern too. Aside from milk I have a gut of steel, and I would eat something comparable to HK that sat out for a few hours. However I won't chance that for my dogs especially since they can't open the door to relieve themselves outside. Plus I don't want her to lose weight from tummy aches, etc. She is about 6wks along now !


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

It is cooked before dehydration. It is most similar to canned food. Like soup mix that you rehydrate, not dehydrated raw food which is not cooked. But you are right, it could grow pathogens sitting all day like our fresh food would.


----------

