I started this post over due to response...I suppose I should have been more specific with details of my girls situation. Been breeding for a while, not new to this...not looking for flames or bashing. I have a female who has not always been a good eater...very picky(we have tried several of the more expensive foods in the past and it makes no difference, she still wont eat like the others do) and prefers me to hand feed her(pregnant or not). This is my first experience with a lab that does not at non-pregnancy status gobble food down. Due in about four days. She has been offered four small meals a day as whelp has gotten closer started at five weeks of her pregnancy. Breeder friend told me to add a little cottage cheese or yogurt with her food to get her to eat it better and so I wouldn't be hand feeding so much. Vet said I could add a little melted vanilla ice cream. I know there are times they will and wont eat during pregnancy. I don't give any supplements or add anything to my girls when they are pregnant; but this is my first experience with a lab that does not care much for eating even before pregnancy. I just wanted to see if anyone on here did and if this would be something to add for this girl??? Or if it's better to keep like I have been doing and like I do with my kids...offer it but they will eat when they are hungry.

It sounds like you are supplementing her with foods high in calcium; cottage cheese, yogurt, vanilla ice cream. Have you tried boiled and cubed chicken breasts or some other kind of meat? Canned food?

No I have not supplemented anything to this girls food during her pregnancy. I did try canned food before the pregnancy but she didn't like it..first lab I have ever owned that will not eat canned food. I haven't tried the cottage cheese, yogurt, or ice cream with her, I don't want her recieving to much calcium. Chicken breast is a great idea, Thanks so much!

quit treating her like a baby...put her food down in her crate, if she doesn't eat it, she doesn't get it. Period.

Green Tripe, if you do a search you can find it canned. It stinks but dogs love it and it is good for them.

Due in 4 days...mmmm.... are you counting from ovulation? Don't forget, it is a range- not just 63 days. She may be getting ready to go! Those pups are putting on the pressure- have you x-rayed yet?

Have you taken her temp - it has not dropped yet? If she has alot of pups, she may feel too uncomfortable to eat. I mix low sodium beef broth with water for the nursing moms to entice them to drink. I wonder if her food mixed with broth would help? I would not do the calcium route before she whelps. I hope you have good luck with her while she is nursing. I have had 2 girls that won't eat well (I think it is hormonal) while nursing pups.

No temp drop yet. Thank you so much!! I will definately try the low sodium beef broth mixed with water.

I have a picky eater (AKA Mr. Picky Pants) and recently his daughter had her second litter and I was surprised that she began to turn her nose up at her breakfast at around 6 weeks along. It's a pain - I've been dealing with his fussy habits for almost 12 years and so I wasn't happy about her sitting there giving me the same look of "You want me to eat dog food?" Of course with a bitch that is bred you are more worried. With her I just added some goat's milk and Honest Kitchen (dehydrated raw) and this did the trick for most meals. Towards the end she was more picky so I offered her smaller meals more frequently and found she wanted breakfast around 9:00 AM as opposed to 6:00 AM. I would also try a few different canned foods and see which one she finds most appealing (mine liked Timberwolf).