Most females will wait aprox 12 hours after delivery before eating. Their nutrition needs are going to double at least depending on the number of puppies. Feed a high quality dog food, and you can add the following; cooked ground beef, or a mixture of cooked white rice and ground beef. Or canned food added to regular dry dog food. I also will buy the puppy formula powder (comes in a can and is designed for supplementing puppies) and add a scoop of this to your dog's food. It helps with lactation, and most love the taste! Be sure your new mother has plenty of fresh water, and feed her at least 2 times per day, but 3 times is ideal. For more information, see me at live person!
I feed raw food. All pastured meat, both muscle and organ, bones (must be raw, cooked bone is lethal!) eggs, grass fed milk, fish, seafood. But out of all of these I emphasize organ meats, especially liver. My dog's birth was very easy as far as births go. Her puppies are all healthy and shiny and strong. She has been able to feed all 9 of them, her first litter. She has also never seen a vet, never had any shots and is exceptionally healthy.
For more info see Aajonus Vonderplanitz Primal Diet, I don't follow this strictly, but I agree with the over all philosophy, that cooked foods produce toxins and are harmful to the body, while raw foods are loaded with life giving enzymes and nutrients that is destroyed during the heating process.
Feed her more dog food than she usually eats with boiled eggs not raw. You can also feed her yogurt to build up her milk supply. Give her two usually also.
If you were going to change the food you should have done it before she gave birth, the food she was eating before should be good enough How Much to Feed •A nursing dog requires at least twice as much food as she ate before she was pregnant, and if she has a large litter she could be eating five times as much as normal. Keep dry food out for her to eat at will, but also give her several meals throughout the day. They should be the same size as her normal meals, just give them more often. What to Feed •The food for a nursing dog should be rich in nutrients because it's keeping several animals going. Experts recommend a high-quality puppy food for the new mom. Puppy food is formulated to be nutrient-dense for growing dogs with lots of energy, so it's perfect for a nursing dog who needs a little extra. Once the puppies are weaned, the dog can go back to her regular diet.
The American Kennel Club advises owners against giving vitamin supplements to their dogs. It says that ideally the food should be the only source of nutrients. Any supplements should be given only with a veterinarian's approval. In addition, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, along with other experts in the field, discourages owners from making a homemade diet for their nursing dogs. There is too great a risk that the meals won't be as balanced and nutrient-dense as she and her puppies need them to be. If you insist on making homemade food for you dog, do so only in consultation with a veterinary nutritionist.
Provide a fresh source of water and a serving of (preferably) wet dog food for her. Generally, wet dog food is tastier and more appealing to dogs (plus - moisture bonus!). If you are on dry dog food and want to use wet, buy a wet food that is made by the same brand to avoid any issues with digestion.
Dog food in general is your best bet health-wise because of the complete diet it provides.
