Raw Feeding for Breeders: Building Strong, Healthy Litters From the Start

Raw Feeding & Breeding: A Guide for Pet Parents

Breeding is an exciting and deeply rewarding journey for pet owners — whether you’re welcoming puppies or kittens into the world. But it also brings important nutritional questions: Can a dog or cat stay on a raw diet through mating, pregnancy, and lactation? How should feeding plans adapt as physiological needs change?

At Raw Essentials, we believe the answer is yes — with careful planning and species‑appropriate nutrition. Our approach is grounded in nearly two decades of science‑informed experience helping pets in Aotearoa thrive on natural, unprocessed raw food — just as nature intended. Raw Means Raw and that includes supporting breeding pets through every life stage with thoughtfully balanced nutrition.

Why Nutrition Matters During Breeding

Reproductive health, pregnancy, and lactation are periods of dramatically increased nutritional demand. During these stages, a well‑balanced diet plays a crucial role in supporting:

• Fertility, conception, and healthy mating cycles

• Optimal fetal development and growth

• Post‑birth recovery for the mother

• High‑quality milk production during lactation

Scientific guidelines for gestation and lactation nutrition emphasise the importance of high‑quality animal‑based protein and energy‑dense food to meet metabolic requirements — nutrients that unprocessed raw feeding can deliver effectively when well formulated. During lactation, energy needs may increase up to 2–4× the maintenance requirement, and protein requirements rise even higher to support the rapid growth of offspring. Assistance Dogs International

Raw feeding provides nutrient‑dense whole foods — including muscle meat, organs, and bone components — supplying the essential amino acids, fats, and micronutrients breeding animals need for growth, repair, and milk synthesis. This aligns with nutritional science that underscores high‑quality protein in supporting fetal and neonatal development. Assistance Dogs International

Transitioning to Raw Before Breeding

If your dog or cat is not yet on a raw diet, timing the transition matters:

• Before mating:
  Transition well in advance of breeding. Allow time for digestive adaptation and for your pet to reach a stable, balanced condition on raw food.

• During pregnancy or lactation:
  Avoid abrupt diet changes unless medically advised. Sudden shifts can disrupt digestive balance at a sensitive time.

Preparing a dog or cat nutritionally before mating supports optimal fertility, gestation, and resilience through lactation.

Feeding Through Pregnancy

Pregnancy nutritional needs change as gestation progresses, with energy and protein requirements increasing, especially in late gestation and lactation. Evidence‑based nutrition recommendations for pregnant animals emphasise:

• Sufficient high‑quality protein to support fetal growth

• Balanced energy intake matched to pregnancy stage

• Adequate calcium and phosphorus to support skeletal development

• Essential fats for cellular and neural development

Raw feeding, when properly balanced, can support these needs through whole‑food ingredients naturally high in bioavailable proteins and fats. This matches life‑stage feeding guidelines that recommend increased protein and energy dense food for pregnant and lactating animals. Assistance Dogs International

Pregnancy can be divided into three stages, each with slightly different nutritional needs:

Supporting Mothers and Babies After Birth

The period immediately after whelping or queening is critical. Mothers rapidly increase their energy intake to support milk production, often eating 2–4 times their usual energy needs. Assistance Dogs International Raw feeding supports this through nutrient‑rich food that promotes satiety and steady nutrient supply without relying on fillers and additives.

Key considerations post‑birth include:

• Small, frequent meals to support digestive comfort

• Close monitoring of body condition and milk production

• Hydration to sustain high milk output (milk is >75% water)

Introducing nutrient‑dense raw foods — including lean muscle meat, organ meats, and bone mixes — helps ensure mothers maintain strength and condition while producing rich milk for their offspring.

Increasing Intake:

Reintroducing Whole Bones:

• Safe once babies begin weaning. Whole bones provide essential calcium and mental enrichment.

Each animal is unique. Close monitoring of weight, body condition, and stool consistency is essential. Adjust intake as needed.

How Raw Feeding Supports Breeding

When balanced correctly, raw diets are aligned with nutritional science that prioritises:

High‑quality protein: Essential for tissue repair, immune function, and growth — especially critical during gestation and lactation. Assistance Dogs International
Bioavailable nutrients: Raw whole foods offer many nutrients in forms readily used by pets, supporting overall health and condition. Healthy Pets
Low processing stress: Minimising highly processed inputs can help reduce digestive disturbances common with commercial diets, supporting gut health and nutrient uptake.

These principles are supported by nutrition science that recognises the value of species‑appropriate diets, particularly when tailored to life stages such as growth and reproduction.

Conclusion

Breeding, pregnancy, and lactation are nutritionally demanding life stages — and they deserve a feeding approach that is both scientifically informed and species appropriate. A well‑planned raw diet can support fertility, fetal development, maternal recovery, and milk production when nutrition is balanced and closely monitored.

At Raw Essentials, we combine evidence‑based theory with practical expertise to help breeders feed with confidence. With natural, nutrient‑dense raw food that aligns with your pet’s biology, you’re giving breeding pets the foundation they need for strong, healthy litters — from conception to weaning and beyond.

References

Assistance Dogs International. (2023). Nutrition and theriogenology for dogs and cats. https://assistancedogsinternational.org/clientuploads/IBC/Resources/Breeding/nutrition_and_therio_in_dogs_and_cats_2023.pdf Assistance Dogs International

Rawmeatybones.com. (n.d.). Life stage nutrition for healthy dogs and cats. https://rawmeatybones.com/pdf/Life%20Stage%20Nutrition%20for%20Healthy.pdf Raw Meaty Bones

New Zealand Veterinary Journal. (2023). Effects of raw meat diets on gastrointestinal microbiota and pet health. https://healthypets.org.nz/sites/default/files/The%20effects%20of%20raw%20meat%20diets%20on%20the%20gastrointestinal%20microbiota%20of%20the%20cat%20and%20dog%20a%20review.pdf