10 Best Supplements for Pregnant Dogs in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks
Updated on
Pregnant dogs have different requirements than non-pregnant ones, and they will have different requirements throughout the 2 months or so of their pregnancies. For example, for the first half of the pregnancy, her puppies will not do much growing, so you would be ill-advised to overfeed your dog. It could potentially do more harm than good.
Prenatal supplements and vitamins help ensure that your dog is getting everything she needs while pregnant, which not only benefits her but helps ensure that her puppies are healthy too.
Besides specialist prenatal vitamins and supplements, many multivitamins and other tablets are designed for use during pregnancy and while breastfeeding puppies. These encourage good nutrition and ensure that the mother dog has everything she needs. They also provide the vitamins and minerals that her puppies need.
Some dogs are notoriously good at recognizing tablets and supplements in their food or even in pocket treats and spit them out. Palatable tablets can help avoid this.
These are reviews of 10 of the best supplements for pregnant dogs. Choose the one that best meets the requirements of your dog and her puppies, the stage of pregnancy she is at, and the reason for supplementing her diet.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024
| Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall
|
|
VetriScience Canine Plus Multivitamin |
|
Check Price |
Best Value
|
|
Nutri-Vet Multi-Vite Chewable Dog Supplement |
|
Check Price |
Premium Choice
|
|
NaturVet All-In-One Support Soft Chews |
|
Check Price |
|
Thomas Labs Bitch Pills |
|
Check Price | |
|
Waggedy Chewable Dog Vitamins |
|
Check Price |
The 10 Best Supplements for Pregnant Dogs
1. VetriScience Canine Plus Multivitamin — Best Overall
The key to ensuring the good health of your pregnant dog is to maintain and even optimize her nutritional intake. Rather than feeding her up, which can actually be unhealthy during the first half of the pregnancy, a multivitamin tablet ensures that your dog is getting all the vitamins and minerals that she needs without adding unnecessary weight.
The VetriScience Canine Plus Multivitamin combines amino acids, omega fish oils, and B vitamins. Made with a chicken flavor, the chewable tablets are easy to digest and designed to be easy to feed to your dog.
The tablets are well priced and have proven popular with most dogs. They come in a resealable bag, but because you have to feed up to two tablets a day, according to the size of the dog, the bag of 30 may only last a couple of weeks.
While the tablets are designed to be palatable and appealing to your dog, they do have a somewhat strong smell, so they are difficult to hide for those dogs that are not interested in the flavor.
- Maximum of two tablets a day
- Chewable and digestible
- Chicken liver flavor
- Resealable bag
- The bag only lasts 2 weeks
2. Nutri-Vet Multi-Vite Chewable Dog Supplement — Best Value
When feeding a new tablet or supplement, take things slowly. The vitamins can cause loose stools in your dog, so introduce them gradually rather than all at once.
This is easier with tablets like the Nutri-vet Multi-Vite Chewable Dog Supplement, which requires feeding one tablet per 20 pounds of body weight. For example, a Labrador weighs approximately 70 pounds, so she would require three to four tablets per day. Start by feeding a single tablet, and increase this every few days until you reach the desired number.
Unfortunately, this feeding requirement does mean that giant breeds like Mastiffs may need to take as many as 10 tablets per day. If your dog is uncertain of the aroma or the taste, it will be a challenge to get them down.
The tablets do contain vitamins B3, C, D, and E. They are designed with a liver flavor to make them more appealing, and they are considered suitable for dogs 1-7 years old. Bags include a maximum of 180 tablets, which should be enough to last a month with all but the biggest of breeds. The tablets, even in large bottles, are low cost. This makes them the best supplements for pregnant dogs for the money.
- Cheap
- Good bag size should last a month
- Chewable and liver-flavored
- Contains vitamins B3, C, D, and E
- Maximum of 10 tablets per day
3. NaturVet All-In-One Support Soft Chews — Premium Choice
Soft chews are easier to get dogs to take. Hard tablets need to be well hidden because they rarely have an appealing taste. The NaturBet All-In-One Support Soft Chews is a tablet that is soft and chewable. The ingredients include natural flavorings, which are chicken liver and hearts, so many dogs will enjoy the flavor and taste.
This is fortunate because the All-In-One Support Soft Chews are a chewable multivitamin with large daily requirements. Dogs weighing over 75 pounds will need to consume eight tablets a day. Fortunately, NaturVet sells bottles of 240. Even the largest breed will have enough supply for a month.
NaturVet includes a full range of omega oils: omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9. This combination supports healthy skin and coat, which can suffer during pregnancy, and includes glucosamine and chondroitin, which protect joints and bones. There have been instances of stomach upsets with NaturVet supplements, so we do suggest gradually introducing them over a week or two.
These pricey tablets do have a strong odor, so if your dog doesn’t like the natural taste, it will be difficult to hide them, even in the food that she loves.
- Good bottle size
- Omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 are good for coat and skin
- Glucosamine and chondroitin are good for joint health
- Expensive
- Some dogs struggle with the richness
4. Thomas Labs Bitch Pills
Thomas Labs Bitch Pills contain a combination of vitamins and minerals that are designed for prenatal use and during nursing and weaning.
- Folic acid helps the healthy formation of red blood cells, along with iron, which is also included in the Thomas Labs pills. These ensure that your dog can properly digest and benefit from amino acids. It also ensures that the fetuses develop properly.
- B vitamins ensure good immune system health.
- Iodine protects and helps the healthy formation of the fetuses’ brains and nervous systems.
- Calcium helps with the strong formation of the fetuses’ bones and teeth.
It is worth noting that there are high levels of calcium in these tablets, and it is advised that you avoid giving pregnant dogs too high a dose of calcium.
You should give one tablet per 25 pounds of body weight, which means that you may have to give six or more tablets a day. A bottle of 120 tablets is quite expensive, although you will only be giving them over 2-3 months.
Ingredients include poultry liver and pork liver, which should make these tablets more palatable and appealing, although some dogs will still turn their noses up at them.
- Includes B vitamins, folic acid, and iron
- Suitable for prenatal and nursing
- Contains natural flavors for palatability
- Expensive
- Maximum of eight tablets per day
- Quite high calcium levels
5. Waggedy Chewable Dog Vitamins
Waggedy Chewable Dog Vitamins are multivitamins that are available for any life stage, including puppy, adult, and senior. They include all the necessary ingredients to encourage healthy skin, coat, and nails.
The ingredients also aim to support a healthy immune system. These chewable tablets contain vitamins A, C, D, E, and B. They also include calcium, magnesium, and iron. A bottle of 60 chewable tablets is reasonably priced, and the most tablets recommended are two per day, which means that you get at least 1 month’s supply in a bottle.
The manufacturer states that the tablets are safe for pregnant and nursing dogs, although you should check the calcium levels if you are breeding.
As is the case with many of these supplements, the Waggedy Chewable Dog Vitamins use chicken liver as natural flavoring. This will make the tablets more appealing to some dogs, but it also means that they are unsuitable for dogs with a chicken allergy. The tablets have a strong smell, so if your pup doesn’t like the flavor, you will struggle to disguise the tablets.
- Maximum of two tablets per day
- Suitable for pregnant and nursing dogs
- Decent price
- Not suitable for dogs with chicken allergy
- Strong smell
6. Breeders’ Edge Oxy Mate Prenatal Supplement
Revival Animal Health Breeder’s Edge Oxy Mate is a prenatal supplement that is specifically designed for pregnant dogs. A bottle contains 60 soft chews, and you need to feed one or two per day. While the bottle is expensive, a single bottle may be enough to last your dog’s pregnancy.
The tablets contain vitamins B12, B3, D, and E and are fortified with folic acid, iron, and zinc, all of which are advised by vets for pregnant dogs. It is also worth noting that the minerals in these tablets are chelated. Chelated minerals have been combined with amino acids to create complex minerals. These are better digested by the body and have improved bioavailability, so your dog will enjoy greater benefits from the vitamins and minerals that you give her. The tablets can help increase litter size and ensure that the puppies are healthy and strong.
The tablets do not contain liver or other natural flavorings, which are found in many alternative supplements. This does mean that picky dogs will be less likely to eat them, but it also means that the Breeders’ Edge Oxy Mate Prenatal Supplement is suitable for dogs with chicken and meat allergies.
- No liver or heart ingredients
- Maximum of two tablets per day
- Chelated minerals offer greater bioavailability
- Expensive
- Picky dogs won’t appreciate the flavor
7. NaturVet 79903026 VitaPet Adult Daily Vitamins
Naturvet VitaPet Adult Daily Vitamins is a full-spectrum multivitamin. It is designed to be taken by all dogs, including those that are pregnant and those that are nursing and lactating. It is recommended that you give a maximum of two tablets per day. The largest bottle is 365 tablets, which is convenient and means that you won’t have to keep buying refills and new bottles.
The soft chews are easy to digest. The ingredients do include natural flavoring, which will make them more palatable for many dogs, but you cannot feed them to dogs that are allergic to chicken because natural flavoring usually consists of chicken liver or chicken heart. The ingredients also contain brewer’s yeast, which is another allergen and best avoided if your dog suffers from allergies.
Although these are described as chewable tablets, they are quite hard and brittle, and you may find that they break up during transit.
- Suitable for pregnant dogs
- The bottle contains 365 tablets
- Maximum of two tablets per day
- Contains allergens
- Chewy tablets aren’t that chewy
8. Makondo Pets Multivitamin
The Makondo Pets Multivitamin contains vitamins A, C, D, E, and B complex. It is fortified with minerals, including calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc, and contains amino acids. It uses beef liver as a natural flavor to make it more appealing to your dog’s palate. Depending on the size of your dog, she will need to take between ½ and three tablets per day. A bottle contains 60 tablets.
The tablets will taste good to most dogs, but they do have a strong smell, so it can be a struggle to hide them if your dog doesn’t appreciate the natural taste. The tablets themselves are quite large, and despite being described as chewable, they are quite tough and difficult to get through. You may have to hide them in food.
- Maximum of three tablets per day
- Contains a host of vitamins and minerals
- Smell strong
- Quite brittle for chewable tablets
9. Pet MD Multivitamin
Pet MD Multivitamin tablets contain 19 vitamins, including vitamins A, B complex, D3, and E. They are described as soft chews and are bacon-flavored to make them more appealing to most canine palates. Depending on the size of your dog, you will need to feed her ½-3 tablets per day, and a bottle contains 60 tablets.
These are quite high in calcium, which may be a concern for some owners because it is advised that we do not feed our pregnant dogs large amounts of calcium. The treats are chewable, but their flavor will not appeal to all canines.
- Good range of vitamins and minerals
- Maximum of three tablets per day
- Quite high in calcium
- Not appealing to all dogs
10. Nutrition Strength Calcium Phosphorus Supplement
Nutrition Strength Calcium Phosphorous Supplement is a chewable tablet that contains vitamins A and D3, calcium, and phosphorous. The formula is designed to improve the bone health of dogs, and it is most commonly given to puppies to help during their high-growth stage.
High levels of calcium are not considered suitable for pregnant dogs, although calcium is considered beneficial during the nursing stage of development because it enables her to pass it on to her puppies. Your dog will have to take up to four tablets per day, and the bottle contains 120 tablets, so it is good for at least one month’s supply. Not all dogs enjoy the flavor of this supplement, so you may have to crush the tablets up and disguise them in food.
- Chewy
- Up to four tablets per day
- Better suited to puppies than pregnant dogs
Conclusion: Finding the Best Supplements for Pregnant Dogs
As the proud owner of a pregnant dog, you want to ensure that you provide everything that she needs to remain healthy and give birth to healthy puppies.
Besides ensuring that you feed a good-quality diet that contains a good mix of vitamins and minerals, you can also supplement this with additional dietary supplements and multivitamins. Hopefully, these reviews have helped identify the ones that are best for your dog.
We believe that the VetriScience Canine Plus Multivitamin offers the best combination of flavors with the right mix of vitamins and minerals. Nutri-Vet Multi-Vite Chewable Dog Supplements are cheap but still offer the essentials for your pregnant dog.
Featured image credit: Anke van Wyk, Shutterstock
