feeding your large/giant breed puppy
Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 08:06PM I had a customer come in to the store today with the most beautiful Great Dane puppy. Eleven weeks old and already as big as a small pony! She was tooooo cute.
h subject of food came up - as it always does with me - my favorite thing to do is geek out over nutrition with customers. Now this pup is part of the giant breeds - bigger than you large breed dogs out there. These dogs can weigh close to 200lbs at times. We are talking Mastiff, Wolfhound, Great Dane etc. And just like other sizes of dogs large and giant breeds have diet requirements. (Note - Large breeds are 55lbs + when full grown)
We want large and giant breeds to grow slow - no big bursts of growth to keep the joints healthy and strong. In order to protect these joints and bones from fast growth we need to be careful of the calcium and phosphorus amounts in the food we are feeding.
When it comes to diet in these breeds - there are two schools of thought:
- Low protein
- high protein
The low protein folks say that high protein makes puppies grow faster. Protein and carbs have the same amount of calories per gram - and calories make the bodies grow. I would rather make sure that the food I am feeding my dog is higher in meat than useless grains and fillers.
High protein foods are not for every dog - are they for large and giant breeds? I have many large and giant breeds feeding large breed puppy food with excellent results. These foods have extra Glucosamine and a proper ratios of calcium and phosphorus to promote slow steady growth.
I have read a lot about over feeding large and giant breeds. I think that too many calories in general (protein or carbs) can result in growth spurts. I believe that these larger breeds should be fed on the low end of the spectrum for their weight. We don't want to under-feed but to be cautious about the amount of calories we are letting them ingest (including treats).
Some breeders of these dogs will say to feed an adult food to the puppy. Puppy foods have an increased amount of DHA for proper brain growth as well as additional supplements to help puppy be strong and healthy during the critical growing stages.
On a side note - my breeder feeds Purina. And I am going to switch my dogs as soon as possible. So be careful and do your research. Breeders often times feed lower quality foods as they are feeding a whole lot of dogs. Foods like Purina, Eagle Pack and Diamond are filled with corn, wheat and animal by-products.
Do your research, ask questions and you and your large breed pup will be on the road to a healthy life!
Reader Comments (1)
The speed at which a puppy puts on weight varies depending upon the breed of dog and whether or not it receives enough exercise or food. There are general puppy weight estimates you can use as a guideline for raising your puppy, however if you suspect that your puppy is either over or underweight, talk to your vet for a confirmation.