Feeding
NOTE: I am not a veterinarian! The care sheet below contains my opinions and observations only. Please consult a qualified vet if you have any concerns about your puppy.
Large breed puppies require a special diet. Your puppy should only be fed a high quality ADULT DOG FOOD or a GIANT BREED PUPPY FOOD. Do NOT feed your puppy a regular puppy food. Doing so can cause serious bone, joint and hip problems which can be very costly and painful for your dog. These foods are also lower in fat and protein, which allow your puppy to grow at a slower rate, lessening the likelihood that he will develop hip, bone and joint problems. (Don’t worry, your dog will still grow to be the same size!) I like the following foods:
BARF natural diet, http://www.drianbillinghurst.com/ additional kibble of, Diamond/Eagle Lamb & Rice,
Vitalin
Royal Canin,
http://www.petfooddirect.com
http://www.hillspet.com
http://www.petfooddirect.com
When searching for an adult food for your dog, avoid foods with high amounts of corn, salt and any meat by-products. These foods are not very digestible nor are they good for your dog’s health. It’s OK to give your dog small amounts of healthy table-food, such as cooked chicken breast, hamburger, rice, and raw vegetables and fruits.
Puppies need to eat at least 3 times a day for the first 4 months. It’s OK to switch to twice a day at around 5-6 months. Some people recommend free-feeding; leaving a bowl of food out for your puppy all the time. Recent studies are suggesting that free feeding may help to avoid bloat but this is not conclusive.(see our section on bloat)
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Geoff said,
September 10, 2008 @ 9:43 pm
I used Eagle Pack “Large Giant Breed Holistic”Puppy Had a REALLY good feeding scale on the side of bag.. Worked AWESOME.. I now own an alomost 210lbs Great Dane. At 18months i carried over to the adult version. plus eagle pack has a program.. save the UPC codes (about 11 33lbs bags) and send in you get a coupon for a free bag plus treats.. And when “Bishop” was up to 12 cups of food at the height of his growth every bit helped.
sally said,
September 8, 2007 @ 5:35 pm
we have just bought great dane pup the breader was feeding him on tripe we have just been told this is a no no can you help we also use royal canin