I Have a large breed puppy question...?

The advice you got yesterday was correct . Ignore anyone who tells you otherwise. MOst of them either dont have giant breed dogs or have been misinformed themselves. Vets will get kickbacks a lot of the time to tell you Science Diet so you cant count on just a vets advice anymore - sorry but its true. I have 125 mastiffs/Danes in my meetup group and I would guess half of them are on Canidae for a reason. 1/4 are on raw diet and the other 1/4 are confused and looking for advice.

Your dog will get as big as she is supposed to be but it needs to be at a growth rate that is safe for her. Meaning - at three years old she will be at her adult weight - but how did she get there? Was she there already at 13 months, 11 months - or did she get there right up until the last few months slowly. It is the last choice you want. You dont want her being injured because as I said in my last post to you, the rehab involved from injury will delay her socially and in obedience and that is not something that you can afford with a giant breed like the mastiff.

Of course most of the people will freak out at the thought of your young puppy not getting puppy food but most people have no clue what they are talking about. They mean well but dont allow yourself to get clouded and confused.

You dont need a vitamin. You need a very very high quality food. Please look at Timberwolf or Canidae. My dog didnt like Canidae for some reason but most do. He LOVES Timberwolf which is more expensive but worth it because he eats enthusiastically and he is super healthy for it. These foods are dense and complete and dont require a supplement. If you want to supplement, go with fish oil, salmon oil, glucosamine or something else that supports the joints that are being stressed by rapid growth. I feed Ocean Blue from Timberwolf which has those things inside the food so I am covered.

edited - for those of you who are answering this question but dont own a giant breed or never have - please DONT. It is very different for giant breed dogs and you are confusing a new puppy owner by thinking all dogs are to be treated alike.

Also, a lab pup ( even though that advice wasnt as off as the others. I still wouldnt mix foods 75/25 - no need IMO) might be considered a large breed but we are not talking large breed here. We are talking giant breed. The heaviest breed. Mastiffs can surpass the 250lb mark. You have to know that even if some of you think you have big dogs - mastiffs can be probably 150 lbs or more bigger than your big dog. So the care shouldnt be and isnt the same.

For a large breed puppy (i also have a lb pup) i was told the same thing because many puppy foods have too much protein and calcium in them which can hurt bones and joints. I was instructed to mix 75 % adult food with 25% puppy food. This way my dog still gets the extra nutrition he needs from the puppy food but the too high protein and calcium levels are cut by the adult food...in a sense mixing the two i've created a "large breed puppy food"

With a large breed puppy it is best to have them grow slowly and steadily than grow TOO fast (which puppy food would stimulate) and risk malformed bones or rickets. I think my boy has been doing a good steady growing job...i also keep him on the "light" side so body weight isn't hard on his growing joints. He isn't emaciated or skinny you can't see ribs but you CAN feel them easily. He's just thinner than some people keep puppies because of the rate he is growing at.

Well, specific life stage, age and breed formula foods should ONLY be fed accordingly to what is best for your pup. A day shouldn't hurt, but i reccomend you go buy the right formula for your puppy and take the bag back when you can. As a large breed formula contains more calcium, phosporus, and other nutrients because large breed dogs grow at a rapid rate, while small breed dogs grow slower, but mature faster, and they also have a higher matobilism rate than large breeds, therefore, require more protien levels.

Hi Stephanie,

The goal with large breed dogs is not to grow them as quickly as possible. This can lead to serious joint problems. It is highly recommended that you not feed your mastiff puppy food after about four to six months of age. The high protein content in puppy food can contribute to accelerated growth, but so can the calcium, which is a big factor in the development of hip dysplasia.

In general, the only supplements you would want to consider if you are feeding commercial food are those that would prevent hip dysplasia. The foremost of these is vitamin C. Supplementing with a gram or two of vitamin C (for a giant breed) has been shown to help prevent hip dysplasia. You might also consider glucosamine with chondroitin if your dog is showing signs of joint problems. Salmon oil is also helpful in some dogs. You do *not* want to simply give the dog a multivitamin or anything with calcium on top of commercial dog food. They are already loaded with vitamins.

Remember, even with giant breeds, bigger doesn't necessarily mean better. Keeping the growth rate slow and steady is a good plan for getting a healthy happy dog.

I also have a mastiff puppy and we feed him Blue Buffalo Large Breed Puppy food. It had lamb instead of chicken or beef. Lamb is a different kind of protein that helps large breed puppies grow at the rate they need to be. Our puppy had some trouble getting used to the puppy food as his breeder was feeding him adult food, but we started mixing a raw egg with it in the morning and he loves it! Then in the afternoon we just put a little chicken broth. This also helps by softening the food so it doesn't expand in their tummies and cause bloat, which is a big problem for mastiffs. I've heard of some people adding milk to the food but you want to be careful of how much calcium your puppy is getting as it can makes the bones grow too fast. Also if you haven't already, get some elevated bowls. It's too hard on a mastiffs joints to be leaning down to eat and drink. Hope this helps and have fun with your puppy! Mastiffs are awesome!!

Fast growing large breeds are predisposed to bone lesions which is why it has been suggested that you don't feed high protein meals. So long as the pup is growing normally she should be fine on the lower protein adult feed. Just make sure she is gaining weight and appears healthy and well muscled. If she seem on the slim side, talk to your vet about your concerns. Her size is determined by genetics and her diet will have very little influence on that. Your vet merely wants her to reach her adult weight later rather than sooner and hopefully this will help prevent other problems. Better your dog be slightly smaller for slightly longer and healthy.

A good adult kibble would be fine. I would not give her any other supplements. Adding other "treats" to her food is ok. I like to add yogurt | and raw hamburger to my puppies food once & a while. You don't want your girl to grow to fast, she will grow just fine with a lower protein|calcium diet. She needs the protein but Not as much as some foods contain.

I have a large breed puppy too, a st.bernard and we are feeding him high quality puppy food, talked to my vet and he said to just feed him a good quality puppy food till he was 4 months of age then switch to a intermediate/teenage formula or adult food. The stuff I am feeding is grain free and 100% real meats, no by products. It's called Now! grain free turkey and duck puppy formula. It's quite pricey but I wanted the best stuff I could get since large and giant breeds have issues with their joints and legs. Your puppy still needs proteins just not high amounts. Look for a large breed puppy food, something from your pet store that has quality ingredients as well. Anything from the supermarket is garbage and full of fillers, grains and other byproducts. No matter what you buy from the grocery store it isn't good.

You're right don't give them puppy food, but also no extra vitamins either. I have heard of vets telling people to give their giant breeds (such as Danes) calcium, this is wrong. Do not give them extra calcium. A good quality adult food is all they need. She will reach her potential size, you just want her to do it as slowly as possible.

Added, No one ever said anything about no protein, but the protein content in puppy foods is too much for a giant breed, they need the lower protein amounts in adult food. Please if you have never raised a giant breed (big difference between large breeds and a giant breed) refrain from answering and giving this person bad advice, that could cause problems later on for her girl.

I am praying that you purchased your mastiff puppy from a reputable breeder.

That the parents of the pup had clearance on hips, elbows and eyes.

Also that you have taken the pup to the vets to have her checked out.

Your puppy is not a LARGE breed pup, she is a GIANT breed pup.

There is a HUGE difference.

If you are able, I would contact your breeder for information, not the people on this board who do not have experience with the giant breed.

When we got our mastiff pup 2 years ago, we were scared to death. There is so much that can go wrong with them in their first year to two years of life.

The previous answers of "grow them slowly" is very valid.

If your puppy grows too fast, their muscles and ligaments can not catch up with the bone growth. Your dog can end up with legs like this:

http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/knuckling_ov...

I hope with the mention of 'regular dog chow' that you are not refering to any 'Purina' product.

You MUST feed your dog a good quality food to avoid problems later on in life. It ends up being cheaper in the long run with less vet bills. Do not feed a large breed puppy food!

Your dog is not the size of a Rottie or Dobbie etc. She will be much bigger than that. It all depends on her genetics.

If you are feeding a quality food such as

Eagle Pack Holistic Select (giant breed)

Solid Gold

Natural Balance

Candidae

Innova etc

then you are on track. These foods are complete. You do not need to add anything else to them. No supplements, no vit C,.

Do not feed your dog a high protein diet such as Evo or Orijen.

Remember these dogs are not cheap to own and maintain.

Everything will cost more because of their size.

We had issues with our pup and diarrhea. We tried the foods the vet recommended, antibiotics, worming etc.

It turned out that he is allergic to wheat and corn which is used as a filler in most dogs foods, especially the cheap ones. We switched him to Solid Gold mMillenium Beef and Barley while he was still young, and he's been on it ever since. Every now and then I switch to a bag of Solid Gold Wolf King. All he was fed was adult food. He grew on average of 5 pounds a week till he was about 8 months old, then slowed down. You want to make sure the protein level is at about the 22 to 24% level, and keep the fat lower as well.

If she is wolfing down her food, are you feeding her enough?

I was feeding about 1 cup / 3 times a day then slowly increasing as mine grew. All mastiff's will be different in the amounts they eat. Mine is now 2 and gets fed twice a day for a total of 8 cups. I also add fruits and veggies to his meals.

Also be careful with your vet of choice. Most have very little experience with the giant breeds. Remember they only do about a 3 week course on nutrition during their 5 years of schooling. They also get paid by the food companies to push the products that they sell in their clinics.

Please use the web to discover what the ingredients on the labels of dog food bags mean. Also there are many mastiff oriented groups out there that will help you with questions that you may have about your girl. These are people that have many years of Mastiff experience.

I can't possibly fill you in on many other important topics such as amount of exercise, proper socialization, training etc. but please educate yourself as knowledge will help you enjoy your puppy for her lifetime.

Good Luck.

CW-below me

do not feed your puppy large breed food-it is a giant breed.

Do not give puppys cows milk-will give them diarrhea and they don't need it! If your puppy isn't eating the food, have you ever thought that it may not like it? Lamb is a HOT food and many dogs have allergies towards it. Stick to chicken or beef. Maybe you need to read up on mastiff health.