puppy_trainer: What should we feed a Great Dane puppy?
Our Great Dane puppy is 4 months old, and we have switched her from puppy food to Canidae All Life Stages dog food.
Today our vet has recommended that she goes onto their food "Medical - Large Breed Puppy".
All over the internet says don't feed Great Dane with puppy food. What should we do?
Photo Credit: Melissa Wentarmini/Flickr CC
Answers and Views:
Answer by joanplus4dogs
Dane puppies need very specific foods that do not include the majority of puppy food. The protein levels can be too high & make them grow too quickly.
When it comes to breed-specific feeding, vets do not always know best.
Answer by catkeypurr
Unless your vet did x-rays to confirm that your dog's bones are not growing/ forming properly then I think that's ridiculous!
Many of the prescription foods are actually loaded with corn & other unhealthy fillers.
You've chosen an excellent brand of food but I do believe you probably should look into a food that's made specifically for large & giant breed dogs.
Just do any changes very slowly!
Answer by EssJay
I bet the vet sells that food too right?
Stick with what the breeder advised you, believe me. If your breeder is responsible and experienced they know better than any vet who only ever got about 5 hours of training on nutrition and that was given by the dog food manufacturers!
The reason your breeder put the puppy onto adult food is that a giant breed that grows too quickly is more likely to suffer from OCD/HD.
Answer by Great Dane Lover
Do NOT ever feed a Dane puppy with puppy food of any kind, not even a large breed (they are a giant breed not large)! Feeding puppy food can cause some very serious growth problems.
Vets are wonderful when it comes to medical issues but not when it comes to nutrition and feeding. Most have no idea about the nutrition needs of a giant breed such as a Dane.
Canidae All Life Stages is good food and while on the high end of acceptable protein levels it is fine (never feed a Dane puppy food with over 24% protein 14% fat). Also never feed a Dane puppy or adult food that contains corn, wheat, soy or by-products.
It isn't the protein level that is a problem if it is from meats & meat proteins. It is the calcium/phosphorous levels that are a problem in growing Dane pups and is the reason why Dane puppies should not be on puppy food.
Some good choices: Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul regular adult or large breed adult, Merrick, Fromm 4 Star, Orijen, Taste of the Wild, Canidae ALS, Canidae Before Grain, Innova, Wellness, Earthborn, California Naturals, Back to Basics, just to name a few.
I feed my Danes Taste of the Wild... I rotate through the formulas. My Danes range in age from 6 months to 4 years.
Answer by animalsrme
I would strongly recommend that you feed a premium diet (ask your breeder what she uses), just like humans, dogs are what they eat! Remember that quality foods are formulated to feed less as well.
Answer by Dane Lover
It doesn't need to be overly expensive to feed a Dane though. If fed good quality food such as Canidae or Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul they won't need a lot.
I have owned Danes for over 25 years. I fed Chicken Soup for several years and I only needed to feed 4-5 cups per day. My biggest Dane weighed in at 175# and was 36" tall certainly not tiny. I currently feed Canidae All Life Stages to my adult Dane and to my pup. My puppy is 7 months old 115.2# and 30 1/2" tall. I feed him 4 1/2 cups of Canidae dry plus one can of Canidae per day. My adult eats 4 cups of dry per day.
If you do get a Dane research the breed well. Also, do NOT EVER feed it any puppy food. A Dane puppy should never have a food with over 24% protein.
I recommend that you get the book The Great Dane: Model of Nobility by Jill Swedlow. It is a wonderful, honest book with great info. It is written by an extremely knowledgeable Dane person.
Answer by darekennel EDIT!!
Don't give "puppy food" to your Great Dane puppy.
In puppy formula, the calcium and other nutrients are too high for a giant breed like Great Dane. It can aggravate growth plate and joint issues.
Answer by jumptumblestunt
You need to feed less of premium foods like Innova and Canidae, as it's very rich.
Answer by MRS. POTATO HEAD
I would go with Canidae All Life Stages or with Canidae Lamb Meal and Rice Formula.
The second one has less crude protein (21%) which is always good for such a giant breed.
I would not feed any wet, canned food because the dogs often get running stool from it. And they get "gasy" if you know what I mean.
But you could give her some raw meat (but no pork and no wild hog) because of the pseudo rabbies.
Answer by lilprinces7869
Make sure that you stay with a large breed formula as that will ensure that the joints won't grow too fast. Don't feed a wet formula food as it will cause gum disease and stick to the teeth. Stick with dry kibbles.
Answer by Shepherdgirl
Canidae all life stages would be great for your puppy. The protein content is not too high (24%) and you will not have to change foods once he becomes an adult.
Answer by Robert
There are many good brands. The percentage of protein is not nearly as important as the quality of the protein. Avoid anything with corn as a protein source (corn gluten is the protein part of the corn). Corn is not a complete protein, meaning it does not have all of the amino acids in the proper proportion. Only meats have all of the essential amino acids in the proper proportion.
Corn protein is also very difficult for dogs to digest. On the digestibility scale for proteins corn is near the bottom – doesn't matter what the percentage is if your dog can't digest it. Orijen, Wellness, Blue Buffalo, Castor & Pollux, AvoDerm, Merrick, Taste of the Wild, Canidae, Solid Gold, Pinnacle, Dogswell and Halo are all good brands.
Answer by Single Worker 1230
Feed the brand that your breeder recommends. There is no one dog food that works for all dogs. A good breeder will have done all this work for you.
Answer by Jenn
Chicken soup for the dog lovers soul: Adult Large Breed. I had Luke on that for the first year of his life and he did great on it. We just recently switched over to Taste of the Wild, Pacific Stream, and he's doing great on that as well. It's grain-free, which I LOVE, and he LOVES the taste
There are a few great ones on the market…depending on how your Great Dane's digestion is, you may have to try a few before finding the one that works best.
Know better? Give your own answer to this question!
We use cookies to offer you a better browsing experience, analyze site traffic, personalize content and ads.
