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FEEDING
A GREAT DANE PUPPY
I
always tell my puppy buyers that Dane puppies are not raised they are "grown".
In a breed with such a phenomenal growth rate, this is not an understatement!
There are a number of different schools of thought on how to raise puppies and
below I have given my thoughts on the various issues normally raised:
Growth Rate
Due to their abnormal adult size and extraordinary growth rate, Great Danes
are highly pre-disposed to growth problems. Common sense tells one that if the
various joints mature slowly the pressures placed on them during growth is
reduced - this is 100% correct. All Dane breeders will agree that an excessively
fast growth rate will result in problems, but we don't all agree on what causes
an excessive growth rate.
A lot of Dane breeders insist that puppies should be raised on an adult food to
slow the growth and thus prevent problems. While I agree that slowing the growth
is critically important, I disagree strongly that using an adult food achieves
this aim without resulting in problems.
An adult food has a lower energy content than a puppy food, which means that the
puppy has to eat more of the adult food to supply its body with enough fuel.
This means that one can't simply say that the percentages on the adult food are
lower than the percentages on the puppy food and therefore the puppy will grow
slower - if the puppy has to eat twice as much of the adult food due to
it's lower energy quotient then you should double the percentage printed on
the bag of the adult food for a true picture.
Weight
Another critical part of raising a Dane puppy is the puppy's weight. Even if you
feed the correct foods, if you overfeed and cause your puppy to carry too much
weight they WILL have problems! This is probably the most difficult part of
feeding the large-breed puppy foods, as the quantities seem so small.
The overfeeding of puppies results in a too rapid increase in bodyweight, which
the immature skeleton is unable to support. This overloading may result in
changes in the shape of the components of immature joints. Controlled, balanced
growth, with optimal rather than maximal body development, should be aimed at.
For long-term health, puppies and young dogs should therefore be lean and grow
at a moderate rate. This will not affect the final size of the adult Great Dane.
The safest course to follow is to feed puppies a high quality premium large
breed puppy food specially developed for growth, with a calcium content that
does not exceed 1.1%. Limit the puppy's intake to about 80% of the maximum (ad
libitum) intake. This means that the puppy should eat eagerly, lick its bowl
clean and be happy to have more if it could. Do not add any vitamin or mineral
supplements or table scraps, as these will only serve to upset the correct
balance of the ration.
From about 10 weeks of age you should just be able to see your puppy's last two
ribs. Remember that by being strict during raising you are doing your puppy a
HUGE favour. Once your puppy is over 18 months, they can start "bulking
up" as the majority of the growth is complete. Danes puppies tend to do
this naturally.
Calcium
Excess calcium intake has been shown to be a key factor in the development of
osteochondrosis and related abnormalities in young Great Danes. Any calcium
level higher than 1,4% - 1,5% should be considered a potential risk in the diet
of growing dogs. It is however important to note that the actual calcium levels
obtained by dogs from their food are not as straightforward as implied by the
percentage stated on the packet. Dogs consume food on the basis of energy
requirements and not on the basis of the weight of the food. A calcium level of
1.1% in a nutrient-dense, highly digestible diet will result in a lower overall
calcium intake when compared to a level of 1.1% in a poor quality product where
the dog has to eat larger quantities of food to meet its energy requirements.
Energy density and digestibility must therefore be taken into account when
evaluating the calcium level of a dog food.
Puppies and immature dogs cannot excrete excess calcium. Most of the excess is
deposited on the ends of the long bones, resulting in various disorders.
Furthermore, an excess of calcium causes the hormones responsible for correct
levels of calcium in the blood to not draw calcium from the bones as they should
- this is a major contributor towards panosteitis.
Protein
It has been extensively proven that high protein levels do not increase the risk
of skeletal abnormalities developing. High quality proteins derived from animal
sources should be included in the diet of a growing puppy to ensure optimal
nutrition.
Added Benefits
By using specific large-breed puppy foods there are also other benefits:
 | Nutraceuticals - Glucosamine and chondroitin have been proven to be
effective in promoting joint health and stability. These ingredients are often
included in the large breed puppy foods. |
| High Density - The smaller volume of food that the puppy needs means
increased intestinal health due to a smaller "workload" and thus a
reduced chance of a gastric volvulus and torsion. |
| Protein Source - The main source of protein in most large breed puppy
foods is meat (most often chicken). Meat does not ferment as much as grain
products and this also reduces the risk of gastric volvulus and torsion. |
Percentages
It is not good enough to simply look at the percentages listed on the food bag.
Work out the actual grams of each component that the dog will be receiving.
Millions of dollars have been spent on researching the correct diet to ensure a
slow and steady growth rate by using specific large-breed puppy foods. Copies of
the research are available from these companies - if you don't believe me, get
the copies of these reports and check it out for yourself.
When I speak about puppy food I am referring to specific large-breed puppy
foods only! To feed a Great Dane puppy a normal puppy food would also cause
problems, as the majority of puppy foods do not have restricted calcium etc.
In my personal experience I have had numerous problems ranging from hypertrophic
osteodystrophy to panosteitis when raising Dane puppies on an adult food.
Switching to a large breed puppy food solved these problems virtually overnight!
We all agree that slow growth is best for Dane puppies and I have found that
raising Dane puppies on a specific large breed puppy food not only achieves this
aim, but also does so without the puppies consuming excess calcium and the accompanying
problems.
Large
Breed Puppy Foods
There are an increasing number of specific large breed puppy foods on the
market. The products I recommend are:
| Eukanuba Junior Large
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| Hill's Large Breed Puppy
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| Vet's Choice Large Breed Puppy
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The
best bet is to rely on hard facts when deciding what food to raise your Great
Dane puppy on. Do
not rely on anecdotes, hearsay or "old wives tales". People
may mean well, but unless they have conducted extensive unbiased research you
are simply receiving an opinion, not facts.
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