Healthy Treats for Great Danes and Mastiffs
by admin ~ June 10th, 2008We often get e-mails from great dane and mastiff owners wondering what types of treats we give our giant breed dogs. With smaller breeds, purchasing organic or all-natural designer treats is an affordable option for many people, but finding healthy treats for giant breeds in a large size can be a challenge. Fresh fruits and veggies along with homemade biscuits are a great alternative. Here are some of our dogs’ favorites:
- Apple Slices
- Peach or Nectarine Slices
- Carrots
- Red Bell Pepper Slices (seeds removed)
- Green Beans
- Brocoli
- Green Peas
- Strawberries
- Pineapple
- Blueberries
- Plain Unsweetened Yogurt
- Organic Peanuts
- Cherries (pits removed)
Since we’ve started making homemade treats for our dogs, they’re sure anything that goes in the oven is going to be theirs, but they love these homemade biscuits, recipe below. They’re easy to make and freeze well, and the dogs even like to eat them right out of the freezer.
Apple Oatmeal Treats
1 1/4 Cups Oat Flour
3/4 - 1 Cup Old Fashioned Oats
2 Eggs
1 Small Apple or 1/2 Large Apple, Grated
1/4 Cup Grated Carrots
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine eggs, oil, apples, and carrots in a large bowl. Mix in the oat flour and baking soda. Mix in 3/4 cup oats, adding more if the batter looks thin (it should stick together in a ball shape when you drop it onto a cookie sheet). Drop teaspoon-sized balls onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until they start to turn golden brown. Cool on a rack, then store in the refrigerator or freezer.
Remember not to over-do it with new foods, especially if your dog is only used to eating dog food.
More information on Great Dane & Mastiff Nutrition >
Does your spoiled pup have a favorite recipe? Share it with us! You can send it via e-mail and watch for it in future posts along with a link to your dog’s webpage.
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Breeder vs. Owner - Who Knows Best?
by admin ~ June 5th, 2008Q: Our breeder is concerned because we are not feeding our great dane puppy the food she recommended. What do you think?
A: Typically, when a breeder has strong opinions about nutrition or growth, it’s because they’ve been breeding for years and have worked out the kinks to establish what works best for their bloodlines. My recommendation would be to take all the advice you can get from your breeder as it sounds like she only wants to help you raise a happy, healthy puppy.
Sometimes pet food labels can be deceiving, especially if you don’t know what to look for. Every brand wants to market their food as the best, so rather than assuming a food is OK because the front of the bag says it has vegetables in it, check out the back of the bag to see what you’re really getting. Avoid foods with by-products, sugar, preservatives, artificial colors, chemicals, and high levels of salt. Other considerations should include the type and amount of grain, whether the meats are measured before or after dehydration (ie: “chicken” vs. “chicken meal”) and what grade of ingredients are used.
Feeding giant breeds, like great danes, is tricky since their rapid growth can be dramatically effected by the wrong mix of ingredients, potentially causing several nutrition-related diseases. Breeders that strive to improve their breed will usually be well informed on nutrition and how to avoid growth problems, and have probably spent some time researching foods to find a brand that includes some of the “extras” that many brands don’t.
There are exceptions to the rule, so if you have a reason to believe the food your breeder is suggesting is not a good quality food, check it out for yourself. Most companies have a guaranteed analysis and ingredient list available online. Look for Omega3 and Omega6 fatty acids, DHA for brain development, glucosamine/condroitin for joint health, pre-biotics & pro-biotics for digestive health, and human-grade or high-quality meats. Check the percentages of protein, fat, calcuim and phosphorus and compare with the levels giant breed nutrition experts recommend. Even a small change of one or two percent can have an effect on your puppy’s growth.
More Great Dane & Mastiff Nutrition Information>
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Q: How Much Should I be Feeding my 4 Month Old English Mastiff Puppy?
by admin ~ April 18th, 2008A: Great question. There are so many variables, it’s hard to give a definite answer, but hopefully I can give you enough information to help you figure this out.
The best way to determine how much your mastiff puppy should be eating would be to ask your veterinarian to calculate how many calories he should be receiving based on your puppy’s age and weight. Most dog foods label how many calories are in each cup of food, so you and your vet can then decide how many cups of food your puppy needs each day. With a giant breed, like a mastiff, you’ll need to be sure to recalculate the totals frequently to make sure you’re keeping up with his growth.
Each dog food brand and type varies in the amount of calories and levels of protein and fat, so depending on the food you’re feeding your mastiff, your puppy might require a cup or two more or less than he would if you were feeding a different brand. Most foods come with a recommended feeding chart on the bag. Giant breeds, like mastiffs or great danes, should never be fed a regular puppy food, so assuming you’re feeding a GIANT breed puppy food (we feed out puppies Eagle Pack Holistic Large & Giant Breed Puppy), check the bag to see the recommended feeding amount based on your puppy’s weight and age. If you want to start out in that range, watch your puppy for the following:
- Weight Condition. As a general rule, it’s better for giant breed puppies to be on the thin side rather than overweight. This can help prevent several serious bone diseases. You should be able to see the last two ribs, and feel the others easily under the skin. If you can see the entire rib cage, your puppy may need to be fed a little more. If you can’t see the last rib or two, cut back a bit.
- Structure. Overfeeding can cause several bone and joint issues. If you know what to watch for, it’s easy to see the signs and adjust your feeding regimen accordingly. Check for straight bone growth. If your puppy’s toes are starting to turn out, front legs are starting to turn out or look bowed, or the top of his back is drastically unlevel (roached top line), these could be signs of overfeeding or an overage of protein, fat or calcuim in your puppy’s diet. Overly knobby joints on the legs or joints that appear to be inflamed are other signs of irregular growth related to diet. If you suspect your puppy may have any of these problems, you should see your vet for a check up and diet recommendations. If caught early enough, some bone diseases can be repaired and deformed growth may be reversed.
- Other Considerations. If you’re using a large amount of treats to train your puppy, or if you supplement his diet with fresh or raw foods, you may need to adjust the amount of dog food you’re feeding to compensate for the extra calories. In addition,some puppies are more active than others, so a puppy that runs around all day will require more calories than a pup that is kenneled while you’re at work and sleeps more.
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Picky Eater
by admin ~ March 25th, 2008Q: My 4 month old mastiff puppy is a picky eater. Any suggestions?
A: The first step is to ask your vet how many calories your puppy should be getting each day based on her weight and age. Once you’ve established this, you can check your dog food bag to see how many calories are in each cup, and determine how much your pup should be eating. Often times we think they should be eating more than they actually should.
If you’re having trouble getting your puppy to eat enough food, it could be anything from illness to pickiness, so if your puppy is acting lethargic other has any other symptoms of illness, you should see your vet immediately. If you’ve ruled out illness, it may just be that your puppy doesn’t like that particular food. You may want to try out a new brand and see if your puppy’s appetite improves. If you want to stick with the same food, you can try adding a small amount of chopped veggies or fruit to the food, or a teaspoon of plain low-fat yogurt or low-sodium chicken broth. Sometimes just adding some fresh scents will help to jump start the appetite. You can also try working on a new trick like “sit” or “shake” and use the food as a reward during training.
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Q: What’s the best puppy food for great dane puppies?
by admin ~ February 3rd, 2008A: We feed our great dane and mastiff puppies Eagle Pack Holistic Select. They’ve conducted feed studies on several litters of giant breed puppies with no reported cases of HOD, OCD or Pano, and our dogs love it. Eagle Pack Large & Giant Breed Puppy is available in our i-tails.com online store.If it’s not available in your area, look for a super-premiun food without by-products, sugar, or high levels or salt and corn. Premium foods typically have extras like probiotics, omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, and glucosamine in addition to better quality meats (chicken meal vs. chicken by-product) and grains. Look for human grade ingredients and all natural vs. artificial colors and preservatives.
Giant breed puppies should never be fed a regular puppy food. More information is available on our giant breed nutrition page.
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Q: Is there a “super growth” formula that I can feed my mastiff to make him grow larger?
by admin ~ February 3rd, 2008A: No. Actually, by over-feeding a giant breed puppy, you can cause painful bone diseases that can leave your puppy/dog permanently disfigured, and can even cause death. When mastiff puppies are fed a diet too high in calories, fat, protein or calcium, the extra “food” promotes rapid bone growth but the muscles can’t keep up, causing a host of issues.
Genetics are genetics - your dog will grow to be the size he is meant to be regardless of how much you feed or what type of food you feed. The difference is, with proper levels of fat, protein and calcium, your puppy will grow at a slower rate, reducing the chances of developing hip dysplasia, Pano, HOD and OCD. It will take him a little longer to grow to his full adult size, but be patient and it will be worth it in the end! More information is available on our Nutrition and Feeding page.
