Though every puppy is an individual, large, and giant breed puppies in particular require an individualized approach to nutrition, since they have some different needs compared to small and medium breed dogs. When it comes to puppy food, one size does not necessarily fit all.
What are the specific nutritional needs of large and giant breed puppies?
Just like human children, puppies require a balanced diet of nutrients including protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. However, the variation in size among dog breeds is quite different.
The difference in growth required for a Great Dane puppy compared to a Chihuahua is huge. For large and giant breed puppies with a lot of growing to do, it is especially important to ensure their nutrient requirements are met.
Calories/Energy
Regardless of size, all puppies need an adequate number of calories to support their growth. Calories come from protein, fat, and carbohydrate ingredients. In general, puppies need more calories compared to adults because they need energy to grow and build new tissue, but calorie requirements also depend on other factors such as breed, the puppy’s metabolism, and how active they are. Calorie requirements are typically highest in the first four months of life and then start to taper as the puppy gets closer to its adult body weight.
Controlling calorie intake is especially important during the growth period because a puppy that takes in more calories than it needs will gain excess weight gain, which could contribute to obesity, which can then lead to severe orthopedic problems.
Protein
The protein content of puppy food is an important consideration. Protein is the body’s fundamental building block and contributes to healthy muscle development. Protein provides amino acids, several of which are essential for puppies and play important roles in the body, such as tissue development and energy metabolism. Growing puppies need more protein than adult dogs. However, if a puppy has more protein than it needs, it will be stored as fat.
Calcium and Phosphorus
Calcium is an important nutrient for skeletal development, but also has other roles in the body. Phosphorus is another essential nutrient for healthy bones and energy metabolism. A deficiency of calcium and/or phosphorus can lead to poor mineralization of bones, which can then put the puppy at an increased risk for fractures and other complications.
Calcium and phosphorus are tightly regulated by the body and a disproportionate calcium to phosphorus ratio can be a problem. While this is all true for adult dogs as well as puppies, puppies are unable to adequately regulate how much calcium they absorb from their intestinal tract. This means that, if a puppy is fed more calcium than it needs, it will absorb it, whereas an adult dog will lose some of that calcium, mainly through the feces. Calcium is important, but too much calcium can be a problem. Excess calcium can cause skeletal malformations and mineralization of other tissues. Puppy foods that are specifically formulated for growth of large and giant breed dogs have a calcium, phosphorus, and calcium to phosphorus ratio that is different from foods for small and medium-sized puppies and adult dog food.
Other Nutrients
There are many more nutrients essential for growth. Vitamin D, vitamin A, copper, zinc, and manganese are essential to healthy bones. Deficiency or excess of these nutrients may also contribute to abnormal orthopedic development.
If you give your pup treats, it's important that the calories coming from treats and snacks contribute less than 10% of your puppy's daily calorie intake. Many commercial dog and puppy treats are much higher in calories than you might expect. Fruits and vegetables are healthy treat alternatives that add minimal calories to the diet. Avoid toxic fruits and vegetables, such as grapes, raisins, and onions.
How do I choose the right diet?
There is a large variety of foods on store shelves. Lots of options can be a good thing, but it can also make it difficult to choose the one that is best for your puppy. Here are a few tips on selecting the right diet for your large or giant breed puppy:
- Check the label for a nutritional adequacy statement. This statement indicates the food has been formulated to be complete (contains all essential nutrients) and balanced (in the correct proportions) for a given species and life stage according to the requirements established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). For your large or giant breed puppy, you want to find a statement that specifies it has been formulated for growth of puppies including large dogs (more than 70lbs adult weight).
- Choose a food from a company that invests in research and employs an animal nutritionist or veterinary nutritionist to formulate their diets.
- Check with your veterinarian to see if they have a recommended diet that they’ve seen a number of puppies do well on.
Once you select a food, you can evaluate the following criteria to see if its working well for your pup:
- Do they have regular, healthy bowel movements?
- Are they growing appropriately?
- Do they have a healthy skin and hair coat?
- Are they in good body and muscle condition?
- Do they have a healthy energy level?
How should I feed my puppy?
Most puppies do best when they are fed multiple small meals during the day, especially when they are in the earlier stages of more rapid growth. These multiple feedings provide a number of advantages:
- A smaller volume of food can be fed at one time to reduce gorging and/or tummy upset.
- You can set up a routine for expected times your puppy will have a bowel movement.
- You have better control of your pup’s calorie intake each day and you can adjust it based on growth and changing calorie requirements.
- You can notice changes in appetite or eating behavior quickly. In contrast, if food is left out all day, it can take longer to notice if your puppy is eating less.
Other feeding management suggestions include the following:
- Use a gram scale to weigh out your puppy’s portion of food. This method is far more accurate than a measuring cup. You can measure out the entire day’s food into a container and portion out meals from there or weigh each meal individually.
- Avoid using a standard food bowl and feed your puppy from a food puzzle or other interactive food toy. These feeding tools can provide enrichment and mental stimulation and can make mealtime last longer.
- Feed your puppy separately from other pets in the house so you can be sure they are getting all the food they should (and not stealing from other pet bowls).
Can I feed treats?
Most puppy owners want to be able to give treats - and treats can be especially important during training. Using treats is encouraged, but it is important to thinks smartly about treat selection. Dogs’ treats vary greatly in calorie content, so it is important to check labels and understand how many calories are coming from treats. The general rule is only 10% of your puppy’s calorie intake should come from treats. More than that can lead to an unbalanced diet, and an excess calorie intake. To stay within 10%, consider selecting lower-calorie treat options, or using a portion of your puppy’s food as treats.
How quickly should large and giant breed puppies grow?
How fast a pup grows should be carefully regulated. Large and giant breed puppies have a lot of growing to do and can take up to two years to reach their adult weight, which means they could be on puppy food for up to two years. It’s important to carefully monitor their growth rate because growing too quickly can stress developing bones and joints, resulting in skeletal malformations.
Your veterinarian might recommend using a growth curve to track your puppy’s growth. A growth curve is like growth charts used by human pediatricians. It involves weighing your puppy regularly, either at the vet clinic during your puppy appointments or at home, if you have an accurate scale. You can then work with your veterinary care team to adjust the amount to feed your puppy based on his weight, age, and growth curve.
Do genetics matter?
The adult size of your dog may be determined by genetics; however, the time it takes for your dog to reach its adult size can be impacted by nutrition. Growing at the proper rate means less risk of bone and joint disease, and reduced risk of becoming overweight or obese in adulthood. So set your pup up for the best success and consider his nutritional requirements carefully during the critical growth period.
