What are the best dog foods for a Great Dane?
September 28th, 2009 | 
Author: I got a great dane yesterday, and he’s a year and a half old. The previous owner was feeding him Nutro Max, but I’ve been reading up on it and it seems to have some bad reviews. I also heard that Pedigree is really bad for them, so I won’t feed him that. Also, he needs to gain weight. Are there any particular foods I should be feeding him for this? I heard a bit of raw chicken every other day will help him to pack on weight.
We can spout off good foods until we all turn blue, but it’s all a matter of which ones you can find. A good dog food is typically made just of meats, without a grain. But, if there is a grain, it must be wholesome. Dogs, being carnivores, do not process grains well at all. You want to look for a food that doesn’t use filler (corn, wheat and brewers rice) and no by-product. They’re used to make cheap dog foods and don’t do anything good for the dog. More is digestible in these foods, which leads to a better formed stool, and less of it. And, a healthier dog. For the price tags, you dog will end up eating much less for the same nutritional equivalent of nutro max or pedigree. They feel full faster, and are not always looking for food, and you’ll notice a difference in his coat after just a few weeks.
My dog, a german shepherd/mastiff mix, is said to need to eat 71/2 cups a day of pedigree to stay healthy. He eats maybe 4 a day of Taste of the Wild, and will actually leave food in the bowl. Blue Buffalo, Wellness, Innova, Canadae, Nutro Ultra (only Ultra is the good one, not the others), Taste of the Wild, Eagle Pack… the list goes on. Check some of these out online to get an idea of what you need to look for, then hit your local pet store and find one you like.
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I used Eukanuba Premium Performance to get weight on my dane. It’s a little rich, so he may have some gas issues. Be sure to mix the 2 foods for a week at least. Nutro Max is actually a really good food. That’s what I currently feed.
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Definitely Blue Buffalo Wilderness.
Its one of the best dog food, all meat no fillers.
Dont feed it to small dogs because this food has alot of protein.
Dont feed your dog any kind of dog food that you can buy at a grocery store.
They are all CRAP
go to this website and look at all the 4 starts and up sections,
thats good dog food.
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
btw if someone says that grocery brand foods are good, read the review on that website…..
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I would recommend Eagle Pack for your great dane. Mine doesn’t like the stuff but he seems to be one of few. It is one of the best foods out their for giant breed dogs. If he doesn’t like it then look for foods with no more than 24% protein. Giant breed dogs are prone to bone and joint problems which can be increased with not eating the right food and with eating to much protein. Stay away from walmart brands altogether.
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Blue Buffalo (someone mentioned that)…also Wellness.
We feed our GSD mix Wellness Large Breed food…its excellent.
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A decent portion of raw chicken either on it’s own or mixed with a good quality kibble is my recommendation.
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You do NOT need to pack weight onto your dog. He is still a baby and has at least another year to 18 months before his bones finish growing.
Giant breeds are very prone to many devastating health conditions associated with too-rapid growth. Let him grow slow and strong … he will attain his maximum size eventually but it’s always best to slightly underfeed a dog.
As long as your vet has looked him over and pronounced your dog to be in good body condition, feed him only as much as necessary to maintain his condition. If your vet feels that your dog is truly underweight, simply feed him a bit MORE of a good-quality food.
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You don’t want to put the weight on too quickly. Danes and other very large breeds don’t fully mature until 2 1/2 or so and rapid weight gain may negatively impact their joints. I use Eagle Pack Holistic for Large and Giant Breeds. I find my dogs have plenty of lean muscle and it doens’t upset their bowels the way Royal Canin does.
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owner 4 ddbs
We can spout off good foods until we all turn blue, but it’s all a matter of which ones you can find. A good dog food is typically made just of meats, without a grain. But, if there is a grain, it must be wholesome. Dogs, being carnivores, do not process grains well at all. You want to look for a food that doesn’t use filler (corn, wheat and brewers rice) and no by-product. They’re used to make cheap dog foods and don’t do anything good for the dog. More is digestible in these foods, which leads to a better formed stool, and less of it. And, a healthier dog. For the price tags, you dog will end up eating much less for the same nutritional equivalent of nutro max or pedigree. They feel full faster, and are not always looking for food, and you’ll notice a difference in his coat after just a few weeks. My dog, a german shepherd/mastiff mix, is said to need to eat 71/2 cups a day of pedigree to stay healthy. He eats maybe 4 a day of Taste of the Wild, and will actually leave food in the bowl.
Blue Buffalo, Wellness, Innova, Canadae, Nutro Ultra (only Ultra is the good one, not the others), Taste of the Wild, Eagle Pack… the list goes on. Check some of these out online to get an idea of what you need to look for, then hit your local pet store and find one you like.
References :