A. Protein
Levels
Usually a
good quality Adult dog food that is 22-25% protein and 15-19%
fat is recommended. In recent years, protein requirements have
turned into a numbers game. Research has shown that 21% to 24%
protein is optimum for various life stages. It's not just the
quantity but the quality of your dog's protein source that is
vital. For example, a 32% content of a poor quality protein
source could give your dog too little protein.
The
reasoning for lower protein, is that higher protein results in
more rapid growth, and thus more developmental problems, such
as Canine Hip Displaysia (CHD), Panosteitis (pano),
Hypertrophic Osetodystrophy (HOD) Osteochondrosis Dessicans,
and Wobblers Syndrome. Some believe that even 25% is too high,
feeding 23% or 20%
protein. Note that these numbers are for dry kibble, not for
canned food.
Practical
experience has shown fewer developmental problems, and the
dogs on these low protein diets still achieve their full
expected growth potential, some even more so.
B. Feeding
Schedules
It
is very important that Danes be fed multiple daily feedings,
as constant eating will not allow us to measure the volume of
who is eating what, and when. Also, it is thought that the
incidence of bloat may be reduced by measured feedings at
regular intervals. This allows us to keep something in the
stomach most of the day.
Puppies are
generally fed three or four times per day until they are about
4-6months old.
Once a dog is ready to move down to less feedings, it will
stop being interested in its noon meal. Never feed less than
twice per day.
Free feeding
is an alternative that some folks choose, but can result in
myriad problems.
Some dogs will eat whatever you leave out immediately, and be
hungry later on. Other dogs in the home will share dishes, so
you don’t have a true picture of HOW MUCH any one dog eats.
This is something EVERY dog owner should be able to tell a vet
IMMEDIATELY upon any Emergency or regular visit. Dogs like to
be on a schedule, and feeding your dog at certain times of the
day will help maintain discipline and pack order in your
home.
Also, be
sure that the dog has not exercised for at least 30 minutes
beforeeating and
do not exercise him for one and one-half to two hours
aftereating. This
will make sure his stomach is settled during the critical
timearound his
meal during which he is very susceptible to bloat.
C.
Supplements
Supplementation
of Danes' food is discouraged, although there areexceptions.
Calcium
supplementation is too be avoided, along with most
otherminerals. It
can cause growth problems, and as you read further you will
see the importance of balancing the Calcium/Phosphorous level
of Dog Foods.
Some
breeders believe that high doses of Vitamin C may prevent
theincidence of
growth problems. Given at 1000 milligrams a day it seems to
certainly help the immune system. Please use SODIUM ASCORBATE
as the Vitamin C source, rather than Ascorbic Acid, which can
cause stomach irritation and ulcers in some dogs.
Vitamin E
(Tocopherols) is often used as a preservative now, and is
considered safer than other chemical preservatives, such as
Ethoxyquin, BHA and BHT which are also being pointed out as
carcinogens.
Supplements
other than Nutritional Supplements such as Glucosamine,
Chondroitin and N’zymes Antioxidant supplements are not
recommended, especially in growing pups.
D. RAW FOOD
DIETS/BARF
Another
"bone" of contention is the popular BARF (Bones and Raw Foods)
diet. While that method of feeding has a growing body of
supporters, it is important to be aware that BALANCE is of
utmost importance if you choose to feed that way. I suggest
stronghly buying ALL of the books listed below and READING
them thoroughly before ever attempting to feed this
way.
GIVE
YOUR DOG A BONE By Ian Billinghurst
DR.
PITCAIRN'S COMPLETE GUIDE TO NATURAL HEALTH FOR DOGS &
CATS Richard H. Pitcairn
The
Ultimate Diet : Natural Nutrition by Kymythy
Schultze
E. Dog Food
Ingredients
Its
helpful to learn a bit about how to read and interpret the
labels on dog
foods. Meals
and By-product meals are most definitely not the same
ingredient. Any ingredient which is designated as
"by-products" are basically very low quality protein sources
for dogs. A definition from this EXCELLENT site suits
best:
WOLFEPACK
Poultry
by-product meal: Made up of ground, rendered, and clean parts
of slaughtered poultry, such as undeveloped eggs, necks, feet,
and intestines. It does not contain feathers except those
which are unavoidable during processing.
Meat Meal:
Rendered meal made from animal tissue. It cannot contain hair,
hoof, blood, horn, hide trimmings, stomach or rumen (the first
stomach) contents, or manure except for amounts that may not
be avoided during processing. It cannot contain any added
foreign matter and may not contain more than 14% indigestible
materials. Indigestible crude protein in the meal cannot be
more than 11%. Meals are also used after processing so the
true weight and placement on the ingredients list is reflected
in that kibble.
Also,
protein levels can be misleading depending on the source of
the protein. A
dog food label can list 28% protein but if it's derived from
chicken
feathers, the dog will never be able to utilize it. The first
ingredient listed on
the label must be the highest percentage of the food.
Therefore if you see
"beef meal" or "pork meal" as the first ingredient, the
chances are that it's a high quality
food.
If
you see just "pork" or "beef" or "chicken" listed as the first
ingredient DO NOT be fooled! After processing, these meats can
loose up to 80% of their weight. Thus when looking at the
ingredients list you might find it as number one but in
reality after processing it will fall between 4, 5 or even 6
on a true ingredients list, NOT the first.
If
grains make up the bulk of the first ingredients, beware. Meat
protein based food tend to be of higher quality than grain
based diets, because dogs are carnivores.
Soy
should be avoided in foods for Danes, as it may cause gas in
dogs. In Danes, gas may contribute to bloat, so foods high in
soy should not be used. Beet pulp is also another favorite
additive in Dog foods, beware of a food that uses it as one of
the 6 or 7 primary ingredients. At the very least, you are
paying for nutritionless filler. At best, beet pulp is used as
a pre-biotic, but there needn’t be much of it to serve that
purpose. Tomato Pomace is a very GOOD prebiotic (it is used by
Back to Basics food) and has nutritional purpose for the dog
as WELL as being aprebiotic, so none is wasted by the
dog.
F. Weight
Control and Feeding Amounts
Danes and
all breeds of dogs should be kept "lean" as they grow, ribs
should be plainly visible, but not protruding. During the
winter, a bit of extra fat is acceptable, especially if the
dog spends much time out of doors. If he's roly-poly, and has
stretched skin, he's too fat. See my Attached list of
recommended Quality Foods.
At
7-8 weeks of age, most Dane pups are consuming around 1 to 2
cups of kibbled feed 3 times a day (depending on quality of
food). This will increase as the puppy grows. This means if
you are feeding a Pet Store or Grocery Store purchased food
your quantity of food used will be ¾ to 1 times MORE than if
you were feeding a Super Premium food like the ones listed
below! And the prices per pound of either are about the same!
Why waste your money on a lower quality food, which most
likely will end up as piles of poop?
Most pups
top out at around 2-4 cups of QUALITY FOODS, twice daily by
the time they're 4-6 months. However, males will often eat
more than females.
G. What CAN
I Safely Add to My Dog's Food
Some people
add a little canned food, lean hamburger, cooked WHOLE ground
egg, or yogurt occasionally. The key is to keep the calcium /
phosphorous balanced 6/5 in your dogs diet. Since a high
quality kibble IS balanced, just adding scraps willy-nilly
will UNBALANCE it. Also, adding table scraps or other food
which changes from day to day will probably tend to cause the
dog more digestive problems (gas, loose stool) than feeding
the same diet each day. Below is a list of "some"
Calcium/Phosphorous Balance foods which you can use to spice
up your dogs’ diet a bit, without causing nutritional havoc,
for a more complete list and nutritional info, please read
this website:
http://www.greatdanelady.com/lecture
FOOD Calcium
Phosphorous
Yogurt 1/2
cup 123 mg 107mg
Broccoli 1/4
cup 42mg 18mg
Carrots 1/4
cup 7mg 6 mg
Orange 1 52
mg 18 mg
Apples 1/2
med. 6mg 5mg
Buttermilk -
1/4 cup 71 mg 54 mg
Green Beans
1 cup 49 mg 26 mg
H. Fruits
and Veggies ARE good!
Fruits and
Veggies can be very good for dogs. Most fruits and
vegetables
are
very high in moisture, and are harder for dogs to digest due
to their shorter digestive tract. Did you know that a dogs
Digestive tract is about ½ that of a humans if compared weight
for weight with a human? Fruits and Veggies are good sources
of fiber and vitamins, if digested properly. Dane owners have
used apples, orange slices, grapes,
carrots, broccoli, and other fruits and vegetables as
treats.
There are
some food items which can be bad for your Dane though.
Onions have a blood thinner which make them poisonous
to dogs. Grapes and Raisins have been found to cause liver
failure in some dogs, DON'T take a chance, just don't
feed them!
Chocolate is
poisonous to dogs as well, as well. Chocolate contains
theobromine (a compound similar to caffeine) which is
poisonous to dogs. A dose of 50 mg/lb can be fatal to a dog.
Milk chocolate contains 45 mg of theobromine per ounce and
unsweetened baking chocolate contains 400 mg per ounce. That's
enough to kill a small breed dog.
Also, acorns
have a high tannic acid content which make them poisionous to
dogs.
It
is generally suggested to avoid giving your dog raw foods that
you would not eat raw, for instance, raw eggs can contain
salmonella, some salmon contains a type of parasite that will
make dogs sick.
I. Cookies
& Treats
Many dog
owners use dog biscuits as treats, because they are considered
good for tooth cleaning and breath. While these cookies or
bones are ok for occasional treats, remember that those are
also calories and contribute to overweight
problems.
I
suggest LARGE raw meaty beef thigh/ knuckle bones, once
a week. They are useful for cleaning the teeth, and are high
in natural enzymes which your dog requires to digest his food.
Avoid smoked and cooked bones, as they are more likely to
splinter than the raw bones. Also do not feed lamb, or pork
bones, they are too small and may splinter or choke your dog,
or cause intestinal obstructions or even death.
Training
Treats:
Commercially
prepared freeze dried liver is the best choice. You can use
low sodium turkey hot dogs sliced thin and
microwaved to cook and remove the moisture. Most dogs love
them, and you won't mind
keeping them in your mouth as much as most other
treats!
