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Feeding a Dane from 8 weeks to 2 years How to feed a Growing Dane (8 weeks to two years):
Great Danes need to eat a high quality dog food throughout their lives. During their growing
years (first 2 years), protein levels should be never be more than 22-24. %, and approximately
12% fat.. Great Danes grow very rapidly during their first year, often gaining 100 lbs or more
from birth to age one. If they eat food too high in protein or are overfed, they can develop
HOD (hypertrophic osteodystrophy) and other painful joint deforming problems. Remember,
Great Danes are a "Giant" breed, not a "Large" breed. Avoid most Large Breed puppy formulas,
as many of them have protein levels of 27- 29&%. Two notable exceptions are Eagle Pack and
Innova Large/Giant Breed Puppy. Either would be a good choice for a growing Dane pup.
The main thing to remember is to choose a food made with high quality ingredients and protein
levels of 21-23%, and do NOT overfeed your puppy. It is normal for them to eat a lot, but they
should never get chunky They should have a well defined waist, and be lean but not ribby.
Never give Calcium supplements to GROWING Danes. Dane pups grow at a phenomenal rate.
They will grow to 85-90% of their adult weight in their first year alone. Too much calcium could
have devastating results.
Feed probiotics on a regular basis. The simplest way to do this is to add some plain live-culture
yogurt to their food once or twice a week, or add powdered acidophilus from a natural food store.
Growing Danes should be fed three times a day and their food should always be moistened avoid
bloat. If you do use a dry food, always mix with warm water before serving.
At this point, I do not recommend feeding homemade diets to GROWING Great Danes. It is too
difficult to judge the critical protein and calcium levels. After the first year you can begin to add
in some homemade food, but the majority of their diet should still be a good quality commercial
food until they are two years old. |
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