Best Foods for Great Danes

My Danes do free feed, which you will read is “forbidden” however, all my Danes have always been free fed and never had issues. I asked Dr. Jackson about it and he said that all my Danes look very healthy and so free feeding them is not an issue. But of course, please do what your Vet advises you to do. If your vet recommends elevated bowls, I have found the cheapest way to do that is by purchasing plant stands. I used to use just Dollar Store plastic bowls but they are so light that the dogs knock everything down. I know there is controversy on feeding on an elevated platform so please do as your vet recommends.

So go to some resale store and get really heavy cooking pots.

In addition to following best practices in feeding, there is also a stomach tacking procedure that can be done. Please talk to your Vet about it.

One other note on feeding. Danes have sensitive stomachs. As puppies I have them at a 20-22% protein to control growth. If you give them anymore than 25%, they will get what is called Wobbler Syndrome (http://www.all-about-great-danes.com/feeding-great-danes.html).

Our RufusxPippa puppies have rapid growth. They do get growing pains! Because of that, we have them on Natural Balance Limited Ingredient in the dark green bag ONLY. They should be on it for 18 months, but always talk to your Vet about it.

Before I talk about the other foods, we need to address the Cardiomyopathy issue. Please see the latest information here and what foods are causing heart problems.

I have done Taste of the Wild (Sierra Roasted Lamb), Diamond Naturals, etc, they are all good however, they are on the list of foods causing cardiomyopathy so I do not recommend them. I personally have not had issues with them in the past. As adults, mine have done really well on the green bag of Kirkland dog food dry kibble found at Costco. Kirkland in the Green Bag is super cheap but another Dane breeder told me to try it because it is made in the same place with the same ingredients as some of the super high quality dog foods. So I tried it and they were right! My Danes love the Kirkland dog bones and their wet food too (green can) and never have tummy issues. Your puppy will come to you being fed on  Natural Balance Limited Ingredient in the dark green bag. I highly recommend keeping them on it until or unless the FDA updates the list and the Natural Balance or Kirkland are listed as unsafe foods. If you are changing the food, please do a slow implementation. A tiny amount at first, mixed into the  Natural Balance Limited Ingredient in the dark green bag , for about 3-4 days. Watch for any bowel changes. If everything is ok, a little more and so on. If you see any bowel changes, stop the new food and revert back to the  Natural Balance Limited Ingredient in the dark green bag . I would not recommend trying a new food again for at least 2 weeks and then you can repeat the process.

If your Dane is having diarrhea try these things:

• Add pumpkin puree to their food. Make sure you do not get the Pumpkin Pie ready mix! That has spices already in it for making pies. You want pure Pumpkin Puree. Add 1/4 cup per 1 cup of dog food. You will probably not want to free feed during this time so you can monitor I/O (intake/output). Give it a few days and see how your pup does. If your dog is having severe diarrhea, get them to the Vet obviously. What do I mean by severe? Really watery that they can’t hold, with almost no solids. That requires immediate veterinary assistance. Other signs you need to get to the vet are:
• Lethargy
• Vomiting with the diarrhea
• Pain
• Listless/depressed
• Bloody, dark or tarry stools
• Inability to throw up/dry heaving with heavy panting and clearly uncomfortable
• If you have a young puppy, it is always best to get them into the Vet when they have diarrhea because their little systems are not fully immune quite yet
• Opposite to that, an elderly dog. With diarrhea, an elderly dog can take a turn for the worse very quickly
• Post-op vomiting or diarrhea

• If the pumpkin does not work after a few days or you feel that your dog needs more than just pumpkin, add a 1/4 of white rice. 
• You can also add a little boiled white chicken breast with NO bones. 
• Some vets recommend Pedialyte to keep their electrolytes in balance. I prefer Smart Water as it does not taste as nasty. That said, you can add the Pedialyte to the food mixture and the pumpkin puree may be strong enough to mask the taste. There is now an electrolyte powder, in case you want to keep something in your house, just in case. I have never tried it though.
• Lastly, I like to add Activa for the probiotics. I do it for my moms to be and nursing mothers as well as my puppies to assist with gut heath. Vanilla or plain is always best but for adult dogs, I have personally had issues with any of the fruit flavors. 

Please remember, I am NOT a Vet or medical professional. These are only my opinions!

Other things to note:

There is now sugar-free peanut butter on the market. It contains erythritol which is deadly to animals. Please read the ingredient list of all peanut butters.