Pet Food Nutrition: Feeding Large Breed Puppies

So you’ve brought home a new puppy. With this comes so much fun: settling your puppy into the house, picking a name and starting training. But don’t forget your food! Puppies have very specific growth requirements, especially large or giant breed puppies.

Large breed dogs are predisposed to orthopaedic problems, including hip dysplasia and osteochondrosis. While we can’t alter a puppy’s genetics that make it more prone to orthopaedic conditions, we can provide appropriate nutrition to reduce their severity.

Containing Calories:

Puppies fed excess calories will convert calories into faster growth before fat. This rapid-growth can be unsafe for puppies. Research shows that restricting calories in puppies is very important to reduce the risk of hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis. If the diet is nutritionally balanced, the puppy’s adult size will not be affected.

Keep in mind that recommended feeding instructions on pet food labels are guidelines only – your puppy needs to be fed just enough to keep him or her at an ideal puppy body condition. Puppies also go through growth spurts, so the amount your feed your puppy needs to be constantly adjusted to account for these. It is recommended that puppies be fed 2-3 times per day, and the amount of food should be measured at each meal. Treats should make up less than 10% of a puppy’s total caloric intake.

Containing Calcium:

While calcium is important for proper bone development, excessive calcium can also lead to abnormal bone and joint growth. Puppies cannot regulate their calcium absorption, so whatever is in the food is readily absorbed by the puppy’s gastrointestinal system. Good-quality diets need to be regulated in their calcium levels – to prevent both deficiency and excessive values.

Balancing the Diets:

Some diets are formulated for intermittent or supplemental feeding only – they do not contain balanced nutritional levels or have not been subjected to growth trials to determine if they are appropriate for growing puppies. Unfortunately home-cooked and raw-food diets also fall into this category. Unless formulated by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist or PhD animal nutritionist, nearly all home-cooked diets are deficient in essential nutrients (especially ones for growth). Even supplementing these diets with balancers or supplements are often not enough as these supplements are based on adult dog needs, and are not specific for growing puppies. Pet owners should wait until their puppy has reached at least a year of age (small to large breed dogs) to 18 months (giant breeds) before considering an alternative diet.

Even if your puppy is not a large breed, it is still important to keep your puppy lean to avoid future health concerns. Once your puppy has reached skeletal maturity (12-18 months of age, depending on breed), continue to monitor weight closely. Keeping your dog slim has proven health benefits, including increased longevity, reduced pain from arthritis and reduced risk for serious health problems. 

Vanessa Tonn, DVM
Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic