Page 49 - K9 News - Issue 14 - December 2020

NUTRITION

FOR GIANT BREED PUPPIES

Growing up in the seventies, our family dog was a No blame should be attributed to my parents for
beautiful harlequin Great Dane called Cleo. Back this because it was not until 1974 that researchers
then, little was understood about pet food and started to investigate nutrition for large and giant
puppy growth, particularly, the markedly different breed dogs. This will be discussed later in this
nutritional needs of giant breeds. Our dog ate a article.
mix of tripe and biscuits, was noticeably flatulent
and — I now realise — probably malnourished. By the time giant breed puppies reach adulthood,
they will have increased
their birth weight by up
to 100 times. The growth
period varies between
different sized dogs, with
giant breeds taking up to
two years to fully mature.
This is extremely dramatic
growth, given that a giant
breed dog can weigh the
same as a human, who
would take 15-18 years to
reach adult size.

Pre-weaning and weaning
protocols for giant breeds
are the same as for
puppies of smaller breeds,
discussed in a previous
article. Using a size-
specific diet tailored for
The author with Cleo circa 1975.
the weaning process is a
It’s not advisable to sit on dogs.

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K9 NEWS DIGITAL / DECEMBER 2020