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Eukanuba: Puppy Nutrition for Large Breeds
Large-breed puppies tend to grow very quickly. Yet, controlling their growth is critical for proper development. To support balanced muscular and skeletal development, your puppy needs a diet with specially adjusted levels of nutrients.
Feeding Your Puppy
From the time your puppy’s weaned until 4 months of age, you should feed your puppy 2-3 meals a day based on the guidelines of the food label. After 4 months of age, your puppy should be fed twice a day on a regular schedule. Always have fresh water available.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Contrary to popular belief, large-breed puppies do not need more energy and calcium than small-breed puppies. In fact, they can benefit from less. Large-breed puppies have lower metabolic rates per pound than smaller-breed puppies. They reach their mature adult weight at 18-24 months—later than smaller breeds that usually reach adulthood by 12 months. So their energy requirements are different.
Their skeletal development is different too. Bone density and strength are critical to supporting large muscle mass in large-breed puppies. Puppies who consume too many calories and too much calcium grow too rapidly and can develop bone growth problems. With your large-breed puppy, the goal should be a moderate, healthy rate of growth. That’s why it’s important to choose a diet with appropriate levels of fat, calcium and phosphorus, designed specifically for large-breed puppies.
Choosing Foods
To help your large-breed puppy grow at a healthy rate, look for these features:
- adjusted calcium and phosphorus levels to support healthy skeletal development
- reduced calories and fat to help maintain ideal growth rate
- precise levels of protein, fat and carbohydrates balanced with vitamins and minerals for growth
- antioxidants, such as lutein and vitamin E, which nutritionally boost the immune system
- a fermentable fiber source, such as beet pulp, that can help your puppy receive maximum nutrition from his food and minimize waste
- highly digestible carbohydrate sources, such as barley and grain sorghum, for sustained energy
- optimal ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids to support skin and coat health
These are important building blocks of nutrition.
A Caution About Supplements
You want to give your puppy the best nutritional advantage during these months. Some people assume that this can be achieved by supplementing their puppy’s diet. But this may lead to a variety of health problems. Whether feeding vitamins, calcium tablets, table scraps, yogurt or meat, you could be upsetting a balanced interaction of nutrients and minerals. That balance is important. Too much of one mineral can affect a puppy’s ability to absorb other minerals. And excess amounts of calcium may lead to bone growth problems especially, in large-breed puppies. A premium-quality pet food, carefully formulated for life stage and breed size, will give your puppy complete and balanced nutrition—without supplements.
The Switch to Adult Food
A large-breed puppy reaches adult weight by 18-24 months. You can begin feeding adult dog food at this time. You can help ease the transition by gradually introducing the adult food. Try mixing 25% of the new food with 75% of his puppy food then gradually change the proportions over the next three days until he’s eating 100% adult food.
Source: www.eukanuba.com
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