How to Choose the Best Dog Food for Bullmastiff Puppies
The Bullmastiff puppy is a delightful little pup. From its charming puppy wrinkles to its affection for its family, it’s hard to resist the appeal of this sweet natured breed. The Bullmastiff is a member of the working group. Long employed as a guard dog, the Bullmastiff will protect its home and hearth if called upon to do so but with its family is a softie at heart.
Bullmastiff puppies are considered to be giant breed pups. Though they are immense in size, they do not have an excessive amount of energy to expend. This pup will thrive if taken for a daily walk of moderate length or if it is engaged in a rousing play session with its family each day. However, the Bullmastiff, even as a puppy, loves to eat, and thus, this happy pooch should never be free fed.
Because the Bullmastiff puppy is classified as a giant breed, it is vitally important to feed this pup a puppy food that has been designed with large breeds in mind if possible. One of the key elements to look for in the best dog food for Bullmastiff puppies is that the correct amount of calcium to phosphorus is included to encourage a proper rate of bone growth. This is defined as 1.2 parts of calcium for each included unit of phosphorus.
Giant breed puppies like the Bullmastiff have a longer growth period, meaning they do not reach full maturity until they are between 2 and 3 years of age. For this reason, this pup should only be fed a large breed puppy food until the dog reaches age 1 or attains 75 percent of its adult size. At this time, the dog should be transitioned to an appropriate adult diet. The ideal dog food for Bullmastiff puppies should contain a minimum of 22 percent protein and 8 percent fat.
Bullmastiff puppies can be predisposed to developing the life threatening condition known as bloat. At this time, it is not known what factors must combine to result in the disease. However, experts agree that eating too much and too rapidly may be two contributing behaviors. Large breed puppy kibbles contain pieces of food that are the correct size to promote slower eating, thus reducing the temptation to overeat or eat too rapidly.
Choosing the Correct Calorie Count for Bullmastiff Puppies
Determining how much of a high quality food to feed a puppy is as important as the type of food selected. The best dog foods for Bullmastiff puppies will offer suggested serving sizes on the side of their packaging. These suggested serving sizes are an excellent starting point. Owners can make adjustments as needed until the correct portion is found.
As a general rule of thumb, the puppy’s weight, appetite, activity level, and age will all help in determining whether portion sizes should be increased or decreased.
The Bullmastiff puppy loves to eat and can easily become overweight if given excess food. For this reason, free feeding is strongly discouraged. All food should be measured and all intake monitored to ensure a healthy weight.
Dietary Requirements for Bullmastiff Puppy Foods
The ideal diet for a giant breed pup like the Bullmastiff is well-balanced and comprised of only the highest quality ingredients. The best dog foods for Bullmastiff puppies make a lean meat of exceptional quality the basis of their diet. Whole meats and meat meals are the best options.
By-products are typically taken from inferior parts of an animal that have been deemed undesirable for humans to eat. These are not the best options for a growing giant breed puppy like the Bullmastiff. Likewise, it is best to avoid any food that includes plant-based proteins such as soy, corn, or wheat in its formulation as these are common allergens. Other ingredients that are not beneficial to Bullmastiff puppies include chemicals, additives, preservatives, artificial flavors, and colors.
Carbohydrates help the Bullmastiff puppy to attain fluid digestion and also boost the immune system. These can be taken from whole grains, fruits, or vegetables. Bullmastiff puppies that have previously expressed food sensitivities may do best on a grain-free diet.
Healthy fats are the building blocks that help the Bullmastiff puppy to have strong reserves of energy, support for brain and eye development, and a boost for coat and skin health. These are best taken from animal sources such as chicken fat and oily fish but can also be obtained from plant-based oils such as canola or safflower.
Supplements help improve the effectiveness of a diet for the Bullmastiff puppy. The ideal supplements to look for this growing giant breed are prebiotics, probiotics, glucosamine, and chondroitin.
Things to Look for in the Best Dog Food for Bullmastiff Puppies
Here is a basic list of the most important things to look for in the best food for a Bullmastiff puppy:
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Meat-based proteins heading up the ingredients list
Bullmastiff puppies, like all dogs, are carnivores. The best dog foods for Bullmastiff puppies are based on lean meat included in its whole form or in a meat meal. Diet based on by-products or plant proteins such as corn, wheat, or soy are best avoided.
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Prepared without the addition of chemicals, flavorings, fillers, or mystery ingredients
Chemicals, fillers, artificial flavorings and colorings, and mystery ingredients provide no nutritional benefit to a growing Bullmastiff puppy. Diets containing any of these items are best left on the shelf.
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Enriched with probiotics and helpful supplements
To help a diet work its best, many of the best dog foods for Bullmastiff puppies include supplements. The most beneficial ingredients for this breed include prebiotics, probiotics, glucosamine, and chondroitin.
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Meets AAFCO nutritional requirements for a complete and balanced food
All foods appropriate for the Bullmastiff puppy should bear the AAFCO seal of approval, indicating it meets the standards for a complete and balanced food.