How to Choose the Best Dog Foods for English Mastiff Puppies
The English Mastiff puppy is a true gentle giant. One of the largest breed puppies, this charming pooch is full of adventure, and in its youth, has energy to spare. A breed originally intended for guardian work and destined for the fighting pit, the English Mastiff once served alongside soldiers in time of war and also faced off against lions in stadiums. Today, this soft-natured breed is an affectionate family companion that bonds deeply to those it loves most.
To help support the English Mastiff puppy’s nutritional needs, this breed needs a food that is well-balanced. The best dog foods for English Mastiff puppies consist of a minimum of 22 percent protein and 8 percent fat with marginally more of each of these items also acceptable. It is also important for owners to select a diet that includes the correct rate of calcium to phosphorus to ensure bone growth happens at a steady and healthy rate. This is defined as 1.2 parts of calcium to each part of phosphorus.
The English Mastiff puppy should be fed a diet that is suitable for large and giant breed pups. The puppy should be fed this food until it reaches one year of age or 75 percent of its adult size at which time it should be transitioned to an appropriate adult diet.
English Mastiff puppies love to eat and will eat far past the point of being full if permitted to do so. To ensure a healthy weight, all food for this charming giant breed should be measured and all intake carefully monitored.
As a giant breed puppy, the English Mastiff can be prone to developing bloat. Bloat is a life threatening condition that experts believe can be brought on by eating too much or too rapidly. A large breed puppy food helps to prevent this as the pieces of food are large enough to encourage slow and careful chewing and swallowing.
Choosing the Correct Calorie Count for English Mastiff Puppies
English Mastiff puppies require a well balanced diet to support them through each phase of their development. Determining how much of the best dog food for English Mastiff puppies to feed a dog can be a challenge and requires some adjustment along the way. The bag of food should list suggested servings sizes, and these offer an excellent starting point. Amounts can be increased or decreased with the puppy’s age, weight, activity level, and appetite serving as guides until the correct portion size is found.
The English Mastiff puppy should never be free fed as the breed can be prone to gaining weight easily.
Dietary Requirements for English Mastiff Puppy Foods
English Mastiff puppies need a diet that based on a lean meat to thrive. The best dog foods for English Mastiff puppies include either a whole meat or meat meal as their foundation ingredient. By-products are not of sufficient quality for developing giant breed puppies, and thus, diets that place an emphasis on them should be avoided.
Likewise, plant-based proteins such as corn, wheat, and soy are common allergens for many dogs. These ingredients can also be difficult to digest, making them of poor nutritional benefit. Other items that are not suited to the needs of the English Mastiff puppy include chemicals, additives, preservatives, artificial colors, and flavors.
It is from carbohydrates that the English Mastiff puppy obtains the nutrition required for good digestion and a strong immune system. These carbohydrates can come from fruits, vegetables, or whole grains. Dogs that have previously expressed allergies to grains may do best on a grain-free diet.
Healthy fats are the building blocks that help English Mastiff puppies to enjoy eye and vision development and healthy coat and skin. Animal sources are the best place to obtain these and include such foods as oily fish and chicken fat. Canola, safflower, and coconut oils are also excellent sources of these vital essential fatty acids.
Supplements help the English Mastiff puppy’s diet to work its most effectively. The ideal supplements to look for in a food for this pup include glucosamine, chondroitin, prebiotics, and probiotics.
Things to Look for in the Best Dog Foods for English Mastiff Puppies
Here is a basic list of the most important things to look for in the best dog food for an English Mastiff puppy:
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Lean meat-based proteins heading up the ingredients list
The English Mastiff puppy is a carnivore, and thus, requires a diet that contains meat to fuel its developing body. Whole meats or meat meals are the preferred options.
By-products and plant-based proteins such as soy, corn, and wheat are of inferior nutritional quality and should be 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 English Mastiff puppy. Diets that are based upon any of these items are not suited to the needs of this breed.
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Enriched with probiotics and helpful supplements
It is always an excellent idea to select a diet that contains supplements as they can provide a boost to the health of the English Mastiff puppy. The best supplements to look for 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 English Mastiff puppy should bear the AAFCO seal of approval, indicating it meets the standards for a complete and balanced food.