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After careful analysis, our top recommended dog food for giant breed puppies is Holistic Select Large & Giant Breed Puppy.
It’s been specifically formulated to meet the needs of giant breed puppies, with an ideal blend of protein and fat content. It’s also easily digestible and highly palatable too.
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If you have a giant breed puppy then you are probably already aware of some of the health complaints that they could potentially suffer from, including joint and heart issues. You might therefore be wondering what you can do to try and keep your dog as healthy as possible as he grows. It’s important to get the nutritional balance correct so choosing an Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) approved giant breed diet should give you some reassurance. Here are some other things to look out for.
Too much calcium can cause skeletal abnormalities affecting the joints of growing giant breed puppies. Choose a diet that is around 1.5% calcium (or 3 grams/1000kcal).
A ratio of between 1:1 and 1:3 calcium to phosphorus is important to ensure healthy bones and joints. If the calcium level is too high it can cause a detrimental deficiency in phosphorus.
Most puppies need around 22% protein, but giant breeds of dog need a bit more than this at around 25% to 30%. Protein levels that are too high could cause problems affecting calcium-phosphorus balance and could also encourage growth that is too rapid. Protein levels that are too low can cause problems with muscle development and growth, so make sure the balance is right.
You mustn’t overfeed your puppy as being overweight will put a strain on his growing heart and joints. Measure out his daily rations accurately according to packet guidelines. A diet that is around 10% fat or less can also help to ensure your puppy doesn’t gain unnecessary weight as he develops.
All of our dog food suggestions are carefully selected by professionals. We extensively research the products to check if they’ve been approved by governing bodies before making recommendations. You can read more about our stringent review standards here. And remember, always consult your veterinarian first, before changing your dog’s food.
Holistic Select Large & Giant Breed Puppy is a diet of exceptional quality that has been carefully crafted to meet the precise needs of large and giant breed puppies. A grain-free food, Holistic Select takes its carbohydrates from easily digestible fruits and vegetables to encourage excellent digestion.
Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids have been supplemented to encourage healthy brain and eye development in puppies. Probiotics feature prominently in this diet to support optimal gut flora to maintain excellent digestive health. Flaxseed has been included for good coat and skin health.
This diet is free from corn, by-products, artificial colors, flavors, fillers, and preservatives, just one quality that makes it one of the best foods for giant breed puppies on the market today.
Solid Gold Wolf Cub Large Breed Puppy is a natural diet that is rated highly amongst owners as one of the best dog foods for giant breed puppies. This high-quality food has been optimized with the specific purpose of meeting the needs of large and giant breed puppies to support them through their critical developmental periods. This high-quality diet includes the correct rate of calcium to phosphorus to encourage a healthy rate of growth.
Solid Gold’s main ingredient is whole bison, a meat that is lean and unlikely cause skin or stomach sensitivities in puppies. This recipe includes 20 different superfoods to support health and wellness including such ingredients as pumpkin, cranberries, blueberries, carrots, broccoli, almond oil, kelp, and lentils.
This food is free from corn, wheat, and soy.
Wellness Large Breed Complete Health Puppy’s exceptional food formulation makes it the perfect choice for growing giant breed puppies. Enriched with a generous serving of DHA, this food supports brain and eye development, an important help during a puppy’s critical growth periods.
Flaxseed has been supplemented to assist with skin and coat health. Since giant breed puppies can be predisposed to heart issues, Wellness Large Breed Complete Health Puppy has included taurine in its recipe, a vital help for cardiac health.
Wellness Large Breed Complete Health Puppy is a well-rounded diet, earning it a high spot on the list of best giant breed puppy foods.
Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy offers families with giant breed puppies excellent nutrition coupled with good value for their dog food dollar. This diet has been carefully designed with the specific needs of giant breed puppies in mind. It is based on whole lamb and lamb meal, two proteins that are rich in amino acids to encourage the development of strong and healthy muscles.
This diet contains both whole grains and fruits and vegetables as the basis for its carbohydrates. Each item was selected for its ease of digestibility and high antioxidant content to support a strong immune system. Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids have been supplemented to assist with coat and skin health. The Diamond Naturals focus on high-quality ingredients and support for digestion, makes it worthy of mention as one of the best puppy foods for giant breed pups with sensitive stomachs.
Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy contains no corn, wheat, fillers, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy is a food that delivers big on taste, nutrition, and value, making it an excellent choice for families with giant breed puppies. Chicken meal is the foundation for this good quality food, providing pups with a powerhouse punch of amino acids to support their growth and encourage a healthy metabolism.
Whole grains are the primary carbohydrate sources in this food. Each grain was included for its high fiber content, making it easy to digest. With its emphasis on complete foods and well-balanced nutrition, Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy is considered to be one of the best giant breed puppy foods, offering owners excellent food quality and value.
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy is free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
Determining the right food for a giant breed puppy can feel like a daunting task. Since puppies of this size experience a far longer growth period than the average puppy, it is important to select a diet that will support the giant breed pup through each stage of its development.
Since giant breed puppies often take up to two to three years to reach full maturity, it is important to feed them a puppy food suited to their size for their first year of life or until the pup has reached 75 percent of its adult size. Rapid growth can cause permanent structural issues in puppies, and thus, a puppy food fed past these boundaries can cause irreparable harm due to its high protein and fat content.
Giant breed dogs bear several health problems in common. Though most of these conditions are not brought on by diet, they can be aggravated by poor nutrition, making it vital to select a food that will be a critical help in encouraging good health. Among the health issues that can plague giant breeds are hip and elbow dysplasia, heart problems, obesity, osteochondrosis, developmental orthopedic disease, and bloat.
Any diet for a giant breed puppy should contain a moderate amount of fat and must also include the correct ratio of calcium to phosphorus to support the correct growth rate. The optimal proportion for a giant breed puppy is 1.2 parts of calcium to each unit of phosphorus.
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The correct amount of food is important to prevent giant breed puppies from becoming overweight. To determine how much of the best giant breed puppy food to feed a pup of this size, the bag of itself can serve as a helpful guide through its suggested serving size. Use this as a starting point, adjusting as needed for the puppy’s weight, age, and activity level. The amounts of food may need to be calibrated several times as the pup the grows to ensure adequate nutrition.
To prevent hunger from occurring, giant breed puppies should be fed several mini meals throughout the day. Care should be taken not to overfeed as this can quickly lead to weight gain.
Since bloat is a common problem in giant breed puppies, it is important for owners to do all they can to try to prevent this from occurring. Unfortunately, veterinary professionals are not certain what causes bloat. It is believed that both eating too much and too quickly can be contributing factors. To avoid this common problem, feed a large or giant breed puppy food that includes big pieces of kibble to encourage chewing, thus making it difficult to overeat or consume food too rapidly.
The primary ingredient in any diet for a giant breed puppy should be a high-quality protein of animal origins. Whole meats are preferred, but meat meals are also an excellent option. By-products are of little nutritional value and foods containing them should be avoided. Plant-based proteins such as soy, corn, and wheat are common food allergens and difficult for giant breed puppies to digest; avoid them.
Good digestion is the key to puppies receiving the maximum benefit from the best giant breed puppy food. To ensure this happens, the addition of prebiotics and probiotics to a formulation are a great help. If not included in a food, these can be supplemented by purchasing a product from a reputable pet retailer or a veterinarian. Prebiotics and probiotics support digestion and encourage the development of healthy gut flora.
Healthy fats are vital for the health of giant breed puppies. It is from healthy fats that pups get their energy and also receive the dietary assistance they need to maintain good coat and skin health. These are best obtained from animal sources such as chicken fat or salmon oil. These fats also contain DHA, a powerhouse fatty acid that aids in cognitive and vision development.
Carbohydrates form a lesser part of the giant breed puppy’s diet. Whether they are derived from fruits, vegetables, or whole grains, the primary importance is that they be easy to digest and rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are responsible for strengthening a puppy’s immunity to fight off disease.
Lastly, giant breed puppies can greatly benefit from supplements to support their joint health. Look for a food that contains glucosamine and/or chondroitin, two powerful helps in maintaining excellent joint function. These can also be supplemented outside of the puppy’s food if necessary.
Here is a basic list of the most important things to look for in a giant breed puppy food:
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