When it comes to choosing the best food for your furry friend, the label on the dog food bag can be your first clue. However, not all labels are created equal. There are some red flags you should be aware of that could indicate the quality of the food may not be up to par. In this post, we’ll explore five red flags to look for on a dog food label, helping you make more informed decisions about what to feed your beloved canine companion.
Ingredient Splitting
Missing AAFCO Statement
Incomplete Nutritional Profile and Information
Based on Human Diet Trends
Emotional Marketing
Ingredient Splitting in Pet Food
Ingredient splitting is a sneaky tactic used by many pet food manufacturers to make their products appear healthier and more meat-focused than they are.
This involves breaking down a single ingredient into smaller components and listing them separately on the label.
For example, instead of listing “Oats” as the main ingredient, a label might list “Oats,” “Oat Meal,” “Oat Flour”, and “Rolled Oats” separately. In doing so, a single meat source (such as fresh chicken, which is mostly water) can move to the top of the ingredients list.
This can give the impression that there is more meat in the finished food than there is.
Identifying this practice can be challenging, as at times a dog food company may only use parts of a whole ingredient (for example, pea fiber + pea protein). That can be a normal aspect of proper formulation.
However, if you see a whole version of the ingredient split multiple ways, that’s a red flag (for example, whole peas, yellow peas, pea protein, pea flour, pea fiber, green peas).
U.S. Based Pet Food With No AAFCO Statement
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) sets standards for pet food nutrition and labeling. A reputable dog food brand will include an AAFCO statement on its label, indicating that the food has been formulated to meet the nutritional requirements established by AAFCO.
The absence of this statement could mean that the food has not undergone rigorous testing or does not provide complete and balanced nutrition for your dog.
Pet foods that do not contain an AAFCO statement also make it hard for pet parents to determine if the food is formulated specifically for their pet’s life stage and size.
Here are some examples of AAFCO statements that you want to see on your pet’s food bag:
“This product is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.”
“This product is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for growth, including growth of large size dogs (70 lbs or more as an adult).”
“Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that this product provides complete and balanced nutrition for adult dogs.”
“Formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for growth and reproduction.”
Limited Nutritional Profile Information
Transparency is key when it comes to choosing the right dog food. If a brand is not forthcoming about the nutritional profile of its products, it’s a major red flag. Look for brands that provide detailed information about the ingredients used, the guaranteed analysis (including protein, fat, and fiber content), and any additional nutritional benefits. Limited access to this information could indicate that the brand has something to hide.
If you have a large or giant breed puppy under the age of two, look for the calcium level on the bag. If you have to chase this information down, look elsewhere.
It’s concerning how many individuals inadvertently feed their large puppies the wrong food, often with excessively high calcium content, due to the lack of readily available information on the packaging.
Just like with human food trends, there are trends in the pet food industry too. Some brands may capitalize on these trends by marketing their products as being based on popular human diet trends, such as gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, or keto.
While these labels may appeal to health-conscious pet owners, it’s important to remember that dogs have different nutritional needs than humans. It’s also important to note that most registered dieticians agree, and will argue with sources, that diet trends are damaging and dangerous.
Choosing a dog food based solely on human diet trends without considering your dog’s specific dietary requirements could lead to nutritional deficiencies.
Watch out for dog food labels that rely heavily on emotional marketing tactics rather than factual information about the product.
While heartwarming images of happy dogs, roasted meats, and fresh vegetables seem appealing, they do not necessarily reflect the quality or nutritional value of the food. Instead, focus on the facts presented on the label (such as nutrition information), and look into the value of the company making the marketing claims.
Does the company have a qualified nutritionist on staff?
Do they have strict quality control?
Additionally, steer clear of companies that use negative marketing in their promotions.
Negative marketing refers to the practice of promoting a product or brand by disparaging or criticizing competitors or their offerings.
This can include directly attacking competitors’ products, making false or exaggerated claims about their shortcomings, or using fear-based tactics to undermine their credibility.
Instead of focusing on the merits of their products, companies engaging in negative marketing seek to gain a competitive edge by highlighting perceived flaws in rival offerings. While this approach may attract attention in the short term, it can ultimately damage the brand’s reputation and erode consumer trust.
5 Red Flags to Look for on a Dog Food Label
When it comes to choosing the right food for your dog, it’s important to be an informed consumer. By keeping an eye out for these five red flags on a dog food label – ingredient splitting, absence of an AAFCO statement, limited access to the nutritional profile, reliance on diet trends, and emotional marketing – you can ensure that you’re making the best choice for your furry friend’s health and well-being. Remember, a little extra scrutiny now can lead to a happier, healthier pup in the long run.
Ensuring our furry companions receive a balanced diet is essential for their overall health and well-being. While meat is typically the primary component of a dog’s diet, incorporating fruits and vegetables can provide a range of health benefits. In this guide, we’ll explore the top 10 fruits and vegetables that are not only safe for dogs but also offer valuable nutrients to support their health.
10 Best Fruits and Vegetables for Dogs
The current trend of homemade dog food and incorporating fresh foods into a dog’s diet is gaining popularity! While I strongly advocate for science-backed kibble from WSAVA-compliant brands as the primary source of nutrition, I also believe there is room to supplement thoughtfully with fresh, whole foods.
I’ve included my 10 favorite fruits and vegetables for dogs below, as well as some fun tips for making them enriching for your pup.
Author’s Note: I’ve included some health benefits to each of the whole, fresh foods below. Please note, however, that these benefits are not a cure-all or magic pill! Always talk to your veterinarian.
1. Blueberries for Dogs
Blueberries are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber, making them an excellent choice for your dog’s snack time. These small, juicy berries can be fed fresh or frozen, and many dogs enjoy them as a tasty treat. Blueberries support cognitive function, aid in digestion, and contribute to a healthy immune system.
You can also give your dog frozen blueberries, straight from the bag. I like to use them for training treats and fun treat-catching photos!
2. Frozen Carrots Make Great Dog Chews
Crunchy and nutritious, carrots are a favorite among many dogs. They are low in calories and high in fiber, promoting dental health and aiding in digestion. Carrots are also rich in beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A, essential for vision and immune function.
Frozen carrot sticks or carrot chips make excellent chewy treats for dogs of all sizes. You can even dip them first in canned food to enhance their appeal.
3. DIY Apple Enrichment Toy for Dogs
Apples are a crunchy and hydrating snack for dogs, providing them with vitamins A and C, as well as fiber. Be sure to remove the seeds and core before feeding apples to your dog, as these parts can be a choking hazard. Apples support dental health, aid in digestion, and may even freshen breath.
Use a knife and cut the top off of an apple. Carefully core out the center of the apple, leaving as much of the apple flesh intact as possible. This will create an edible bowl that you can use to stuff with rehydrated kibble or canned food! Freeze this treat for long-lasting enrichment.
4. Make Spinach Cubes for your Dog
Spinach is a leafy green vegetable that is safe for dogs in moderation. It is rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as iron and folate. Incorporating spinach into your dog’s diet can promote healthy bones, support the immune system, and contribute to overall vitality.
Frozen spinach cubes can be added to your pet’s kibble or homemade dog treats for a nutritional boost. Blend them up first (I love my NutraBullet for this) so that they are very digestible for your dog.
5. Pumpkin, a Versatile Dog Treat
Pumpkin is rich in fiber, aiding in digestion and promoting regular bowel movements. Pumpkin is also a good source of vitamins A and C, as well as beta-carotene, which supports eye health and immune function.
Canned pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) can be mixed into your dog’s food for added flavor and nutrients. You can even give your dog a whole fresh pie pumpkin (take the stem off) to roll around and play with; just make sure they don’t eat too much in one sitting.
Pro tip: take it easy on the pumpkin! Too much can have the opposite effect on stool quality. You’ve been warned!
6. Strawberries Dipped in Yogurt for Dogs
Strawberries are another fruit that dogs can enjoy in moderation. They are packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, promoting overall health and well-being. Strawberries can also serve a tiny roll as a natural teeth whitener.
Fresh strawberries can be sliced and served as a refreshing treat for your furry friend. Dip them in plain yogurt to make a sweet Valentine’s day or summer treat!
7. Green Beans for Weight Loss & Fiber
Green beans are a low-calorie, nutrient-rich vegetable that most dogs love. They are an excellent source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, including vitamin K, which supports bone health. Green beans can also help dogs feel full without adding extra calories, making them a great option for weight management.
Freeze-dried green beans offer a crunchy texture and can be used as a healthy training treat.
8. Yes, Dogs Can Have Watermelon, too!
Watermelon is a hydrating and delicious fruit that many dogs enjoy. It is low in calories and contains vitamins A, B6, and C, as well as antioxidants like lycopene. Feeding your dog watermelon in moderation can help keep them hydrated and provide essential nutrients.
Fresh watermelon chunks make a refreshing summer treat for dogs; try freezing them for added enrichment (remove the rind, please).
9. Sweet Potato Dog Chews
Sweet potatoes are a nutritious root vegetable that dogs can benefit from. They are rich in vitamins A, C, and B6, as well as fiber and antioxidants. Sweet potatoes support digestive health, regulate blood sugar levels, and provide sustained energy.
Dehydrated sweet potato slices are a chewy and satisfying snack for dogs. My dogs go nuts for these Dr. Harvey’s Sweet Potato Chews!
10. Cranberries Treat for Dogs
Cranberries are known for their urinary tract health benefits in humans, and they can offer similar benefits for dogs. They contain antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties that support bladder and kidney health. Cranberries can also help prevent urinary tract infections in dogs.
Dried cranberries can be sprinkled over your dog’s food for a tasty and nutritious addition. Never give your dog dried raisins or grapes!
How Many Fresh Fruits & Vegetables Can I Give My Dog?
The amount of fresh fruits and vegetables you can safely give to your dog depends on several factors, including their size, age, weight, and overall health.
As a general guideline, treats should make up no more than 10% of your dog’s daily caloric intake, and even less if you have a still-growing puppy.
When introducing new fruits and vegetables into your dog’s diet, start with small portions to gauge their reaction and watch for any signs of digestive upset. Too much fiber is not good for their tummies!
It’s also important to remember that not all fruits and vegetables are safe for dogs. Some may be toxic or cause digestive issues, such as grapes and onions. Always research and consult with your veterinarian before offering any new foods to your dog.
Blend Those Veggies Up!
Blending vegetables before giving them to your dog can have several benefits:
Improved Digestibility: Dogs have shorter digestive tracts compared to humans, which can make it difficult for them to break down plant matter efficiently. Blending vegetables into a smooth consistency can help predigest the fibers, making the nutrients more accessible and easier for your dog to absorb.
Prevention of Choking Hazard: Some dogs may tend to gulp down large chunks of food, increasing the risk of choking. Blending vegetables into a puree eliminates the risk of choking on large pieces, ensuring safer consumption.
Enhanced Palatability: Some dogs may be hesitant to eat whole vegetables due to texture or taste preferences. Blending vegetables into a smooth puree can help mask any undesirable textures or flavors, making them more appealing to your dog.
Mixing with Other Ingredients: Blending vegetables allows you to easily mix them with other ingredients, such as meat or commercial dog food, creating a balanced and nutritious meal for your dog. This can be particularly beneficial if you’re preparing homemade dog food recipes that require a combination of ingredients.
Customization: Blending vegetables gives you the flexibility to customize the texture and consistency based on your dog’s preferences and dietary needs. You can adjust the thickness of the puree to suit your dog’s taste and make it easier for them to consume.
Do Vegetables Prevent Cancer in Dogs?
While there is no definitive evidence that vegetables alone can prevent cancer in all dogs, incorporating a variety of fruits and vegetables into your dog’s diet as part of a balanced and nutritious meal may contribute to their overall health and potentially reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.
The effect may be minimal; tread cautiously with influencers who imply that lots of veggies are the key to preventing cancer in your dog!
Many fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and phytonutrients, which have been shown to have protective effects against oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which are associated with cancer development.
For example, antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene help neutralize free radicals in the body, which can damage cells and contribute to cancer formation.
Too much can have the opposite effect, though! When dogs receive too much Vitamin C, for example, the anti-oxidant properties become pro-oxidant. While the word “pro” implies something positive, in this case, it’s not good.
Additionally, some vegetables, such as cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and kale, contain compounds called glucosinolates, which have been studied for their potential anticancer properties.
However, it’s essential to emphasize that while a diet rich in fruits and vegetables may offer health benefits, it should be part of a comprehensive approach to cancer prevention in dogs. Other factors, such as genetics, environmental exposures, and overall lifestyle, also play significant roles in cancer development.
If you substitute too much of an already balanced diet with fruits and vegetables, you could potentially cause preventable health issues in your pet resulting from nutritional deficiencies.
Consulting with your veterinarian about your dog’s diet and overall health is crucial. They can provide personalized recommendations based on your dog’s specific needs and help you create a balanced diet that supports their well-being and may reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including cancer. Additionally, regular veterinary check-ups and screenings can help detect any potential health issues early on, allowing for timely intervention and treatment.
Does Dog Kibble Contain Vegetables?
Yes, many commercial dog kibbles contain vegetables or fruits as an ingredient. These vegetables are often included to provide additional nutrients, fiber, and flavor to the dog food. Common vegetables found in dog kibble may include peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, and broccoli, among others.
However, often these ingredients are included in such low amounts that they provide minimal nutritional benefit, akin to “fairy dust”.
Don’t fall prey to pet food marketing that wants you to believe a dry dog food has all of the benefits of fresh spinach, blueberries, and pomegranates.
You are much better off choosing a veterinary-recommended brand and adding fresh vegetables to your pet’s diet as a form of enrichment.
Conclusion: Adding fruits and vegetables to your dog’s diet can provide a range of health benefits, from supporting digestion to boosting the immune system. By incorporating a variety of fruits and vegetables in moderation and consulting with your veterinarian, you can ensure that your furry friend enjoys a balanced and nutritious diet that promotes overall health and vitality.
In the wake of the social media frenzy about Purina Pro Plan, I was encouraged to create a pet food safety series (of which this is the first installment). The topic of this article is about euthanized animals in pet food, based on a comment that I’ve seen all too often being spread around on social media.
“Veterinarians and dog shelters sell euthanized animals to pet food companies. They are then ground up with their collars and everything, and put into pet food.”
A surprising number of people believe this gut-wrenching theory. Let’s dig in.
Are There Euthanized Animals in Pet Food?
Unlikely. This is not a widespread issue, nor are there any verifiable reports that this practice is done intentionally by any pet food company.
But as always, there is more to this story.
The theory about euthanized pets in dog and cat food has circulated on the internet from day one. In all fairness, some variation of this scenario has occurred.
Pentobarbital is a drug frequently used to euthanize animals, including pets.
A handful of pet food companies have faced issues involving recalls and FDA scrutiny due to the discovery of Pentobarbital in their products. It all started in late 2016 when one pet died and a few others became sick after eating Evanger’s canned food.
As a result of this, tests were done on more than a dozen pet food brands. The euthanasia drug was found in 9 out of 15 cans of Gravy Train.
Recalls were issued, and a media frenzy on this topic began.
The source of Pentobarbital in Gravy Train was determined to be beef fat, purchased from the JBS Souderton Inc. meat processing facility in Souderton, PA.
JBS had also supplied beef tallow Champion Pet Foods (Acana/Orijen Brand), and despite the potential presence of contaminated beef fat in their product, the company opted not to issue a recall.
Substantial inquiries arise regarding the circumstances surrounding this occurrence, the actions taken to address it, and the measures implemented to prevent its recurrence in the future.
Can Pet Food Companies Use Euthanized Animals?
Reputable pet food companies steer clear of this practice by meticulously selecting ingredients and enforcing rigorous quality control measures to detect any adulterated or contaminated products throughout the entire production process, from sourcing to final inspection.
There is a growing demand for clearer labeling and higher standards in the pet food industry.
It’s important to acknowledge that the majority of pet food companies prioritize the creation of a safe and nutritious product.
Their emphasis on these aspects is driven by the understanding that without a strong focus on safety and nutrition, consumers would likely refrain from purchasing their products, resulting in a loss of revenue for the companies.
Pentobarbital can potentially end up in pet food through various avenues, including the presence of euthanized animals in the rendering process, which is the process of converting animal tissues into usable materials like fats and proteins for various industries (including pet food).
If euthanized animals are not properly segregated from the rendering process, residues of pentobarbital from euthanasia drugs may remain in the rendered material and subsequently contaminate the pet food.
JBS Souderton Inc., the provider of the contaminated beef tallow used in various questionable pet food brands (Including Kibbles & Bits, Orijen/Acana, and Evanger’s), faced scrutiny from the FDA.
A warning letter to JBS Souderton dated April 23rd, 20193, reveals that repeated inspections of the processing plant uncovered numerous instances of cleanliness, sanitation, and sourcing violations, along with the discovery of Pentobarbital in product tanks at the facility.
While JBS Souderton bears initial responsibility, the pet food companies that incorporated the contaminated beef tallow into their products also have significant accountability to address.
Pet Food Myth: Shelter Animals in Pet Food
The above information has led many people to conclude that all pet foods contain euthanized, ground-up shelter pets.
To put this bluntly, that is a big stretch. There is no truth, let alone verifiable proof, of this claim.
We can substantiate past issues with Pentobarbital in pet food, particularly among brands sourcing beef tallow from JBS Souderton.
Beyond the brands that had Pentobarbital in their pet foods, any further claims remain speculative.
Of course, sensationalism SELLS.
The idea of using ground-up shelter animals in pet food is provocative, controversial, and deeply concerning to pet parents who prioritize the well-being and quality of nutrition for their beloved pets.
It is also a broad, sweeping generalization that has caused needless and untold amounts of fear and anxiety for pet parents.
How To Find a Pet Food With Good Quality Control
The trick to this is not to avoid commercially prepared pet foods. It’s to learn how to choose brands that are transparent, ethical, and have good quality control practices.
It doesn’t matter how nice, holistic, or organic the marketing of that brand is; they are still subject to making mistakes and engaging in questionable sourcing and testing practices.
To find a pet food with excellent quality control, consider the following steps:
Research reputable brands: Look for pet food companies with a strong reputation for transparency, quality ingredients, and rigorous quality control measures. Your veterinarian is a good place to start, as they often communicate directly with certain pet food companies and have insider information about their plants, quality, sourcing, and nutrition science. Here is a great example of a brand with exceptional attention to quality control5, where they indicate that over 1000 lab analyses are done every day during all stages of production.
Check for certifications & guidelines: Seek out pet foods that adhere to regulatory guidelines such as those set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).
Look for quality control information: Check the manufacturer’s website or contact customer support to inquire about their specific quality control processes, including testing for contaminants and adherence to safety standards. Exceptional pet food companies are testing at all stages of production, and maintain batch samples for some time after the food is distributed.
Ask who formulates the food: companies that have several highly qualified nutritionists, food scientists, and veterinarians on staff are much more likely to produce food that is safe, nutritious, and bioavailable.
This is a big jump. No, your neighbor’s dog, your local shelter animal, and some dogs from a hoarding situation down the street are NOT in your pet’s food!
It is neither honest nor ethical to suggest that all brands incorporate ground-up euthanized animals due to the actions of a few companies that sourced low-quality ingredients.
Has euthanasia drug been found in pet food? Yes.
Have ground-up pets and collars been found in pet food? Not that I’ve seen, anywhere.
Is this a widespread problem? No.
Is Pentobarbital in pet food likely to harm your pet? No, because even if it does end up in the food, it is likely to be in very low and nearly untraceable amounts. While this doesn’t justify its presence, it does make the likelihood of harm extremely improbable.
Each year, 300-400 new pet food brands enter the market, attempting to compete alongside a small group of popular legacy brands with established practices.
The tiny handful of questionable brands that were caught with contaminated ingredients do not accurately represent the vast majority of pet food options available.
My opinion? When it comes to pet food safety, there are bigger fish to fry.
What do you think? Leave your comments below! Discussion is welcome and encouraged.
It’s no secret that I’ve become a passionate advocate for good nutrition when it comes to my dogs. At one time I fell for some very common dog food marketing gimmicks and my dogs suffered as a result.
As a matter of fact, my experience seeing my heart dog harmed by a popular ‘high quality’ dog food sent me down a huge rabbit hole that I will not soon dig out of.
There are 300-400 new dog food brands every year in the U.S. All of them are trying to get the money out of your wallet, and will tell you what they have to in order to make it happen.
Are you wanting to avoid being confused or even scammed by pet food industry marketing tricks and misinformation? This post is for you!
5 Dog Food Marketing Gimmicks
#1 Dog Food Marketing Gimmick: “Family Owned”
A common phrase seen from dog food companies is the word “Family Owned and Operated”.
This statement makes dog owners feel like they are supporting a small business, helping a neighbor, or purchasing from a company that is run by people, not corporations. It feels good to purchase from “family owned” companies that appear to have been passed down from generation to generation.
I hate to burst your bubble here, but this is a big gimmick.
Of course, many pet food brands and manufacturing facilities have been passed from one family member to the next generation. This happens in a lot of businesses and it’s great, sure.
Small ‘family owned’ operations are just as susceptible to cutting corners as the big guys.
Unfortunately, small business playing in the big world of pet food are more likely to cut corners, because they just don’t have the clout or affordable access to resources, funding, research, and the supply chain that bigger companies do.
We see this at play with Fromm Family Foods. This family organization employs a lot of people and sells millions of dollars worth of food each year, yet, they don’t have a single qualified nutritionist on staff and never have. They do no feeding trials and their research efforts dried up circa 1990.
We can reasonably assume that isn’t the only place they are keeping their operation lean!
Midwest Pet foods (the makers of Sportmix, Earthborn, Ultimates, Venture, CanineX and Unrefined) actively market that they are a “family owned” business. They have been under fire from the FDA for sanitation practices at their plants that have resulted in harm or death to over 300 dogs to date. Midwest does not employ a single qualified nutritionist, either.
A lot of dog food companies rely on smaller ‘family owned’ manufacturing plants (that as above, employ 100’s of people and qualify as medium to large businesses) and a lot of those plants absolutely do have problems.
Family owned sounds nice on paper, but as above, just because Bob Junior now owns the plant instead of Bob Senior does not mean that they are actually producing something better for your pet. Chances are, they are just as money-driven as any other business out there.
#2 – Pet Food Brands with “No Recalls”
A lot of people mistakenly believe that “no recalls” is an indication that a pet food company is higher quality.
Many times however, companies issue recalls voluntarily out of an abundance of caution. They should, too, because the alternative to issuing recalls is literally to sweep issues under the rug and hope it doesn’t become a problem.
Of course, sometimes a company will have a very negative recall history. There is a huge difference between that and a recall that a big company issues for quality control reasons. It’s important to figure out how to sort out the difference.
Primal Pet Foods and Darwins are examples of brands with inexcusable recalls who have received some damning warning letters from the FDA as a result of sanitation and nutritional practices at their “family owned” plants.
Champion Pet Foods (the makers or Orijen and Acana) knew they had food on the shelves made with beef tallow that had been contaminated with euthanasia drug. Instead of recalling it from pet owners who had already purchased the food, they quietly pulled pallets from the supply chain and didn’t say a word otherwise.
People unknowingly fed it to their pets…and while no pets appear to have been harmed, the ethics of it are appalling.
A company attempting to uphold a history of “no recalls” is going to be much less likely to recall products for small (but notable) issues. Your pet gets to be the guinea pig.
My point here is this. “No recalls” doesn’t always mean that a company is operating ethically, safely, or with transparency.
So instead of judging a book by that cover, look at the nature of the recalls, how quickly they were responded to, and why they happened in the first place. Some companies should absolutely be avoided. Others? There is more to the story.
Thank those companies for recalling instead of letting pet owners bear the brunt of a human mistake.
#3 – A “Team of Highly Qualified Nutritionists & Veterinarians”
Did you know that the solid majority of pet food brands on the market don’t have a single qualified nutritionist on staff?
But if you look at their website, you’d be made to believe that the company has a massive team of highly qualified and highly educated people sitting in their home office, dedicating their time to formulating food for your pet.
I’m sure you’re starting to catch on here, but this too is a marketing gimmick.
With rare exception, what companies really mean when they say they have a ‘team’ of qualified people, is that they pay off-site 3rd party consultants to look over their recipes.
In many cases, those “highly qualified” nutritional consultants may do nothing more than check a box and verify that on paper, the food is nutritionally complete.
Off-site nutrition consultants have no allegiance to the brand or the formulas being marketed. A solid majority of foods on the market are actually generic recipes that were spit out by a computer.
While this usually results in foods that are generally good at keeping pets alive, it’s a far cry from the nutritional research and formulation processes of companies who actually have qualified people on staff.
This practice of marketing the idea of a ‘team of nutritionists’ is also very, very misleading to pet parents who want to know that a lot of dedication was actually made to their pet’s food!
Our recommendation? Look for food brands that have board certified Veterinary Nutritionists or at minimum, people with a PhD in Animal Nutrition on staff.
Tread cautiously though, because companies use all kinds of slick language to bypass actually saying that they don’t employ people for nutritional formulation and food science.
If they didn’t reply to the Pet Nutrition Alliance or refused to answer? Run. Transparent companies have nothing to hide.
#4 – The “Good” Ingredients List
Marketing has taught all of us to be very, very wary of the ingredients in our dog food.
As a matter of fact, it was Blue Buffalo who largely pioneered this concept when they launched their ads showing pet parents how to compare ingredients.
The problem? Most “good” ingredients lists only look that way because of…you guessed it…marketing gimmicks!
Not only have companies strategically rearranged their ingredients lists to appeal to pet parents, they have intentionally replaced a few highly nutritious ingredients with “nicer sounding” foods that don’t provide anywhere near the same energy, fiber, protein, fat, mineral, or vitamin content.
Piggy-backing off the previous section of this blog, it’s important to keep in mind that many of these “nice” sounding ingredients lists and “quality” substitutions are being created and promoted by companies who have no qualified nutritionist on staff.
This includes Blue Buffalo, who came up with the entire concept of judging a food by the ingredients in the first place but only recently (2022) hired a veterinary nutritionist to correctly formulate their diets.
Because as we are learning, this is all about marketing.
Here are some common ways that dog food companies organize their ingredients lists to sell to you.
#1 – “Meat is the first 5 ingredients!”
This implies that the food has more meat in it than other foods.
However, it’s smoke and mirrors. Instead of using 10oz of chicken, they used 2oz of chicken, 2oz of dried chicken, 2oz of chicken liver, 2oz of whitefish, and 2oz of dried lamb.
The meat content is the same, it’s just been split up. Then all they have to do is split up their grains (by using multiple sources or through ingredient splitting) and other ingredients so that none of those weigh more than any of the meats.
#2 – “Fresh meat is the first ingredient”
Fresh meat is heavy, so it’s nearly always at the top of the ingredients list (which is based on weight prior to extrusion).
Fresh meat is 70% water.
Companies want you to believe that your dry kibble is loaded with meat because they show you a photo of a beautiful chicken breast and an ingredients list with “real chicken” as the first ingredient.
But after the fresh chicken is extruded into kibble, the moisture (and thus a solid majority of that heavy fresh meat) is gone. In many cases, the finished kibble will have less fresh meat in it than other ingredients.
This is why some companies use a meat meal, which is dehydrated before it’s used in the extrusion process and contains a lot more nutrition as a result. A kibble that contains some kind of meat meal or meat by-product meal will always have more meat based protein, amino acids and nutrients in it.
#3 – “Includes spinach, blueberries, and carrots”
In an attempt to appeal to consumers who want a ‘fresh’ or ‘holistic’ option, some kibble foods will include a range of fruits and vegetables from spinach to pomegranate and lay claim to the antioxidant benefits.
The bag will often contain beautiful and colorful photos of these ingredients, too.
But like fresh meat, fruits and vegetables are mostly water. To meet nutritional requirements, these cannot be too high on the ingredients list, either, otherwise it throws off the density and nutritional balance of the finished dry kibble food. They are nearly always listed near or after salt, indicating that they are less than 1% of the overall formulation.
As one board certified veterinary nutritionist put it, “it is fairy dust”.
Skip this and top your dogs food with real fresh fruit and veg. (Up to 5-10% of the overall diet is acceptable for treats and toppers like this).
#4– Ingredient Splitting
This common trick allows dog food manufacturers to take a whole ingredient and split it up into multiple parts on the ingredient list.
This changes our perception of how much of that ingredient is in the food, as it can either be perceived as being “more” (for example, multiple meat sources as in the #1 example above), or “less” (by pushing the now lower-weight ingredients down on the ingredients list).
You’ve found ingredient splitting when you see a brand utilizing multiple forms of the same ingredient. For example:
“Peas, pea protein, whole peas, pea fiber, pea flour, green peas”
#5 – “Holistic, Super-Premium, Functional, Human Grade”
There are many common words used by dog food companies to sell their products, and the vast majority of them are completely unregulated terms with absolutely not legal definition.
Holistic, for example, is often used to indicate a food that is somehow more ‘natural’. It’s a word that has been misused for so long that people associate it with a perception, not an actual meaning. Any food company can grab this word and throw it into their marketing.
Given how similar 99% of dog foods actually are to each other, even the ‘holistic’ ones, this particular term lacks any real authority to designate one food as ‘healthier’ or ‘higher quality’ than the next.
Super Premium is another word with no meaning at all. To the point of being laughable. As if being ‘premium’ weren’t enough, THIS food option is SUPER premium, ooooh!
See my point here? Words like “Super Premium” are there to make you feel some sort of way about the dog food. There is no legal definition for this term either.
Functional is the new “it” buzzword, courtesy of “Integrative, Functional, Holistic” Veterinarians and practitioners. Honestly though? All food should be functional. It is supposed to support health, right down to the cells.
I’m honestly concerned that some dog food companies have to tell us their food is ‘functional’ to get our attention.
Human Grade is complicated. There are some very loose regulations surrounding the use of this word. In theory, the ingredients should be sourced from suppliers where the intention of the food is for human consumption, and made in kitchens that prepare human foods, for example.
But once ‘human’ food is put into a dog food recipe, it’s no longer human grade as the final product is intended for use by animals. Not humans.
Food from suppliers intended for use in dog food doesn’t have to be trash; and truthfully, it’s well regulated. Keep in mind that the ‘human’ supply chain is just as susceptible to problems related to salmonella or otherwise.
Choose companies that have good ethics and practices and don’t waste your money, hopes, and dreams on the overpriced and wasteful ‘human grade’ marketing gimmick.
Your beloved pet is a dog, not a human. Given the opportunity, they will tear into your trash and happily eat all the guts out of a chicken carcass.
Anytime we post an article like this, we get a million questions about “‘well, “ok fine, what SHOULD I feed instead?”
Do you want the honest answer? Stop looking at the marketing and the ingredients lists. Look around at the literal billions of dogs that are quietly eating and thriving on veterinary recommended food brands. Those brands have qualified nutritionists on staff and dump millions of dollars every year into nutritional research and feeding trials.
For a comprehensive (and growing) list that addresses common brands/formulas as it relates to large + giant breed puppies (in particular), check out this spreadsheet:
You can also check your brand against the data in the Pet Nutrition Alliance Database. Notice how many brands only use nutritional consultants, and that’s if they even bothered to include their information in this database.
Those of you heavily invested in dogs (as we are) have probably heard about the FDA and DCM as it relates to grain-free dog foods and boutique (BEG) diets causing heart disease. You may also have heard a lot about Dr. Judy Morgan and want to know if she is a legitimate, trustworthy source of information.
This topic is a HOT one and we’re coming in with all the tea. What prompted this post?
Oh, just Dr. Judy Morgan (an influencer) posting something that was blatantly anti-science and having thousands of followers blindly follow her without any critical thinking.
Dr. Morgan is a controversial figure in the world of veterinary medicine, and if you follow her, or want to know if she’s a reliable source of information, this post is for you.
Is Dr. Judy Morgan a Legitimate Veterinarian?
Dr. Judy Morgan is a licensed veterinarian in at least one state. From what we understand she no longer practices medicine the traditional way.
U.S. law prohibits her from diagnosing and treating disease via telehealth or online consultations in most cases, so she generally sticks to ‘nutritional consultations’.
On her website, Dr. Morgan highlights her certifications of unknown origin in chiropractic care, acupuncture, and food therapy, which are all offered with a “holistic” mindset.
Dr. Morgan makes her money through affiliate links and speaking engagements, as well as by selling “holistic” supplements, food, recipes, books, and online nutrition courses.
Despite claiming to be a nutrition expert, Dr. Morgan is NOT actually boarded in nutrition. That title is reserved for a select few veterinarians who complete a nutrition residency, pass rigorous exams and present legitimate nutrition research. She has done none of these things.
This wouldn’t normally be an issue, except that she promotes herself as a nutrition expert and goes on to actively denounce the opinions, studies, research, and mentoring provided by veterinary professionals with much more advanced credentials in nutrition than she has.
Dr. Morgan, Dr. Becker, and Holistic Pet Care
You may have heard a few big names in the “holistic pet care” community. Dr. Morgan, Dr. Karen Becker, and Dr. Marty come to mind.
What does the word “holistic” mean?
“It is characterized by the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of an illness.”
Holistic pet care, an approach that evaluates the animal’s whole body health, absolutely has a place. Most people use many “holistic” and whole-food approaches in their own home!
For example, we address exhaustion by eating a healthier diet and nailing down the reasons for the anxiety that keeps us up at night. Or we might choose ibuprofen to tackle a severe headache, and chase it with lemon water to aid in digestive upset.
We give our dogs Olewo carrots to help with loose stools and fish oil to help with coat and skin health.
The idea of holistic pet care is a good one, actually a great one. The word “holistic”, however, has been bastardized.
Through marketing, people have come to believe that something labeled as “holistic” is higher quality, better, healthier, and more natural.
Where “holistic” fails is that it’s become associated with a lot of pseudoscience and misinformation.
Being more “natural” isn’t necessarily a good thing. Arsenic is perfectly natural, for example.
Unfortunately, “holistic” is an unregulated term. There is no legal definition and therefore, any food brand, veterinarian, practice, or supplement can claim to be “holistic”, no matter what. This term is being abused.
Pseudoscience & Cherry Picking in Holistic Pet Care
Here is where my concerns with celebrity Veterinarians such as Dr. Judy Morgan (and her “holistic” colleagues) come into play:
They often denounce evidence-based medicine and nutrition information, discredit their peers, and re-frame official statements from the FDA.
Doing so is VERY profitable for celebrity veterinarians! Click-bait style headlines drive engagement, traffic, and sales.
Keep in mind that Dr. Judy Morgan’s end goal is profits: she wants followers to purchase her supplements, books, and recipes.
That’s completely fair. We all want to make money by sharing our talents with the world. It is not to say that Dr. Morgan has never contributed valuable information and content. She has! I’m sure many people have learned valuable things that helped them with their pets.
I believe it’s essential for us to scrutinize prominent influencers, however. When their views are perceived as controversial or deviate from the mainstream, it’s crucial to dig deeper and ask additional questions. Especially if their platform relies heavily on discrediting peers who hold a more popular, or science-backed opinion on something.
How are Pseudoscience and the FDA Reports on DCM Connected?
To put this simply, Judy Morgan is a master at interpreting and presenting research, science, and official statements to suit her needs and the desires of her followers. This is a great talent to have, but also, a really good thing to keep in mind when assessing how media and content can be used to engage, mislead, inspire, or even manipulate us.
Let’s explore this further. Grain-free diets and their potential link to Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) have become a contentious issue, sparking a debate between scientists and researchers on one side and the ‘holistic’ pet community on the other.
In December 2022 the FDA released an updated statement on its page about dietary DCM in dogs.
Because researchers have yet to pin down the reasons why it happens, many people in the holistic pet community have promoted that it’s a hoax made up by big pet food companies.
“FDA does not intend to release further public updates until there is meaningful new scientific information to share. A count of reports of DCM in dogs submitted to FDA as of November 1, 2022, has been added to Questions & Answers: FDA’s Work on Potential Causes of Non-Hereditary DCM in Dogs. FDA has followed up on a subset of these reports, but is unable to investigate every report to verify or confirm the reported information. While adverse event numbers can be a potential signal of an issue with an FDA regulated product, by themselves, they do not supply sufficient data to establish a causal relationship with reported product(s). FDA continues to encourage research and collaboration by academia, veterinarians, and industry.“
Let’s dig in, shall we?
The scientific and critically curated summary of the FDA statement on DCM is as follows:
The FDA was unable to thoroughly investigate every report (of which there were many) submitted to them
Adverse event numbers such as the reports submitted above could signal a problem, however, that factor alone isn’t enough to definitively create a correlation between grain-free foods and DCM
The research related to this topic has been passed off to researchers to continue investigating (they are more qualified than the FDA)
Finally, the FDA will withhold further public updates until additional scientific information is available (further updates may be incoming in the future)
On the flip side, Dr. Judy Morgan has interpreted the statement to say (paraphrased) that “the FDA called bullshit on the DCM/Grain-Free link, it doesn’t exist, it’s made up by “big dog food” to generate profits, and the discussion is over”.
These deliberate wording choices are made to trigger emotions that breed suspicion, anxiety, conspiracy theories, and distrust. The resulting emotions and beliefs can be used to manipulate and leverage entire groups of people into believing something that has absolutely no scientific backing.
She even goes on to say that “millions of pets were switched to poor quality pet food brands because big pet food companies used their influence on the FDA to make more money!“, a statement that has absolutely no proof behind it.
Now, if you aren’t up-and-up on the whole grain-free heart disease thing, this entire conversation may be a little confusing to you. So here is a summary:
Around 2014, board-certified veterinary cardiologists (heart doctors) noticed an alarming trend. Dogs with no genetic link to DCM were turning up with heart disease. Since then, 100’s more reports have been filed, with new ones coming weekly.
When they looked into this, most of the dogs with this disease (confirmed) had been eating boutique grain-free foods (which at the time were trending alongside boutique and “holistic” food options that were marketed as higher quality).
In 2019 the FDA released a statement citing that a handful of brands were highly associated with this correlation. Those brands included foods by Fromm, Acana, Zignature, and 4Health.
None of the implicated brands have a qualified person on staff to formulate the food they are selling.
Despite this, multiple studies continued to show a correlation between nutrition and heart disease. However, the correlation, as it turns out, had little to do with a lack of grains or low taurine.
It appeared to be related to pulse ingredients (peas, potatoes, legumes, chickpeas) and their use in formulation as a whole.
In other words, it’s NOT grain-free that is the issue. Just as the FDA has said.
If a dog food brand uses a lot of peas, potatoes, beans, and chickpeas in their food, whether the food has grain or not, they often effectively replace a lot of actual meat (and certain amino acids, which are necessary for heart health) with plants.
Anybody who doesn’t think that’s a problem is fooling themselves.
Holistic Veterinarians and Ignoring the Science
To date, multiple studies have shown that there is a link between poorly formulated foods and dogs developing heart disease. Veterinary Cardiologists also report positive outcomes for dogs with nutritional DCM, when they are switched to a properly formulated (and often grain-inclusive) diet.
The most recent study (December, 2022), indicated that every single one of 23 dogs who were fed non-traditional diets (foods with a lot of peas, potatoes, or legumes) had changes to their heart muscle.
Why is the holistic community, and influencers like Dr. Morgan ignoring the published research on this topic?
We have questions about how the “holistic” community reconciles their deep concern about a potential conspiracy within “big dog food” while overlooking the fact that many of their favored “holistic” foods lack formulation oversight from individuals with veterinary or nutrition credentials.
Those “better foods” are often co-packed in factories handling multiple brands. They aren’t better.
What leads her to dismiss the existence or significance of the nutrition-DCM link, despite numerous confirmed diagnoses, while concurrently promoting the view that veterinary flea and tick preventatives are harmful and always toxic because a handful of dogs had a negative reaction?
It’s confusing and alarming.
One Simple Answer – Marketing Rules
Dr. Judy Morgan operates by keeping people suspicious and full of anxiety about anything mainstream or evidence-based. Vaccines, flea and tick prevention, and pet food are all targets.
It’s another to cherry pick science and studies to intentionally drive mistrust for veterinary medicine and pet foods that are backed by dedicated teams of highly educated and experienced researchers and boarded nutritionists.
If only Dr. Morgan could stick to selling science-backed supplements (including sea kelp) and balanced home dog food recipes.
More Information on DCM, Nutrition & Science-Backed Research
Are you with us? Would you like to get away from pseudoscience? I will add to this list as more information becomes available:
It makes no sense to feed dogs a diet that is comprised mostly of peas, potatoes, and legumes in place of meat.
Unfortunately, most grain-free foods are loaded with those ingredients. If they aren’t loaded, they are also often from companies that don’t employ qualified staff to formulate the diet.
We recommend feeding a large or giant breed dry diet from an established brand with a large market share such as Purina, Royal Canin, Hill’s, Iams, or Eukanuba and thoughtfully supplementing the diet with balanced fresh or canned foods to reduce the risk of bloat.
Some extremely dedicated, educated owners who are working with veterinary nutritionists may also be interested in looking into fully home-cooked diets.
Dr. Judy Morgan and the Purina Panic
This paragraph is a new update to this post, as of January 2024.
A now-debunked viral post on Facebook (December 2023) speculating that “toxic levels of metal” in Purina Pro Plan killed a dog became the kindling for what I call the “Purina Panic”.
People who read that viral post shared it with commentary such as “See, I keep telling you Purina is bad, when will you listen?”
The fire grew. As people read it, they began to be concerned that their pet’s health problems were caused by Purina, so they shared their story.
Vomiting? Purina.
Diarrhea? Purina.
Bad dreams? Purina
Weakness? Purina
You get the idea. A Facebook group, with Dr. Judy Morgan as an administrator and “veterinary expert” became a hub for this activity. The group exploded almost overnight, with thousands of people joining to blame their pet’s random health problems on Purina.
Some dogs had died of Parvo. Their deaths were blamed on Purina, and Dr. Morgan and her loyal advocates were there to swoop in and provide the solution. Seizures are a common genetic disorder, but Purina is taking the blame.
Conveniently, all members need to do is visit Dr. Morgans’s website for courses and supplements to detox their pets.
The group is convinced that a “recall is coming” and claims that thousands of dogs have definitively been harmed or killed by Purina pet foods. Meanwhile, the group leadership is discouraging people from sharing their pet’s medical records with the FDA or with Purina and has told them not to get the food tested, either.
I’m going to make a controversial statement here. This anti-Purina rhetoric is nothing more than profit-driven fear-mongering, and the activity of the group promoting the panic is scarily suspicious of cult behavior.
I suppose I haven’t truly summarized why Dr. Morgan is so concerning to the pet community, but if you’ve made it this far into my post, please leave a comment! We’d love to hear from you, no matter which side of the fence you stand on. Unlike the Purina Panic group, we don’t shut down our critics. All we ask is that you bring critical thinking and an open mind to the table.
Embarking on the journey of preparing homemade dog food for Great Danes can be a well-intentioned endeavor, driven by the desire to offer these magnificent animals a nutritious whole-foods diet tailored to their specific needs.
While the idea of creating wholesome meals at home may seem appealing, it’s crucial to approach it with caution. I cannot state this enough; homemade food for dogs has it’s benefits but it’s very easy to get wrong.
Great Danes, due to their large size and rapid growth, have specific nutritional requirements that can be challenging to meet consistently through homemade recipes. Achieving the right balance of essential nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, and protein in the correct proportions is crucial for their bone and muscle development and health.
We’re going to deep-dive into giant breed nutrition and homemade dog food! Here is a summary of what to expect in this article:
The benefits of fresh food for Great Danes
Homemade dog food recipes
How to balance homemade dog food
The problems with making your own dog food at home
How to choose a nutritious kibble
The Benefits of Fresh Food for Dogs
There are many bloggers and influencers who claim incredible benefits associated with fresh home cooked food for Great Danes and other dogs. Yes, there are some fresh food benefits that are backed by clinical research!
Unfortunately, however, many of these benefits are overstated. Some people who promote them might encourage you to ignore veterinary advice including recommended medications, treatments, and foods (uh, yikes).
They might even tell you that fresh foods can:
Reduce, cure, or even prevent cancer
Cure allergies and skin conditions
Extend lifespan
Provide a shiny coat and more energy
Reduce or eliminate the need for medications and treatments
Prevent or even treat parasites and worms without the need for veterinary preventatives
Of course, some of these things all sound amazing. But tread cautiously: extreme claims tend to be based on anecdotes or pseudoscience, and are often presented as a means to drive clicks and revenue.
Be smart about it.
That caveat out of the way, of course there are some legitimate benefits to feeding a home cooked diet to your Great Dane, especially if they suffer from food allergies or certain health conditions!
Knowing exactly what goes into your dogs food is one of the key benefits of cooking your pet’s food.
One study found that fresh foods, added to a dry kibble diet, helped reduce the risk of bloat in Great Danes. That is a huge benefit and the main reason for this article today!
But, you have to do this right. Let’s head to the kitchen….
Home Cooked Diets for Dogs Study
Before you start cooking up some ground beef, rice, and veggies, you should be aware of a major study that was done at U.C. Davis.
They tested 200 homemade dog food recipes from bloggers, Pinterest, veterinarians, and board certified veterinary nutritionists.
The study found that 191 out of the 200 homemade dog food recipes tested were deficient or in excess of at least one nutrient.
What does this mean for you as a well-meaning pet parent? It means that you should be very, very cautious about making dog food up in your home kitchen, especially when using recipes from dog owners, influencers, bloggers, books, and Pinterest.
Nutritional deficiencies are dangerous for a number of reasons! Without the correct balance of amino acids and nutrition, you’d basically be starving your pup to death without knowing it.
Excess nutrients can actually be toxic, too. Vitamin D and copper are commonly seen in high amounts in poorly balanced homemade dog food recipes.
To put this simply: a crock pot full of meat, rice, and veggies is not a balanced diet. In feeding something like that, you may actually be doing more harm than good.
How to Balance Home-Cooked Dog Food
This doesn’t mean that all homemade dog foods are bad!
As a matter of fact, Board-Certified Veterinary Nutritionists have responded to this by creating an incredibly useful tool called BALANCE IT.
You simply plug in the ingredients that you wish to include, and it tells you how much of each to add to your recipe as well as what supplements are needed to make it nutritionally complete.
For fun, I plugged a popular Great Dane dog food recipe of meat, veggies, and rice.
Balance It replaced the rice with millet and also told me it still had 15 nutrient deficiencies, unless I added a recommended supplement powder. This is because it’s incredibly difficult to reliably get all of the necessary nutrients into the recipe.
Nutrient Deficiencies in Homemade Dog Food
15 nutrient deficiencies is not something to mess around with. If your dog food is not correctly balanced, it can lead to some serious health problems.
Most, if not all popular recipes online are deficient without supplementation; and you can’t just throw a random multivitamin at the problem.
A tool such as Balance It can help resolve this issue. They will move ingredients around and then recommend the exact portion of specific vitamin and mineral supplement to add.
Dr. Judy Morgan’s homemade “Pup Loaf” is a popular and common dog food recipe. However, Balance IT was unable to resolve the deficiencies in the formula without significant changes. The system even said that some ingredients could result in dangerously high levels of certain nutrients and even…toxicity.
How to Create a Dog Food Recipe From Scratch
If you are still interested in moving forward with home cooking for your dog, the Balance It tool and/or working with a board-certified Veterinary Nutritionist is the only way to do this safely.
Tread cautiously with self-made “nutritionists” and Canine or Pet “food and nutrition experts”. Unless they have a veterinary degree and are boarded in nutrition, they aren’t qualified.
Here are a few additional tips:
Visit www.petdiets.com and find a veterinary nutrition expert to help you
Work with ingredients that are readily available to you
Once you have a recipe dialed in, be careful with substitutes as they can throw off the entire balance of the food
Run your recipe through Balance It on occasion, as updates in nutrition science may change the algorithm that is used by their system
Use one of the pre-made recipes on Balance It to get started
Follow the directions given to you by Balance It for your recipe regarding how much homemade dog food to feed: every recipe you make will be different!
See your veterinarian regularly; they spent nearly a decade in school learning how to keep your pet as healthy as possible
NOTE: what BALANCE IT does not do is differentiate between puppies, adults, and large or giant breed dogs. For this reason, we recommend speaking with your veterinarian or a DACVN as well as diligently reading the nutrient analysis of the recipe you create.
Especially if you are feeding a Great Dane puppy (more on this below)!
Homemade Food For a Great Dane 101
I would not recommend feeding a home cooked diet to a Great Dane under the age of 12-18 months, especially if you are not being diligent about formulation.
Giant breed puppies have very particular nutritional needs, and unless you are working directly with a Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist, I would steer clear.
This is where making your own dog food will shine.
I recommend topping your dog’s kibble with fresh, canned, or raw food IF that food is completely balanced according to the BALANCE IT tool.
Make sure that you reduce your kibble to account for the extra calories from the topper. Use calories to calculate the reduction, as cup-for-cup the values may be very different.
Kibble vs. Fresh Food for Great Danes
Formulating your own dog food at home can be rewarding and incredibly helpful for dogs that just don’t do well on commercial foods.
However, as you may have noticed, it’s not exactly a cake walk. A misstep could cost your dog its life and health.
It’s important to note that kibble-fed dogs are living long, healthy lives. Properly formulated kibble is safe and healthy. Switching entirely to fresh foods may provide some minor benefits, but for most dog owners, the risk of formulation issues isn’t worth the reward.
They thrive on a 90/10 ratio, which is recommended by Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionists:
90% complete and balanced kibble
10% balanced fresh or canned including unbalanced treats, toppers, and dental chews
Sometimes I offer up to 40% balanced fresh foods in lieu of kibble.
The key here is BALANCE. Balanced nutrients and educated feeding.
Homemade Food for Great Dane Puppies
I have mentioned this above, but felt that this topic was worth it’s own heading.
Homemade food for Great Dane puppies is rarely if ever recommended. This is because they need exact levels of calcium and phosphorus, plus the correct balance of amino acids, proteins, carbs, and fats.
Lacking this balance, Dane pups can suffer from knuckling, painful inflammation, hip dysplasia, flat feet, poor conformation, and poor development of brain, eyes, tendons, and muscle.
Here is our list of quality, approved Great Dane puppy foods. Feed these until 18-24 months of age. If you want to add fresh foods, remember to keep it balanced and reduce kibble intake accordingly, beginning no sooner than 6-8 months of age.
Today, we’ll be providing a comprehensive Gentle Giants dog food review, offering fresh insights to help you make an informed decision when choosing food for your Great Dane or other giant breed dog. We are experts in large and giant breed dogs, and share science-backed information!
This review is part of our ongoing series on dry dog food.
Here are some things I will cover in our Gentle Giants review:
Where Gentle Giants dog food is manufactured
If Gentle Giants food will make your dog live longer
The carbohydrate content of Gentle Giants dog food
Whether or not Gentle Giants can be fed to puppies
Our opinion on the quality of this pet food brand
Science and research behind dog nutrition
Gentle Giant Dog Food Ingredient Analysis
Here is a list of the ingredients in Gentle Giants’ chicken dog food formula. While they have other formulas, they are all comparable. For this review, chicken and rice will be used as an example.
Author’s Note: It’s important to note that we are not Veterinary Nutritionists, so our assessment is limited to a cursory examination, and we cannot provide a definitive judgment on commercial dog food recipes or the specific ingredients in this formula.
The addition of fruits and vegetablesin Gentle Giants is a marketing gimmick; the amounts of each of these would be so low that they essentially amount to fairy dust. Each one is listed after salt in the ingredients, which means they make up less than 1% of the final formula.
Green Lipped Mussel has some promising indications for joint health, but as with fruits and vegetables in this formula, there is very little of this product in the final food. It is unlikely to have any benefit at all.
According to Gentle Giants, this food is classified as a “natural formula” designed to offer balanced nutrition for dogs of all ages and sizes.
Carb Content of Gentle Giants Dog Food
It does appear to be high in starchy ingredients such as barley, brown rice, oatmeal, and peas, especially compared to many other dog foods and dry food recipes.
Brown rice is an excellent example of a typical healthy grain in Gentle Giant Dog food. Brown Rice may contain higher levels of arsenic than white rice, so brown rice must be included thoughtfully and only from companies that do a lot of product lab testing during and after production. It is unclear what their testing processes are.
This puts Gentle Giants dog food at a much higher carb content than Purina One Large Breed Chicken and Rice, which lands at 44% carbs, and higher than Purina Dog Chow Chicken which lands at 51% carbs.
This means that the Gentle Giants formula has LESS meat than other more established and known pet food brands.
It is priced at $44 U.S.D. for 30 pounds.
Author’s note: Purina Puppy/Dog Chow is $28 for 40 lbs. It’s a less expensive food by far, yet, has a lower carbohydrate content than Gentle Giants.
Dog Chow also has an insane amount of research (including lifetime feeding trials) behind the formulation. If you would not feed Purina Dog Chow to your pet, you should begin to recognize how Gentle Giants is unquestionably the lower quality option between the two.
Where is Gentle Giants Dog Food Manufactured
As of this update (2024), it is believed that Gentle Giants Pet foods are manufactured by Consumers Supply Distribution in Sioux City, Iowa. It is made in the U.S.A.
While marketing would like to lead consumers to believe otherwise, Gentle Giant pet food is a classic example of a mass-manufactured brand coming from a co-packing factory that is responsible for hundreds of other labels, formulas, and products.
Because it is unclear where Gentle Giants Dog food is made, I did a deep dive for this blog post!
Gentle Giants has a video on their website showing how their food is manufactured.
It starts with sweeping views of a factory, where a computer-generated version of their logo appears on the signage and distribution trucks. This would be believable to the untrained eye, but once you realize what is happening, it is clear that they are attempting to white-label the factory.
The video takes us inside the facility where this dog food is made, and we can see employees wearing “Consumers Supply” polo shirts.
Gentle Giants do NOT manufacture their food; they contract it out. While this is an acceptable albeit sub-standard practice (it’s better to choose pet foods coming from owned manufacturing facilities with strict quality control and dedication to the safety and bioavailability of the final product), it’s so much worse that they attempt to lie about it!
Consumers Supply manufactures and distributes several products that service the pet, wildlife, and livestock industries including food, minerals, salts, bird seed, and even rope and twine. They are commissioned by companies to make and distribute products and have no affiliation otherwise with the mission or branding of the product being sold.
Is Gentle Giants dog food made in China?
No, it is made in the U.S. However, most, if not all dog food companies (even ‘natural’ ones) source vitamins and minerals from other countries (including China).
Many people believe that their dog has grain allergies, however, this condition is exceedingly rare. Grains provide important nutrients and energy that dogs need to thrive.
Unfortunately, many grain-free dry dog foods have been associated with a preventable and deadly form of heart disease. We do not recommend feeding grain-free dry diets to dogs.
Is Gentle Giants dog food holistic?
The term ‘holistic’ is a marketing term that is not regulated. It’s made up!
Anybody can claim that the food they make and sell is “holistic”. It’s a catchy term that encourages well-meaning pet parents to make a purchase.
Holistic should imply that a food is formulated to treat the “whole body”.
Any good science-backed food would thus, actually be holistic. Comprehensive veterinary care including prevention is thus, holistic.
Gentle Giants dog food does claim to be “holistic”. Take that with a grain of salt. It doesn’t mean anything.
Gentle Giants is an “All Life Stages” food, meaning that it’s formulated for puppies and adults.
All Life Stages foods are essentially puppy foods. This can be okay in some cases, but in others, it’s simply a way for companies to minimize the need for different formulations, bags, and feeding trials.
When evaluating whether a food is appropriate for a large or giant breed puppy, it is critical to assess the calcium and phosphorus levels.
An appropriate food for a big puppy will have 1.2% or less calcium, a CA/PH ratio of as close to 1:1 as possible, and 3.5g or less calcium per 1000 kCal. It will also have the AAFCO large breed growth statement.
Ideally, the food will have also undergone feeding trials, extensive lab testing, and research, proving the availability of other important bone-growth nutrients such as Vitamin D, zinc, and phosphorus. From what we can tell, Gentle Giant’s food has not been subjected to rigorous and thorough testing.
Gentle Giants Chicken and Rice does have the AAFCO Large Breed Growth statement, indicating that the calcium level is expected to be 1.8% or less.
However, it is impossible to find calcium and phosphorus levels for this food. Without this information published and easy to find, we cannot verify that the food is 1.2% or less (the value recommended for giant breed puppies in particular). Additionally, we can not calculate how much calcium is in 1000 kCal of Gentle Giants puppy food.
As above, the food is co-packed in a massive manufacturing facility that makes many other brands and labels. This facility is probably responsible for the nutritional formulation as well, yet there is no indication of the qualifications of the individuals overseeing this process.
Tread cautiously when choosing to feed this food to a large or giant breed dog under the age of 2.
Incorrect nutritional values in puppyhood can increase the risk of dysplasia, bone damage, painful growth disorders, and even osteosarcoma bone cancer or wobblers disease!
Behind the Gentle Giants Food Brand
Our Gentle Giants dog food review would be incomplete without some information about what goes on behind the brand.
Not only does this food come with bold, in-your-face marketing geared toward pet owners with gentle giants, but it also has some interesting stories behind it. Read on, friends.
The Gentle Giants Rescue
Burt Ward (the owner of this brand) has been rescuing dogs with his wife in California for decades.
This unusual rescue makes wild claims about the longevity of the dogs (20+ years in some cases) living on their “all-natural dog food“, and says they have rescued over 14,000 pets.
Meanwhile, as of this writing, they have no animals available for adoption.
Many of the ‘available’ breeds they offer via this rescue are unusual and rare, including Staghounds, Xolo, “woodles”, and Saluki. They have had many, many litters of puppies, too.
Many people, including us, believe that this ‘rescue’ operation is nothing more than a glorified puppy mill.
They claim that 30-40 dogs live with them in “peace and harmony” on their property and that all are seniors exceeding their normal lifespan because of their “world-classfood and training program”.
There are many verifiable reports of neglect, poor living conditions, and uncontrolled dogs breeding at will in the unsupervised ‘Gentle Giants’ pack.
People seem to associate ‘celebrity’ with ‘trustworthy’.
Burt Ward played Robin in the 1960s Batman TV series.
That doesn’t make him a nutrition expert, last we checked…
Is Gentle Giants Dog Food Good?
We don’t stand behind any dry dog food that doesn’t stand with science. It’s that simple. The people behind Gentle Giants dog food do not participate in research, studies, or food trials.
The only “proof” they have of the efficacy and safety of their food is the claims made that their pack of “rescue” dogs are all over the age of 10.
A cursory glance at dog food reviews of this product indicates that some people have had no trouble feeding this food and swear by it while others experienced blood in the urine, inflammation, loose stools, and itching.
Has Gentle Giants Food Ever Been Recalled?
As of this writing, it appears that Gentle Giants food has never been recalled.
We see this as a red flag. Why?
A company that will recall its food is a company that wants to control the quality and the consistency, even if the problem that led to the recall is minor.
When a company has never issued a recall, voluntary or otherwise, you can pretty much bet that they are casually overlooking some things so that they can continue to say ‘no recalls’ in their marketing.
Boutique Dog Foods vs. Science
Boutique ‘feel good’ dog foods, including Gentle Giants, rely on careful marketing to sell the brand.
They tend to use buzzwords such as “human grade”, “all-natural”, “no recalls”, “super-premium”, or “holistic”. This can lead consumers to feel that they are purchasing something healthier for their pet (even if no actual health benefits have been proven by any legitimate science).
Even the word “farm-raised chicken” is meant to evoke a certain feeling or emotion about the food. All chickens are raised on farms!
Common ’boutique’ companies that you may have heard of or seen include Fromm, Orijen, 4Health, Halo, Solid Gold, Nulo, Nutro, Zignature, The Farmer’s Dog, Muenster, and Life’s Abundance.
What’s interesting about boutique dog food is that, despite the health claims they make, there is very little science going into the food itself.
Many people are shocked to learn that very few (if any) boutique food companies have a legitimate nutritionist formulating their foods. In many cases, the person making the recipe is even less qualified than a veterinarian.
For example, Fromm (who relies on the ‘ family-owned’ mantra to sell food) is formulated by a chemical engineer.
Victor Foods are formulated by somebody with a master in science and an online certificate in dairy cattle nutrition.
Diamond brand foods (including Taste of the Wild, Costco/Kirkland, Diamond, and Nutra Nuggets) are formulated by a computer and packaged in different bags to appeal to different markets.
Boutique brands also don’t participate in nutrition research and science. In many cases, the pet foods they make are only “formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by AAFCO”, on paper.
This sounds great, but all that means is that on paper they’ve added enough nutrients to satisfy a minimum legal guideline. It doesn’t mean that they’ve tested and proven the formulation itself.
So when a brand is telling you they are “super-premium” and “holistic”, ask yourself if you are being sold to, or if that food has legitimate science backing its claims of being “healthier”.
Want to see how YOUR current dog food stacks up? Visit the Pet Nutrition Alliance and look your brand up.
Each food company was asked to provide information about just a few key things, including who formulates their food.
You’ll notice that many boutique dog food brands refused to share the requested information because it is damning to their brand.
We smell something fishy here, folks, and it’s not the fish meal in your bag of kibble.
The Great Grain-Free Debate
So what is inherently wrong with a “super-premium”, “natural” dog food from a boutique company, anyways? Let’s talk for a moment about the great grain-free pet food debate.
Many otherwise ‘healthy’ shiny dogs ‘with good poop’ who randomly die while playing or after going for a walk have been diagnosed with, or even passed from DCM, and the owners never knew something was wrong.
No official pre-death diagnosis means that very little data is collected on the dogs who die this way. The devastated owners move on with their lives, assuming that their dog had a genetic problem. Veterinarians around the country are seeing it happen over and over again.
While genetics do play a role in primary DCM, secondary DCM is believed to be caused by unbalanced nutrition. These dogs are essentially starved for certain amino acids and micro-nutrients: the heart enlarges and eventually gives out.
This brings us back to the fact that a sound majority of boutique dog food brands do not employ a board-certified veterinary nutritionist to formulate their food. This includes Gentle Giants.
As a Great Dane owner, you could not PAY me to feed Gentle Giants dog food.
Nutritional levels established by AAFCO
AAFCO is a non-profit agency that works in tandem with government regulatory agencies. Regulatory agencies moderate and enforce nutrition and food safety, and AAFCO was established to help with definitions and requirements.
The AAFCO label on every dog food bag is there to help you establish if the formula is correct for your dog.
All of this canine nutrition information can be frustrating and alarming to Great Dane owners who want to choose the best foods for their giant dogs!
We recommend picking a highly-researched, truly science-backed brand that employs highly qualified professionals (Veterinary Nutritionists) to formulate their food.
Find out if the formulations from those brands are substantiated in actual food tests, or if they just look correct on paper.
Ask if the brand has made any contributions to widely accepted canine nutrition science (the very science that has also now made it possible to feed Great Danes puppy food instead of adult food, YAY!).
Contrary to what small boutique brands want you to believe, the blueberries and spinach they have added in minuscule amounts to make you ‘feel good’ are doing nothing but lining their pockets.
If you want your dog to have blueberries, toss a few whole ones into their food, instead! Serving a balanced meal is important, however, so no matter what, make sure that toppers make up less than 10% of your dog’s overall dry dog food diet.
We recommend Large Breed Purina Pro Plan (puppy or adult, salmon recipe) or Royal Canin Giant Breed foods as the gold standard in healthy, highly researched dog foods for your gentle giant. However, Eukanuba and Iams have solid choices for you as well, at all price points!
Picky dogs hate their food after a short time. If you have a picky gentle giant, we recommend sticking with the same food, avoiding bribery, and making food FUN by offering it in puzzles or for training.
Senior dogs may eat less, too. Don’t mistake this natural behavior for ‘pickiness’.
The Dog Food Advisor Blog
Many people turn to the Dog Food Advisor blog for information about choosing pet food. It’s one of the top blogs to show up on a Google search when looking for dog food reviews!
The Dog Food Advisor rates the Gentle Giants brand as 4/5 stars and considers it an ‘above average dry product’ with a ‘moderate amount of meat’.
Here is the thing about the Dog Food Advisor. That blog was created by a human dentist with absolutely no credentials at all in veterinary nutrition. The rating system is made up.
Of course, we aren’t veterinary nutritionists either. But unlike the Dog Food Advisor, we aren’t making up a ratings system. Our evaluation of food is based purely on nutrition science and company manufacturing practices and ethics.
We align ourselves with veterinarians and veterinary nutritionists, for a reason. Our recommendations may not “look pretty” and “feel good” like the ones on the Dog Food Advisor, but we can confidently state that our information is based on science, NOT what results in more clicks and traffic.
That said, the Dog Food Advisor does rate Pro Plan as a top pick on its ‘recommended foods list’, and states that it is one of the only brands highly tested and formulated by a team of veterinary nutritionists. They are correct about that.
Our Rating of Gentle Giants Dog Food
This is one food we think you should skip.
No science.
Wild and questionable marketing claims about longevity (“Your dog can live longer!”).
Affiliated with a sketchy ‘giant breed rescue’ (very likely a puppy mill, but at the least nothing more than a wild pack of dogs that are fed out of trash cans and left to their own devices).
Unclear calcium/phosphorus levels.
Co-packed in a random factory.
Higher carb content than “low quality” Purina Dog Chow.
Did you know that Great Danes are one of the breeds of dog that are most commonly overweight? A dog’s weight creates MANY issues.
An overweight Great Dane faces so many medical problems, in fact, that it can lower their entire lifespan.
Fat Great Danes Face Serious Health Risks: Even Early Death
Believe it or not, even science says so. A study conducted by Banfield Pet Hospital found that the lifespan of overweight dogs was 2.5 years shorter on average than their peers who maintained a completely normal weight / muscle mass.
This is a serious health risk for these dogs, and can lead to a number of health problems. In this blog post, we will discuss the health risks associated with obesity in Great Danes, and what you can do to help keep your dog healthy and fit.
Great Dane Puppies, Food Intake, and Keeping the Perfect Weight
Starting now, the first thing you should know as a pet owner is that within a blink of an eye, Great Dane puppies turn into a full grown adult Great Dane. Because they grow SO FAST, it is absolutely crucial that you monitor your puppy Great Dane’s growth.
Too much weight gain absolutely matters with your adorable, squishy Great Dane puppy. While your puppy is active and energetic, it is the very time to set them up for proper growth to minimize future health issues.
Adding too much quick weight gain and unnecessary gained weight adds extreme pressure onto your puppies joints. Large dogs grow rapidly when they are less than 2 years old. If a puppy gains too much weight, it can put strain on their joints and lead to health problems later in life. Below you will see a Great Dane growth chart, but please remember NOT ALL puppies will fit into this chart:
IDEAL: Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that [THIS FORMULA] provides complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages, including growth of large sized dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult).
MODERATELY ACCEPTABLE: [THIS FORMULA] is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for growth of puppies and maintenance of adult dogs, including growth of large sized dogs (70 lb or more as an adult).
NOT ACCEPTABLE: [THIS FORMULA] is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance of adult dogs.
QUESTIONABLE: [THIS FORMULA] is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.
Feeding the right quantity of food and keep track of your Great Danes ribs
The best way to ensure a healthy weight is to feed your puppy a high-quality dog food that is designed for their stage of life. Puppies need more calories than adult dogs, so they should be fed a food that is high in protein and fat.
You can also talk to your vet about how much your puppy should eat each day and what the healthy weight ranges are for Great Danes.
Photo Credit to Hellen at Mumukodogsquad (Picture of sweet Dakota!) Photo Credit to Hellen at Mumukodogsquad (Picture of sweet Dakota!)
Monitor every growth spurt with large breed dogs
Watch your puppies food intake closely and be sure to keep them on an appropriate amount of food. If you choose to ‘free feed’, it is best to measure a day’s worth of food out in the morning, so that you always know how much they are eating.
Be sure to research which puppy food you would like to give, and do your research EARLY- as it is best for your dog’s health NOT to switch foods often, if at all. If you are looking for our puppy food resources, you can find them here:
When your giant breed puppy experiences a large period of growth, watch their joints closely. Knuckling is a huge issue in Great Danes and can be related to feeding the wrong puppy food, giving too many calories or the wrong calories, switching pet food too many times, slippery floors, weak feet, leg muscles or hip bones, etc. If you wonder if your Great Dane is knuckling, be sure to check out some resources here:
IS YOUR GREAT DANE PUPPY KNUCKLING?
Check out our science-based and constantly growing knuckling resource page.
A Great Dane’s ribs shouldn’t be hidden by too much flesh. You should be able to see the ribs of your Great Dane easily as well as feel them with your fingers and palm of your hand. If you can’t, your dog may be overweight and could benefit from weight loss.
Conduct the Rib Test
To check if your great dane is at a healthy weight, place your hands on their rib cage, just behind the last rib bone. You should be able to feel their ribs without too much pressure. If you can’t, your dog may be overweight.
The last thing you want is for your dog to become too fat! If I can’t see any ribs then try lowering food intake by 5% until body leans out and you are able to feel the ribs of your Great Dane, which implies a more healthy weight.
Why Did My Great Dane Gain Weight Suddenly?
Dog’s go through many different phases of life and there could be many reasons why your Great Dane suddenly put on weight.
Spaying and Neutering dogs will cause them to gain quickly. This is because when you Spay or Neuter a dog, their metabolism slows down and they no longer need as many calories as they did before the surgery. You should consider waiting to spay / neuter your Great Dane until they are matured at around age 24 months to allow them to maintain a healthy weight and experience each hormonal life stage necessary for a large dog.
Can early spay or neuter hurt your dog? Check out our blog here.
Lactation
Nursing mothers will also gain weight quickly as their bodies prepare for motherhood. This is normal and healthy, but once the puppies are weaned, the mother’s weight should level out.
Old Age
As dogs age, their metabolism slows down and they become less active. This can cause them to gain weight even if they are eating the same amount of food as they did when they were younger. If your senior dog has unexpected weight gain, consider joint-friendly activities like swimming.
If your dog is not getting enough exercise, they may start to gain weight. Dogs need at least 30 minutes of exercise a day, and sometimes more if they are a high energy Great Dane. There are low impact exercises and activities that are great for a big dog like a Great Dane. Going about their day-to-day without activity even just for a week or two can cause weight gain in a Great Dane.
Check out our blog about whether or not you should go running with your Great Dane:
There are some health conditions that can cause dogs to gain weight suddenly. These include Cushing’s disease, hypothyroidism, and diabetes. If you think your dog may be sick, please take them to the vet for a checkup. Digestive issues can also cause dogs to gain weight, lose weight or have unexplained fluctuation. Worm infestation can cause your dog to have an inability to absorb nutrients.
Obesity is a serious health concern for dogs of all breeds, but it is especially dangerous for giant breeds like the Great Dane. Obese dogs are at risk for joint problems, respiratory difficulties, diabetes, and other health issues.
How to Help Your Adult Great Dane With Weight Loss
If you have determined that your dog needs to lose weight, do not worry, as there are manageable methods that you can use to help your Great Dane slim down.
Tip 1: Examine What Dog Food Your Great Dane is Eating
One of the best ways to help your Great Dane lose weight is to examine the nutrition label of their dog food.
You should be looking at the calorie content and the amount of fat in the food. Great Danes need special food to keep them healthy. The right kind of cuisine will ensure that your Great Dane’s weight remains stable, his joints don’t GET worse and he grows into an adult who has strong structures with no fractures or problems growing bones! Ingredients actually DO matter when caring for our furry friends properly…
Click here for what we believe the best food is to feed your dog.
Tip 2: Choose What Treats Your Dog Eats Wisely
One of the easiest ways to help your dog lose weight is to cut back on the number of treats you give them. This doesn’t mean you have to stop giving them treats altogether, but you should limit their treat intake to only a certain amount, and also the RIGHT kind.
Not all dog treats are created the same. Some dog treats are packed with way more protein and fat than others, and should actually be considered apart of their diet. Otherwise with their meals they are already getting enough food, but then you add more.
Choosing a healthy diet also means choosing what treats you provide. For your convenience, we put together some of our favorite treats here:
Most dogs who are fed a healthy diet, the right amount of calories and getting adequate exercise, will have slightly visible ribs and muscle development.
If you notice that your Great Dane seems overweight compared to other dogs, it is time to speak to your veterinarian and get medical advice to make sure there is not an underlying condition.
Something we hear very often when speaking to Great Dane owners is that they have a concern for their skinny Great Dane.
Don’t get me wrong, some families DO have an underweight Great Dane.
But, typically, those with a Skinny Great Dane, are those with pre existing conditions, medical ailments, or even parasites etc.
Are Great Danes Supposed to be Skinny?
The reason that this is an important topic is because pet obesity has become very… ‘normal’. When we go to the dog park, we generally see many overweight pups. Everywhere we go- pet parents are struggling to keep their dog at a healthy weight.
The truth is- if you have a skinny Great Dane- you PROBABLY have a ‘Healthy Weight’ Great Dane. Here are some example photos:
An Underweight Great Dane
A Healthy Weight Great Dane
An Overweight Great Dane
We have seen A LOT of Great Danes, and we have seen VERY FEW, that we could say ‘Your Great Dane is too skinny’.
But, REALLY… My Great Dane is TOO THIN!
If you truly believe that your Great Dane is too thin, we have a few suggestions. However, this site does not constitute ‘bulking up’ your Great Dane, just because you want them to be bigger. You should examine both your female and male Great Dane thoroughly, seek veterinary medicine and advice, and understand the ramifications on their joints and health before intentionally causing them to gain weight. It is much easier to gain weight than it is to lose weight. Now, for the suggestions:
Good Quality Canned Food and Raw Toppers
Providing a raw topper or good quality canned food will increase your dog’s calories, without having to feed them more kibble. This is a great way to help your dog add weight, without over doing it. For your convenience, here are some raw healthy toppers:
You can also add healthy fats and oils to your dog’s diet. This is a great way to increase the calories they are taking in, without adding too much volume. Below we will link our favorite fish oils.
You can also try feeding your dog more meals, more often throughout the day, with less food. This will help them feel fuller, without overeating.
Satin Balls
You can make your own satin balls, or purchase them. This is a high-calorie food that can help your dog gain weight.
Final Thoughts: Keep a Healthy Weight and Encourage Weight Gain with Caution
Keeping your Great Dane thin is one of the greatest gifts we can give them. It is our responsibility to make sure they stay at a healthy weight, so that they can enjoy their lives to the fullest.
Remember, it is easier to make a dog obese, than it is to make them lose weight. So please use caution when following any of the above suggestions and seek your veterinarian any time you have an issue that might constitute pet medical advice.
We hope you enjoyed this article. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us. We would be happy to help!
