If your dog experiences a seizure, it can be a frightening and distressing situation. However, it’s crucial to stay calm and take appropriate steps to ensure your dog’s safety. Here’s some information on what seizures look like in dogs, what causes them, and what you should do if your dog has a seizure.
What Does a Seizure Look Like in a Dog?
Seizures in dogs can manifest in various ways, depending on the type and severity of the seizure. If you have seen your dog exhibit any of the following symptoms, they may have experienced one and need to see a veterinarian.
Here are some common characteristics of seizures in dogs:
Convulsions: This is the most recognizable sign of a seizure. It involves uncontrolled muscle contractions, often causing the dog’s body to stiffen and jerk. The legs may paddle, and the head may tilt or shake.
Loss of Consciousness: During a seizure, a dog may lose consciousness or appear disoriented. They may not respond to their name or familiar stimuli.
Excessive Drooling: Dogs may drool excessively during a seizure, sometimes accompanied by foaming at the mouth.
Involuntary Urination or Defecation: Seizures can cause loss of bladder or bowel control due to muscle spasms.
Altered Behavior: Some dogs may exhibit unusual behaviors before, during, or after a seizure, such as pacing, whining, or hiding.
Aura: In some cases, dogs may experience an “aura” or pre-seizure phase characterized by restlessness, anxiety, or unusual behavior shortly before the seizure occurs.
Post-Ictal Phase: After the seizure ends, dogs may enter a post-ictal phase characterized by confusion, disorientation, weakness, or temporary blindness. This phase can last from minutes to hours.
Vocalization: Some dogs may vocalize during a seizure, such as barking, whimpering, or howling.
It’s important to note that not all seizures look the same, and the severity and duration can vary. Additionally, some seizures may be focal, affecting only one part of the body, while others may be generalized, involving the entire body.
If you suspect your dog is having a seizure, it’s essential to stay calm, ensure their safety, and seek veterinary care promptly. Your veterinarian can help diagnose the underlying cause of the seizures and recommend appropriate treatment and management options.
What To Do If Your Dog Has a Seizure
If your dog experiences a seizure, or if you think they may have, it can be a frightening and distressing situation. However, it’s crucial to stay calm and take appropriate steps to ensure your dog’s safety.
Here’s what you should do if your dog has a seizure:
Stay Calm: Your dog can sense your emotions, so it’s important to remain as calm as possible. Panicking may agitate your dog further.
Ensure Safety: Move any objects or furniture that could harm your dog during the seizure. Create a safe space by cushioning the area around them. Make sure your pet cannot fall off of a couch or bed during the seizure.
Time the Seizure: Note the time when the seizure begins and ends. This information will be valuable for your veterinarian. Write it down ASAP, as your memory of the event may be clouded by the stress you experienced when it happened.
Do Not Restrain: Avoid restraining your dog during a seizure. This could lead to accidental injury to you or your pet. Instead, gently guide them away from potential hazards.
Protect Their Head: If your dog is thrashing, gently place a soft cloth or towel under their head to prevent injury.
Observe and Record: Note the duration and characteristics of the seizure. Pay attention to any unusual behaviors or symptoms your dog exhibits before, during, and after the event. As above, writing this information down as soon as you can will help you better remember it.
Keep Quiet: Reduce noise and disturbances around your dog to minimize stress.
Stay Nearby: Keep a close watch on your dog until the seizure subsides. Reassure them with a soothing voice once the seizure ends.
Consult a Veterinarian: After the seizure, contact your veterinarian for guidance. They may recommend bringing your dog in for an examination to determine the underlying cause and discuss potential treatment options.
Follow-up: Follow any instructions provided by your veterinarian and continue to monitor your dog for any recurring seizures or changes in behavior.
How are Seizures in Dogs Treated?
Treating seizures in dogs involves addressing the underlying cause, managing the frequency and severity of seizures, and providing supportive care. Never attempt to treat seizures at home. Always consult with a veterinarian.
Here are common treatment approaches for seizures in dogs:
Medication: Anticonvulsant medications are often prescribed to control seizures. These medications, such as phenobarbital, potassium bromide, or levetiracetam, work to stabilize brain activity and reduce the frequency and severity of seizures. The dosage and type of medication may vary depending on the individual dog’s needs and response.
Monitoring and Adjustments: Regular monitoring of your dog’s seizure activity and response to medication is essential. Your veterinarian may need to adjust the medication dosage or try different medications to achieve optimal seizure control while minimizing side effects.
Addressing Underlying Conditions: If seizures are caused by an underlying medical condition, such as liver disease, kidney disease, or a brain tumor, treating the underlying cause is crucial. This may involve additional diagnostic tests, surgery, or other medical interventions.
Avoiding Triggers: Identify and minimize potential triggers that can provoke seizures in your dog. This may include managing stress, maintaining a consistent routine, and providing a safe and comfortable environment.
Emergency Care: In cases of prolonged or severe seizures (status epilepticus), emergency veterinary care may be necessary to stabilize the dog and prevent complications. Intravenous medications may be administered to stop ongoing seizures and prevent further brain damage.
Lifestyle Modifications: Certain lifestyle modifications, such as regular exercise, adequate rest, and stress management techniques, may help reduce the frequency and severity of seizures in some dogs.
Overall, managing seizures in dogs often requires a multi-faceted approach tailored to the individual dog’s needs and circumstances. Close collaboration between you and your veterinarian is essential to develop an effective treatment plan and optimize your dog’s quality of life.
What Causes Seizures in Dogs?
Seizures in dogs can be caused by a variety of factors and some may be out of your control.
Common causes of seizures in dogs include:
Epilepsy: This is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures without an identifiable underlying cause. It can be genetic and may develop later in life.
Toxins: Ingestion of certain toxins, such as pesticides, rodenticides, plants (like certain mushrooms or toxic plants), or household chemicals, can lead to seizures (more on this below).
Metabolic Disorders: Conditions such as hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), liver disease, kidney disease, or electrolyte imbalances can trigger seizures.
Infections: Infectious diseases like distemper, encephalitis, or meningitis can affect the brain and cause seizures.
Trauma: Head injuries or trauma to the brain can result in seizures.
Brain Tumors: Tumors or masses in the brain can cause seizures as they put pressure on surrounding brain tissue.
Idiopathic Vestibular Disease: This condition affects the inner ear and can sometimes lead to episodes resembling seizures, although they are not true seizures. Read more HERE.
Stroke: Just like in humans, strokes can occur in dogs and may result in seizures.
Heat Stroke: Exposure to high temperatures can cause heat stroke, which can lead to seizures among other symptoms.
Genetic Disorders: Certain breeds may be predisposed to genetic conditions that increase the risk of seizures, such as idiopathic epilepsy in breeds like Beagles, Dachshunds, and Golden Retrievers.
Autoimmune Disorders: Conditions like autoimmune encephalitis can cause inflammation of the brain, leading to seizures.
Do Flea and Tick Medications Cause Seizures?
While rare, there have been reports of adverse reactions, including seizures, associated with certain flea and tick medications in dogs (including “natural” options made with essential oils).
These reactions are typically uncommon and often occur in dogs with pre-existing health conditions or sensitivities.
The active ingredients in flea and tick medications, such as essential oils, fipronil, permethrin, or pyrethroids, can sometimes cause adverse reactions in sensitive individuals. These reactions may include neurological symptoms like tremors, seizures, or other abnormal behaviors.
However, it’s a myth that these products are regularly causing neurological symptoms in pets.
It’s worth noting that using the wrong product, purchasing a knockoff, or applying incorrect doses can increase the risk of adverse reactions, including seizures.
To minimize the risk of adverse reactions to flea and tick medications in your dog:
Consult with your veterinarian before starting any flea and tick prevention program. Your veterinarian can recommend the most appropriate product based on your dog’s age, size, health status, and lifestyle.
Monitor your dog for any signs of adverse reactions after administering flea and tick medications. If you notice any unusual symptoms, including seizures, contact your veterinarian immediately for guidance.
Be cautious when using flea and tick products in households with multiple pets, as some medications formulated for dogs may be toxic to cats and other animals.
Understand that these risks are not isolated to veterinary flea and tick prevention: in many cases, “natural” alternatives may carry more risk, not less.
Abstaining from veterinary flea and tick prevention can leave your pet susceptible to infestations, potentially leading to discomfort, skin irritation, and the transmission of diseases carried by these parasites.
Does Kibble Cause Seizures?
There’s no direct evidence to suggest that kibble, as a general category of dog food, causes seizures in dogs.
There is a lot of misinformation on this topic, which is often fueled by profit-driven influencers who use sensational headlines to generate engagement.
There’s no direct evidence to suggest that kibble, as a general category of dog food, causes seizures in dogs. However, certain ingredients or additives in some commercial dog foods may potentially trigger seizures in dogs with specific sensitivities or underlying health conditions.
Seizures in dogs can be caused by various factors, including genetic predisposition, epilepsy, metabolic disorders, toxins, infections, and neurological conditions. While diet plays a crucial role in overall health, including brain function, there is limited scientific evidence linking kibble specifically to seizures in otherwise healthy dogs.
A well-crafted kibble produced by a manufacturer with stringent quality standards is highly unlikely to contain ingredients detrimental to a pet’s well-being. When researching pet nutrition, prioritize credible sources and avoid succumbing to fear-mongering tactics.
Pet Fooled is a documentary that gained popularity in 2016 and has resurfaced on social media, drawing renewed attention. Pet parents worldwide are streaming it on platforms like Netflix and YouTube, prompting many to modify their pets’ diets based on the documentary’s content. Having never seen it, I watched Pet Fooled so you don’t have to.
Why did I do this? Numerous veterinarians and researchers have voiced their opinions on “Pet Fooled,” but the consensus is overwhelmingly negative. They argue that it is misleading and riddled with inaccuracies, leading pet owners down the wrong path when it comes to feeding their pets.
On the other side of the spectrum, many pet owners, natural pet stores, influencers, and a handful of fringe holistic practitioners praise and endorse the documentary.
I was curious to understand the reasons behind the hype surrounding Pet Fooled. If you choose to watch it with me, I highly recommend going into it with an open mind AND a healthy dose of skepticism.
Here is what I learned from watching Pet Fooled.
Note: This is a multi-part series! Additional articles in this series will be posted below.
Part One: “Biologically appropriate” feeding, bacteria & pathogens in raw food, and the influence of “big kibble” on veterinary schools (See Part One HERE)
Part Two: Pet food marketing, ingredients in pet food (including corn and by-products), manufacturing, AAFCO, and FDA regulations (See Part Two HERE)
Part Three: Pet food recalls, veterinary diets, and holistic pet food elitism (See Part Three HERE)
What is the Pet Fooled Documentary?
“Pet Fooled” is a documentary film released in 2016 that examines the commercial pet food industry and advocates for alternative feeding practices for pets.
The film raises concerns about the ingredients and nutritional quality of mass-produced pet foods and suggests that they may be harmful to pets’ health.
“Pet Fooled” includes discussions with holistic veterinarians and pet owners who provide their insights into the pet food industry and its impact on pet health. They advocate for alternative feeding methods for pets, and ask pet owners to “do more research”.
What Veterinarians are Featured in Pet Fooled?
Dr. Karen Becker:
Qualifications: Dr. Becker is a proactive and integrative wellness veterinarian with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree.
Her passion lies primarily in wildlife rehabilitation.
Background: She is known for her holistic approach to pet health and has authored several books on pet care and nutrition. In addition, she has courses, a community, and an online shop where pet parents can purchase content, supplements, and food.
She is well known for her association with quack Dr. Mercola and controversial journalist Rodney Habib
Dr. Barbara Royal:
Qualifications: Dr. Royal is a veterinarian with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree.
Background: She specializes in holistic veterinary medicine and is the founder and owner of The Royal Treatment Veterinary Center in Chicago.
Dr. Barbara Royal has authored a book where she shares her holistic approach to pet care, offering insights and advice on nutrition, preventive medicine, and holistic healing for pets.
Dr. Lisa Pierson:
Qualifications: Dr. Pierson is a veterinarian who earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree.
Background: She is a strong advocate for raw feeding and specializes in feline nutrition.
Dr. Pierson runs a popular website dedicated to feline nutrition education.
It’s important to note that all the veterinarians showcased in “Pet Fooled” adhere to the “Holistic” and “Integrative” pet care philosophy, a perspective criticized for its tendency to reject mainstream scientific practices, avoid evidence-based approaches, and represent a minority opinion within the veterinary community.
All three veterinarians who are interviewed in Pet Fooled also work as influencers, generating income through the sale of items such as food, supplements, online courses, memberships, and books. It’s crucial to recognize this aspect, as their viewpoints may be influenced by their financial interests.
My Approach to Watching and Debunking Pet Fooled
As a proponent of science and a staunch advocate for evidence-based veterinary practices, I anticipated watching Pet Fooled might be challenging. I decided that it was important for me to keep an open mind, as many people love this film.
I leashed up my muscular, athletic little Purina-fed dog, put the documentary on my headphones (podcast style), and started on the trail for an hour-long walk with Dr. Karen Becker in my ear.
This allowed me to digest the information without frantically scribbling notes. My feet pounded the pavement as I took in every bit of classical music and the words that were fed to me in the documentary.
Don’t worry, I later sat down to properly watch it, too. The visual aspect of Pet Fooled is part of its message, and I wanted to be prepared for it.
Pet Fooled presents controversial narratives and makes a lot of questionable claims to support their position that kibble is unsafe, unhealthy, and not nutritious.
Pet owners who wish to be fully educated about nutrition should continue reading below because I’m going to break this down and cite my sources. Dig in…
Raw Dogging Raw Dog Food
Author’s Note: This article is not meant to be a kibble vs. raw debate, but I did feel it important to address the claims made in Pet Fooled. As always, talk to your veterinarian and feed what works best for your pet and family.
In the film, Dr. Karen Becker is seen using bare hands to handle raw pet food from the company “Northwest Naturals” as she prepares meals for several dogs and cats in her home. A similar scene is repeated a few minutes later, when Dr. Barbara Royal is introduced to us while giving her excited, happy dog his dinner.
It’s long been proven that raw meat, including that used in raw dog food, can contain bacteria such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Listeria monocytogenes, which may cause illness in both dogs and humans.
Dr. Barbara Royal pulls a package of Darwin’s Raw Pet food out of a bag and says to her dog “Do you know why you don’t look 12 years old? Because your parents feed you EXCELLENT food…”
Once her dog is finished eating its Darwin raw food meal, Dr. Royal gets on the floor and lets her pet lick her face.
She says “Do I worry about them eating raw food and then licking me? No. I do not. [laughs]. Because the fact is, there aren’t any pathogens in that raw food. Because they’re careful with it.”
So there it is. The first blatantly misleading and false statement in Pet Fooled.
The truth is that Darwin’s Natural Pet Products has had a sordid history of recalls due to contamination with pathogens such as Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes (this topic alone requires an entire blog post).
Recalls for bacterial contamination in pet foods are not uncommon. Controlling pathogens requires exceptional quality control, especially for raw brands.
Dr. Becker claims that the dog’s acidic stomach is there to neutralize bacteria. However, numerous reports and studies show that dogs fed contaminated food will shed those bacteria in their saliva and stool. Those bacteria are not, in fact, “neutralized” but rather, are alive and well.
One study found that human stomachs are more acidic than dog stomachs!
MISINFO MONDAY : dogs and salmonella -dogs stomachs are acidic, but humans are more acidic. Humans can get salmonella, which tells us the pH of a stomach isn’t the whole picture -bacteria like salmonella have found ways to evade the acidic environment of the stomach, making gastric pH alone irrelevant -asymptomatic dogs can and do shed salmonella, meaning it’s not killed by the stomach -there is no evidence that raw fed dogs have any immunity to this. The case I saw was a raw fed dog and it did not survive. One health tells us we shouldn’t just focus on the pet, but the owner as well. Salmonella is infectious to humans and we should be stewarts of health!
Not even 10 minutes into the film, I already have so many questions. The laissez-faire approach to bacterial contamination, especially coming from veterinarians (who should be very averse to disease and pathogens because they know what it can do to the body) surprised me.
This doesn’t even touch on the subtle product placement. It could be interpreted as a clear endorsement for those companies, with both veterinarians and the producers likely receiving substantial compensation for featuring them in the film.
I did try to watch this with an open mind, so I moved on from the misleading nature of those scenes and continued my journey with “Pet Fooled”.
Biologically Appropriate Diets for Dogs
In the next section of the Pet Fooled, the topic of “biologically-appropriate” or “species-appropriate” diets is brought up.
Dr. Karen Becker is a wildlife rehabilitation veterinarian, known for her expertise in treating and caring for injured and orphaned wild animals.
Wild animals have very different dietary needs from domesticated animals. By its very nature, domestication changes animal’s gut microbiome and how they digest and utilize foods that are available to them.
In Pet Fooled, Dr. Becker claims that dogs “come from wolves and should eat a raw meat diet“, as if all of our pets were wild animals living in our homes.
I went digging for the science on this one. Exciting innovations in genome research have brought us a lot of new information about our pets’ ancestors, and researchers have found that domesticated pet dogs need a different diet than wolves.6
The idea of a raw all-meat feast loaded with by-products (liver, bone, kidney) inspired by our dog’s wild ancestors seems nice until you consider that pet dogs live their lives indoors and don’t have to hunt and fight for their food every day.
Dr. Becker ultimately states that feeding pets a “non-biologically appropriate diet” (aka, kibble) as a type of “nutritional abuse.“
The implication that the majority of pet owners worldwide are “abusing their pets” by feeding them kibble is significant. It’s sensational, misleading, and disingenuous.
She explains that wolves and dogs share 99% of the same DNA. To put this into perspective, humans and chimps share 99% of the same DNA too, but you don’t see many humans consuming raw mice, raw monkeys, roots, bark, soil, and insects.
Furthermore, it’s worth noting that the majority of raw pet food diets do not include scavenged trash, rodents, beavers, squirrels, insects, or other dogs (wolves will eat their dead). This is important to acknowledge, especially considering the “biologically appropriate” principle often cited by advocates of raw feeding.
Domestication changes the gut and eating habits. Thanks to science, humans have benefitted from cooking and a sophisticated supply chain that offers us a wider variety of foods than ever before.
Raw vs. Kibble Nutritional Research
Dr. Becker suggests that the absence of research proving raw food to be the superior diet is due to “a lack of funding.” This deficiency in research is cited as one of the reasons why veterinarians refrain from recommending raw diets, alongside concerns about bacterial contamination risks.
She then goes on to mention that kibble companies have “not produced research proving that kibble is nutritious and healthful“, but they have.
Purina, Hill’s, and Royal Canin have poured millions of dollars into dedicated research not just for nutrition, but veterinary science as well.
Purina sells one of the only foods on the market (Dog Chow) backed by a lifetime feeding study, and this is just one of thousands of studies done on pets and their nutritional needs.
One raw pet food company, Instinct, is aiming to address this by putting funds towards researching raw diets. This is a promising move in the right direction, away from speculation and anecdotes, but far from robust.
Do Major Kibble Companies Influence Veterinary Classes?
Pet Fooled boldly states that big kibble manufacturers have a significant presence in veterinary schools, influencing the curriculum and shaping students’ perceptions of pet nutrition.
The narrator goes on to mention that there is a lack of education on raw diets in veterinary schools, too. Of course there, is, there isn’t much (if any) legitimate research proving that raw is safe and nutritious.
Because Pet Fooled only shared one side of this discussion, I’m going to share the other.
While the extent of industry influence remains a subject of contention, transparency and critical evaluation of educational materials are essential to uphold the integrity of veterinary education.
Understanding pet nutrition necessitates a foundation in science and research, and with rare exceptions, it is the major kibble manufacturers that are actively engaged in these endeavors.
Numerous peer-reviewed publications by these companies have contributed a wealth of information, ranging from strategies for treating bladder stones to mitigating the risk of bone growth issues in puppies.
Isn’t that what we want our up-and-coming veterinarians to be learning about?
Advocates for raw feeding could occupy a similar platform and impart peer-reviewed research and knowledge to veterinary schools; however, they choose not to.
Throwing stones at veterinary schools, practicing veterinarians, and major kibble companies without constructive contributions does little to support their argument.
Here is a great video from a veterinarian about this topic:
I was tagged in this video, and as always I’ll hide the face/account. This is a fairly typical string of half truths and full out misinformation. They claim vets get one day of nutrition education, that it’s taught by certain pet food companies, and that we’re all owned by a corporate entity. Nutrition is more than a class – it’s the fifth vital sign. To say that nutrition isn’t a part of EVERY class shows a misunderstanding of both nutrition AND vet school education. A simple search will show most curriculums have a semester of nutrition, and those that don’t supplement it through other classes and clinics. It’s always so interesting that these people claim vets are somehow bought and sold by these companies, yet don’t extend the same blame to their discount codes or owning an actual food store. They directly profit off their misinformation, but vets are seen as the bad guy. I’m sure you’re tired of hearing me debunk these myths but they just don’t go away. They find some new way to spin the tired old lie. Why? They have no science or studies to back up their point of view, so they have to attack veterinarians and discredit us.
This concludes part oneof my series on the Pet Fooled Documentary!
I’ve summarized the key claims from part one below:
Raw feeding is inherently safer and healthier than feeding kibble: While raw feeding advocates argue that it mimics a more natural diet for pets, there is insufficient scientific evidence to conclusively support the superiority of raw diets over commercial pet foods. Additionally, raw diets can pose risks such as bacterial contamination and nutritional imbalances if not carefully formulated and prepared.
Veterinary education is biased by pet food companies: While it’s important to recognize potential conflicts of interest, suggesting that pet food companies universally bias veterinary education oversimplifies the complex relationships between academia, industry, and professional organizations. Veterinary curricula typically include a broad range of nutritional education, including discussions on different types of pet diets.
These claims are contentious because they oversimplify complex issues and lack robust scientific evidence to support them.
It’s essential for pet owners to critically evaluate information presented in documentaries like “Pet Fooled” and consult with qualified veterinary professionals before making significant changes to their pets’ diets.
Note: This is a multi-part series! Additional articles in this series will be posted below.
Part One: “Biologically appropriate” feeding, bacteria & pathogens in raw food, and the influence of “big kibble” on veterinary schools (See Part One HERE)
Part Two: Pet food marketing, ingredients in pet food (including corn and by-products), manufacturing, AAFCO, and FDA regulations (See Part Two HERE)
Part Three: Pet food recalls, veterinary diets, and holistic pet food elitism (See Part Three HERE)
Footnotes
FDA Advisory to Pet Parents about Darwin’s Raw Pet Food October, 2023 ↩︎
FDA Recall Alert: Northwest Naturals Raw Food February, 2018 ↩︎
Merck Veterinary Manual Salmonellosis in Animals ↩︎
Axelsson, E., Ratnakumar, A., Arendt, ML. et al. The genomic signature of dog domestication reveals adaptation to a starch-rich diet. Nature495, 360–364 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11837↩︎
Diet Shaped Dog Domestication, Elizabeth Pennissi, 2013 “Genomic analysis reveals that dogs and humans walked similar evolutionary paths” ↩︎
Effects of diet restriction on life span and age-related changes in dogs ↩︎
WSAVA is the World Small Animal Veterinary Association. It’s comprised of researchers and veterinarians from around the World, all focused on a common goal of improving animal health. Being the best WSAVA Approved Dog Food should signal a gold standard, however, there is a lot of confusion on this topic.
WSAVA does not actually endorse, approve, or recommend any specific brand of dog food.
Anybody who tells you otherwise is full of beans.
However, WSAVA has published a helpful set of guidelines for pet owners to review when choosing foods. In following these guidelines, dog parents can be assured that they are choosing a quality diet that meets the highest standards of formulation, safety, and nutritional adequacy.
Understanding WSAVA Approved Dog Food
In understanding that the WSAVA doesn’t actually approve, endorse, or recommend any specific brand of pet food, it’s essential to grasp the organization’s role in helping pet parents choose foods.
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association sets forth common sense guidelines and standards for pet food manufacturers to follow. These things include:
Whether or not they employ a highly qualified nutritionist
Manufacturing practices, including whether the food is produced by a co-packer or made by the company selling it
Quality control, feeding trials and research, which indicate to pet owners that the brand is focused on nutritional health and consistency
These standards encompass nutritional balance, research, manufacturing, and safety protocols, ensuring that the food is suitable for pets and meets their specific dietary needs. Read the WSAVA guidelines for pet foods HERE.
Therefore, while the WSAVA itself does not pick favorites, its guidelines serve as a valuable reference point for pet owners to identify products that prioritize the health and well-being of their four-legged companions.
What are the WSAVA Approved Dog Foods?
As mentioned previously, no foods are actually approved or endorsed by WSAVA.
However, if we look at the guidelines objectively, it is pretty well established in the scientific community that 5 dog food brands undeniably meet or even exceed every WSAVA recommendation.
This means that these brands have highly qualified nutritionists on staff to formulate the diets, extensive quality control protocols, dedicated and thorough product testing in all stages of production, a database of feeding trails and published research, nutritional adaquecy statements, transparency, and owned facilities where the foods are manufactured.
Many other brands may come close to this standard. Some meet most of them at the basic level, and only a few brands exceed them.
Out of 1000’s of brands on the market, most actually fall short.
These five WSAVA compliant pet food brands that both meet and then exceed every recommendation outlined by the WSAVA include:
Purina
Royal Canin
Hill’s Science Diet
Eukanuba
Iam’s
Brands who claim to be WSAVA approved or WSAVA compliant
Some brands will post pages on their website or social media indicating that they too “meet” or “comply with” WSAVA guidelines. This is quite problematic for two reasons:
a. WSAVA recommendations for pet food are interpretive; it is up to the pet owner to interpret and verify a companies adherance, and determine how important they consider each recommendation.
b. The companies creating pages like this are often doing so with the intent of being misleading.
For example, many of them do not actually employ a single nutritionist. However, because at one time they hired a consultant firm to look over a recipe, they may claim that they “work with a team of nutrition specialists and veterinarians“.
To most pet owners, that sounds great..and that’s exactly what dog food manufacturers want them to think.
Here is what WSAVA says about qualified nutritionists:
Is the recipe developed by an experienced pet food formulator (MS or PhD in Animal Nutrition), a veterinarian, or a pet owner/breeder/trainer?
Recipe development is a complex process requiring knowledge of nutrition, raw materials, and processing not taught in veterinary school programs.
Trained and experienced formulators may have a degree (MS/PhD) in food science and technology to help guide ingredient selection and nutrient levels for health or disease management.
An individual with Board Certification by ACVN or ECVCN may also be cross-trained in pet food formulation or work in collaboration with experienced pet food formulators to help guide ingredient selection and nutrient levels.
While WSAVA doesn’t come out and blatantly say it, this recommendation speaks to the importance of choosing a food brand that has at least one qualified nutritionist on staff, who is in charge of formulating the diets.
A qualified nutritionist would be:
M.S. or PhD in Animal Nutrition
Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist
Does WSAVA Approve Pet Foods?
WSAVA does not approve pet foods.
There is no list of ‘WSAVA Certified’ brands, because that’s not the role WSAVA plays in this.
It is up to you as the consumer to read the WSAVA recommendations and contact the company to see how they answer your questions.
A great resource for this is the Pet Nutrition Alliance! They’ve put together a pet food manufacturers report with legitimate facts about almost every company possible.
Dog food companies that are committed to the welfare and health of pets often contribute to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA). These contributions come in the form of financial support, sponsorships, and partnerships to assist WSAVA in its mission to establish and maintain high standards for pet nutrition.
It’s important to note that WSAVA does not endorse specific brands or products, and its guidelines are created independently of the pet food manufacturers who contribute. However, the involvement of dog food companies in supporting WSAVA reflects a shared dedication to advancing the overall well-being of pets by promoting responsible pet nutrition practices.
The financial support provided by dog food companies to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) is not inherently a conflict of interest, provided that the relationship is transparent and ethical.
It’s very important to note that ANY pet food manufacturer can contribute to science, research, and organizations like the WSAVA. Only a few do.
The benefits of WSAVA Compliant Dog Food
WSAVA compliant pet food offers a multitude of benefits for both pets and their owners. When you choose pet food that meets or exceeds WSAVA recommendations, you can be confident that you’re providing your pet with meal that meets the highest standards.
This is super important, given how much intentionally misleading and dangerous, unchecked marketing goes into pet foods! It’s hard to sort out what’s actually good, from what’s being sold to us.
The benefits of asking your pet food manufacturer to adhere to and exceed WSAVA guidelines include:
Nutritional Excellence: this ensures that good pet food is formulated to meet the specific dietary needs of pets, providing balanced and complete nutrition. This means your pet is more likely to receive the essential nutrients necessary for their overall health, and that it’s been proven with comprehensive testing, research, and feeding trials.
Safety Assurance: WSAVA compliant brands adhere to rigorous safety protocols, from ingredient sourcing to manufacturing processes. This can give pet owners peace of mind that the food they provide is safe for consumption.
Health and Well-Being: Choosing WSAVA compliant food can contribute to your pet’s long-term health and well-being, helping to prevent diet-related health issues (such as nutritional DCM) and ensuring that your pet is thriving.
Veterinarian Input: WSAVA’s guidelines are developed with the input of unbiased veterinary experts, so you can trust that the food is designed with your pet’s best interests in mind.
Basically put, we know that WSAVA compliant pet food brands are the absolute best you can choose. Why settle for anything less?
Labeling: Start by examining the product’s label. WSAVA compliant pet food should clearly state that it meets AFFCO or FEDIEF nutritional guidelines, providing a complete and balanced diet suitable for your pet’s life stage and needs, and have nutritional information that is easy to find.
Formulation: Does the company employ and utilize at least one highly qualified nutritionist? That’s a good sign that they are on the right track.
Manufacturing Standards: Research the manufacturer and their practices. Is the food manufactured by a “partner facility” or “co-packer”, or does the company own and operate their own facilities? Do they have comprehensive testing and quality control protocols?
Transparency: Reputable pet food companies often provide detailed information about their products, including the sources of ingredients and quality control measures. Transparency is a positive sign of compliance. If they make it difficult for you to obtain honest information about nutritional levels, manufacturing practices, or who formulates the food, run.
Research: the best pet food companies will have ongoing dedication to science, research, and feeding trials.
Consult with a Veterinarian: If in doubt, consult with a veterinarian. Veterinary professionals are well-versed in understanding WSAVA guidelines and can provide guidance on selecting compliant pet food.
Remember that while WSAVA sets the standards, it doesn’t specifically endorse or approve brands or products. However, evaluating pet food based on these criteria can help you make informed choices that align with WSAVA’s commitment to pet health and nutrition.
Want more information about how to choose the best food for your dog? Check out some of our popular articles below:
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.
We’ve been closely watching and monitoring information and studies in regard to dietary DCM in dogs. DCM is a deadly heart condition that often results in the sudden and unexplained death of otherwise ‘healthy’ looking dogs. This condition is often seen in relation to feeding grain-free or boutique dog kibbles.
A new DCM dog food study came out this week (December 2022) and the results are unfortunately concerning.
We are now several studies on nutritional DCM, and every single one has shown this same correlation: certain diets are causing heart disease in dogs.
If you have a dog and are trying to find the healthiest and safest dog food to feed them, you need to read this update.
Before we dig into the nitty gritty of this study, I will summarize the results with a quote directly from the abstract:
“Healthy dogs eating nontraditional diets had lower indices of systolic function and larger left ventricular volumes compared to dogs eating traditional diets. Screening of apparently healthy dogs eating nontraditional diets might allow for early detection of diet-associated DCM.”
In other words; dogs fed certain diets had alarming changes to their heart muscle. Whether we want to hear it or not, there are dog foods on the market that are causing heart disease in dogs, and you may be feeding one of them!
The results of this study were published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine and can be viewed HERE.
Defining the ‘Non-Traditional’ Dog Food Diet
To better understand this study, we have to define what a non-traditional dog food diet is.
“Nontraditional diets were defined as those that contained pulse ingredients as main ingredients”
Pulse ingredients may include:
Peas
Garbanzo beans/chickpeas
Lentils
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Beans
Here is an example of an ingredient list with a lot of non-traditional ingredients, including lentils, pinto beans, peas, navy beans, and chickpeas.
Dietary DCM in Dogs Study Details
For this study, they recruited 46 healthy adult dogs over the age of 3.
They did not use dogs with a known genetic link to DCM such as Great Danes, Boxers, Doberman Pinschers, Irish Wolfhounds, Newfoundlands, or Portuguese Water Dogs.
All 46 dogs chosen were determined to be healthy at the onset of the study. Dogs that were not chosen were excluded for a number of reasons, including existing heart issues and other health conditions. Those receiving medications or taurine supplements were also excluded.
This means that at the beginning of the study, all 46 dogs had normal, healthy hearts.
They tried to match breeds between the two groups.
For example, if a Viszla was in the non-traditional diet group, they tried to place a Viszla in the traditional diet group as well.
90% of the food that the dogs ate had to be provided by a single dry-extruded food, and the dog’s diets and the ingredients in them were well documented.
This study shows that many efforts were made to ensure a clean, accurate, fair, and informational result. It’s important to note that there are ethical dilemmas associated with studying something that, based on current knowledge, could potentially harm one of the groups in the study.
That makes dietary DCM difficult to study, because more and more evidence is showing an alarming correlation (note: likely causation). We also have to take note of the fact that studying something like this takes years! Each study can really only look at one small factor.
At least 12 studies to date have shown that this is happening; nutritional DCM is real. It is not a scam cooked up by large dog food companies.
If we are to think logically, feeding dogs diets that are heavy in peas, legumes, pulses, or potatoes isn’t going to be good for them…no matter how we spin it.
DCM Study Results: Changes in Heart Function
None of us here are veterinarians, but we can all agree that the following statement from the DCM study is alarming:
“In this study of apparently healthy dogs, those eating nontraditional diets had lower systolic function compared to those eating traditional diets using 2D and 3D echocardiographic measurements of EF, as well as GLS.”
In other words, 23 dogs who began the study with healthy, normal hearts in the “non-traditional diets” group ended the study with signs that their heart muscle and function had changed for the worse.
Many Veterinary Cardiologists and veterinarians have been alarmed and concerned about a potential link between certain dog food diets and dilated cardiomyopathy. This study along with many others (which can be seen here) are collectively building a strong and concerning case that not all dog foods are created equal.
So what makes a diet safe or not safe for your dog? Let’s dig in.
Non-Traditional Dog Food Examples
Here are some examples of the kind of non-traditional dog food brands that are similar to or identical to the foods fed in the study. Please note, that these are just a handful of examples in a dog food market with literally thousands of choices.
This is not to say that these diets below are going to hurt your dog’s heart, but we highly suggest avoiding foods like this until additional information comes out regarding dog food and nutritional DCM.
Please note that some companies use ingredient splitting to move pulse and non-traditional ingredients lower on the list. A food with peas lower on the list could still actually be very high in peas.
Often present their food as “high-quality”, “holistic”, “natural”, and “free of fillers and by-products”
Are often sold at a premium price point
NOTE: by intentionally splitting single ingredients into 2 or more parts (peas + pea protein + pea fiber + pea flour) or using multiple different pulse ingredients (lentils, peas, potatoes), food companies can make the recipe appear to be meat-focused.
Add those ingredients up, however. If you put them all together in a bowl, it’s likely they actually outweigh the meat that was included in the formula.
Ingredients in Wellness Core Large Breed Dog Food:
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal (source of Glucosamine), Turkey Meal (source of Chondroitin Sulfate), Lentils, Peas, Dried Ground Potatoes, Tomato Pomace, Ground Flaxseed, Pea Fiber, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Chicken Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Spinach, Broccoli, Carrots, Parsley, Apples, Blueberries, Kale, Choline Chloride, L-Carnitine, Zinc Proteinate, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract, Spearmint Extract. This is a naturally preserved product.
Ingredients in Blue Buffalo Large Breed Rocky Mountain Recipe
Unfortunately, a large percentage of studies show a correlation between DCM and grain-free foods. This is because many grain-free diets have replaced grains with suspect ingredients such as peas, potatoes, and legumes.
However, dogs fed grain-inclusive foods are also turning up with nutritional DCM. While it’s more commonly seen in dogs fed grain-free foods, the lack of grains itself is not necessarily to blame.
This is 100% a formulation issue that is complex and likely has many factors.
This information can be scary for pet owners who, understandably, aren’t sure how to choose safe and healthy dog food for their pets!
Here is what we do know:
A shiny coat and good stools are nice, but, it’s not an indication that the food is healthy or safe.
Many dogs with nutritional DCM show few signs at all until one day, they have a “heart attack” and die. They may even have been ‘healthy’ just moments before their death.
Some dogs with nutrition DCM do show signs. We’ve shared the signs of DCM in dogs below.
IMPORTANT: adding grains or taurine to a poorly formulated diet does not prevent or treat nutritional DCM.
Many common signs of nutritional DCM are easy to write off as ‘aging’ or ‘laziness’.
Dogs with nutritional DCM typically have normal taurine levels.
If you have been feeding a suspect diet, in particular a diet with a lot of pulse ingredients or legumes including peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, garbanzo beans, or lentils, it may be smart to see the veterinarian and request an echocardiogram. We also recommend changing your dogs diet.
What are the Signs of DCM in Dogs?
DCM is primarily a genetic disorder, and yes, Great Danes are prone to it.
That makes the nutritional aspect of DCM even more alarming: for dogs with a genetic risk, choosing the wrong diet effectively increases the chance that they may suffer from heart problems.
While many dogs with DCM (especially secondary DCM, caused by nutrition) will show no signs at all (and may even appear healthy and shiny), many others will show symptoms. These symptoms can be subtle and mistaken for other things.
Low energy (including being “lazy” or the assumption that it’s normal because they are “getting older”)
Poor muscle tone, including a loss of muscle tone or even atrophy
Anorexia and weight loss
Intolerance to heat or exercise
Panting
Pale gums
Coughing
Irregular heart rhythm
Weak pulse
Distended abdomen
Collapse
As a whole, nutritional DCM is considered “rare”. However it’s important to note that many cases of it are never officially diagnosed and documented. If an otherwise “healthy” dog dies randomly, it is most often considered to be caused by a heart attack.
These cases are not often included in nutritional DCM statistics. Most people understandably do not pay to have advanced diagnostics done on their deceased pet. Documented, verified cases of nutritional DCM have to meet certain guidelines.
(To see cases of nutritional DCM being documented in real time, as well as information regarding brands that were being fed at the time of diagnosis, visit the Diet Associated Dilated Cardiomyopathy page HERE: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1952593284998859)
What Dog Foods Do Not Cause DCM?
Because we don’t entirely yet understand why some foods cause DCM and not others (though, the picture is becoming more clear, as we’ve seen in the recent DCM study), it’s hard to say definitively whether one particular food will cause or not cause DCM.
There is one common factor that is worth noting, however.
Dogs being fed well-researched brands that have board-certified Veterinary Nutritionists formulating the diet are not turning up with Nutritional DCM.
As a matter of fact, time and time again, dogs with nutritional DCM are recovering when they are switched to a properly-formulated grain-inclusive diet.
Catching the disease early is a key element to treating N-DCM with a diet change.
What is a properly formulated, grain-inclusive diet?
It will meet the following guidelines:
They will have at least one Board-certified veterinary nutritionist formulating the diets (ideally several of them) and they should be employed by the company – not working as consultants
Those companies should also employ qualified staff focused on food science, toxicology, microbiology, and quality control
Have a commitment to peer-reviewed science and research, indicating that they are advancing our understanding of veterinary medicine, nutrition, disease, growth, and health; all knowledge that can be applied to nutritional formulations
Will do feeding trials, proving formulations and bioavailability in “real life”, not just on paper (which is the bare minimum)
Owned facilities, not co-packed
Strict quality-control procedures and guidelines
Traditional formulation containing meat meal, meat by-product meal, and traditional (well-researched) grains such as rice, oats, or corn
The primary brands that check all of these boxes include: Purina, Hill’s Science Diet, Royal Canin, Eukanuba, and Iam’s.
If you are unsure if your pet food meets these basic ethical guidelines, send them an email! Be a saavy consumer, watch for signs that they are intentionally misleading you.
For example:
“We have a team of nutrition professionals” (Note the avoidance of the word ‘we employ’, implying that their team is likely made up of consultants who may do nothing more than check a box)
“Our food is packed in a USDA facility” (Making a co-packing situation sound good; this company doesn’t own their facilities and has less control over the final product)
“We do our research and feeding trials in-house” (This often means that they aren’t willing or able to have their research peer-reviewed and critiqued and thus, anything goes…including the ‘results’)
Do you have a hard time knowing how much food to give your dog? Are you afraid of overfeeding them and making them obese? Or are you in the dark about how much food you really should be feeding your dog?
We are here to help. Chances are, you may actually be OVERFEEDING your dog!
Is your Great Dane struggling with pickiness and loose stools? Yeah, about that. We’ll cover it, too.
In this blog post, we will discuss how to use a scale to measure your dog’s food and make sure they are getting the right amount. This is an important step in ensuring their health and wellbeing.
Using a scale to measure your dog food can also save you money, resolve chronic loose stools, and put pickiness to bed, once and for all.
Read on, friends!
Stop Overfeeding Your Dog
Here is our table of contents. The headings are clickable for navigation!
Step One: Read the Kibble Bag…
Responsible dog food companies will give you grams per cup and kilocalories per cup measurements right on the bag.
As you can see here, the actual weight of the food and the nutrition per cup can vary!
A cup of dog food is not the same as a cup of dog food from a different bag, in other words.
Pro Tip: this is a good reason to use the food chart on the back of the bag for reference, not necessarily generic Great Dane feeding charts!
Using a Scale to Measure Dog Food
As an avid baker and home cook, I know that weighing flour, sugar, and butter is the only way to create truly consistent and reliable results.
My famous chocolate chip cookie recipe (I wish I could share them with you through the screen, they are amazing) is all done on a kitchen scale.
170g of flour
150g of brown sugar
50g of white sugar
and so on.
Last week I was scooping massive amounts of kibble into bowls for my Danes and got an idea to weigh it out, instead.
What I found, shocked me.
Both my eyeball measurement and my cup-by-cup measurements resulted in significantly more food in the bowl for my dog than when I measured the food on a scale.
As in, I have been way overfeeding my dogs…and you probably are too!
The Experiment
I used two popular types of large/giant breed kibble for this.
For each one, I documented the information from the food bag regarding how many grams were in a cup of the food, and how many kilocalories were in a cup as well.
I took two measurements of each food:
First: I scooped out a cup using a 1 cup measure, as most of us do, and I weighed it on a food scale.
Second: I used the scale to measure out exactly one cup of food by weight/grams (according to the data from the bag).
According to the feeding chart on the bag, my 2-year-old moderately active Great Dane should have 5.5 cups of food each day.
The measuring cup with dog food shown above is measured out the way most of us tend to do it. Scooped out and slightly full to make up for the airy space between kibbles.
108G per 1 Cup. (Thus, 5.5 cups = 594g of food/day)
I scooped up a single cup of the nuggets the way that most of us tend to do it: a loose scoop with some pieces sticking out (because they are huge and left lots of air between pieces). I weighed them in an empty bowl on the scale.
The result? 130 grams. Not 108 grams, as a true cup of this should weigh.
Meaning that my single sloppy cup measure was adding 22 EXTRA grams of the food.
That was just one cup, not all 5. Now, it stands to reason that this is going to ADD UP quickly. ?
For a dog that should be eating 5.5 cups, that could mean roughly 120 extra grams of food PER DAY!
120 grams is a whole bonus extra cup of food, in other words. Which, considering that a cup is around 1/5th of the dog’s daily intake requirement, that’s a LOT.
Not only that, but over the course of the week, my dog would be receiving 7-8 additional cups of calorie-dense food that they likely don’t even need.
That is more than an entire day’s worth of nutrition added to their weekly diet.
8 days of food in 7 days. ??
Have you ever wondered why there are so many obese dogs? We’ve just found a major clue…
I used a measuring cup to pull a scoop out of the bag, taking care to not overfill it.
Then I weighed it on the scale and…don’t be surprised here, folks:
110 grams!
This means that every cup I scoop is receiving (average) 14 additional grams of the food.
For a dog that should receive 6 cups of Pro Plan, that could mean that they are being overfed by 84 grams each day.
Just like the Royal Canin, an 84-gram daily overage (almost a full cup of food) amounts to roughly 6-7 additional cups of food each week that the dog likely doesn’t actually need.
The Problems with Overfeeding Dogs
When we overfeed our dogs, we are not loving them. We are slowly killing them.
We are shortening their life spans, and making them more likely to suffer from a myriad of health problems, including:
Chronic loose stools are a common symptom of overfeeding in Great Danes! When you provide too much nutrition or unbalanced nutrition, it literally goes straight through them.
A lot of people misdiagnose chronic loose stools as ‘food allergies’ or ‘chicken intolerance’, however, most of the time these are actually related to poor gut health, too much food switching, unbalanced boutique dog foods and you guessed it, overfeeding!
Veterinarians across the Country cite a massive increase in health problems in dogs, including loose stools, heart problems, and low energy that they attribute to the popularity of untested, poorly formulated boutique dog foods.
Choose a well-balanced large or giant breed kibble instead, measure the food, and stick with it.
I recommend the following formulas, which are heavily researched and thoroughly tested, for large and giant breed dogs:
Growth disorders such as Pano (aka growing pains), HOD, flat feet, and knuckling are a direct result of over-nutrition, especially when feeding incorrect, unbalanced foods that have too much calcium or missing nutrients.
Great Dane puppies, especially young ones, require a LOT of food and for many reasons, we recommend feeding young dogs on a loose free-feeding schedule so that they aren’t underfed. However, as they mature, you should transition to a 2-3x/day feeding schedule.
Feeding too much of the wrong thing can and will harm them.
We’ve included a list below of the only appropriate foods to feed a large or giant breed puppy, as well as some resources for understanding why those foods are highly recommended!
Many Great Dane owners believe that their dogs have become picky because they are turning their noses up at their food.
These dogs are most often actually just FULL!
In the interest of getting them to eat more, people tend to switch foods and start adding toppers and other forms of nutritional bribery.
The dog learns that if they ignore their food, interesting and fun things come to them.
“Picky eating” is a bit of a popular myth that is literally caused by humans! It’s ok for a dog to not eat their entire meal.
Picky dogs are not usually picky, they are literally just training you to give them treats. Many picky dogs are actually overweight and need less food, not more!
A healthy dog will not let itself starve to death, and if it does? Switching foods isn’t going to help. That’s a dog that needs medical attention.
Once a dog has been sent down the path of ‘picky eating’ where different kibble brands are changed often and treats and toppers are added to encourage eating, their gut health suffers.
Poor gut health also means being intolerant to the environment and yes, symptoms may then show up indicating that the dog has allergies.
These symptoms include loose stools, a dry coat, and itching.
Dogs with lighter coats may be more prone, and some dogs will continue to suffer from environmental allergies no matter what (just like humans). It’s important to set all dogs up for success!
Some allergies are legitimate and life-threatening to dogs. The ONLY way to diagnose these types of allergies in dogs is to complete a food-trial elimination diet with veterinary supervision.
Legitimately diagnosed food protein and grain allergies are extremely rare. It’s important to note that blood and saliva tests are inaccurate and often a waste of money.
Most dogs suffering from allergies are actually experiencing intolerance to environmental allergens, not food!
PRO TIP: Use a wet towel to gently wipe dander and pollen off your pup daily, and wash their feet to remove irritants.
Many health issues like this are made worse by constant food switching and the use of untested, poorly formulated boutique diets that lack the correct balance of micro-nutrients and amino acids.
Stop food switching to “find something that works”, measure the food, and let your dog’s gut health heal!
If your dog needs to lose weight, there are things you can do!
Vet check? Check!
If you are concerned about your dog’s weight, it’s important to ask your veterinarian for advice!
Some dogs have weight problems because of thyroid issues or other medical conditions that can be easily managed with medication or a change in diet.
Be sure to rule out any possible underlying health issues, including heart problems and thyroid disease, before starting a weight loss plan for your dog.
The one time we DO recommend a diet change is when you are not feeding quality food, and when your dog needs to lose weight. The following weight loss formula is recommended for at-home use:
Your veterinarian may also be able to prescribe a diet from Hill’s or Royal Canin that will help your pooch cut the calories. Royal Canin has put together an amazing healthy-weight resource page for dog owners:
Measure the food on a scale so that you don’t overfeed!
Be aware of the fact that many boutique foods useingredient splittingto make you believe their food is ‘meat first’, when the truth is you may be feeding your dog an expensive bag of ‘human grade peas’.
It’s no wonder so many dogs are overweight and struggling with low energy!
Toppers and treats can help your dog or they can hurt them.
Too many can lead to over-nutrition (and thus, obesity).
Some people say to add green beans or pumpkin to your dog’s bowl to offset some calories; while this can help your dog feel more full, it’s important to keep these toppers to 10% or less of the diet.
We recommend well-balanced raw food as a healthy, fresh-foods topper.
Olewo Carrots, Olewo Beets, and Dr. Harvey’s are also fantastic choices for adding wholesome fibers to your dog’s diet; as above, keep these to 5-10% or less of the diet.
Pro Tip: A little goes a long way! If you are helping your dog lose weight, take it easy on the Dr. Harvey’s.
Get ready to move…naturally
An off-leash dog can burn up to 300 calories in an hour!
That’s a significant amount! We recommend off-leash training for all large and giant breed dogs, including Great Danes.
This will allow them to zip, zoom, run, spin, explore and gain enrichment and physical movement that they are not receiving on a leash, long-line, or in a harness.
With this kind of activity, your dog will be building muscle, shedding fat, and working its brain!
Many dogs will benefit greatly from receiving their exercise and enrichment this way, however, you must be smart about it.
Dogs that are extremely aggressive, fearful, timid, or wild need professional help with this, and you should never let your dog off-leash unless you can fully rely on them not to approach people and dogs uninvited.
E-Collar training and educated ownership is the best way to give your dog this freedom of movement outside of your fenced yard.
If this isn’t for you, it’s still important to get your dog moving! Talk to your veterinarian about physical therapy, including the use of water treadmills and pools to help your dog burn calories.
Have you ever considered using mushrooms for dogs?
Did you know that mushrooms have many health benefits for dogs? In fact, they can be a great addition to your dog’s diet. In this blog post, we will discuss the amazing benefits of mushrooms for dogs. We will also provide some tips on how to add them to your dog’s diet.
Support liver and kidney function
Mushrooms are a great source of antioxidants and they can help to support liver and kidney function. They can also help to detoxify the body and reduce inflammation.
Boost the immune system
Mushrooms are also a great way to boost the immune system. This is because they contain beta-glucans, which are a type of carbohydrate that can help to stimulate the immune system.
Aid in digestion
Mushrooms can also aid in digestion. This is because they are a good source of fiber. Fiber can help to add bulk to the stool and make it easier to pass. Additionally, mushrooms can help to increase the production of digestive enzymes, which can aid in the digestive process.
Improve nutrition in weak animals
Mushrooms are also a good way to improve nutrition in weak animals. This is because they are a good source of vitamins and minerals. Mushrooms can also help to increase the absorption of nutrients from other foods.
Cancer prevention
Mushrooms may also help to prevent cancer. This is because they contain compounds that can help to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Additionally, mushrooms can help to boost the immune system, which can help to fight off cancer cells.
Stabilize blood sugar and metabolism
Mushrooms can also help to stabilize blood sugar and metabolism. This is because they contain compounds that can help to regulate insulin levels. Additionally, mushrooms can help to increase the body’s ability to burn fat.
Lower cholesterol, boost weight loss, and aid in preventing fatty liver disease
Mushrooms can also help to lower cholesterol, boost weight loss, and aid in preventing fatty liver disease. This is because they contain compounds that can help to reduce fat absorption. Additionally, mushrooms can help to increase the body’s ability to burn fat.
Help prevent viral infections
Mushrooms can also help to prevent viral infections. This is because they contain compounds that can help to inhibit the growth of viruses. Additionally, mushrooms can help to boost the immune system, which can help to fight off viruses.
Reduce blood pressure
Mushrooms can also help to reduce blood pressure. This is because they contain compounds that can help to relax the blood vessels. Additionally, mushrooms can help to improve circulation.
How to add Mushrooms into your dogs diet
If you want to add mushrooms into your dog’s diet, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
First, it is important to choose the right type of mushroom. There are many different types of mushrooms, and not all of them are safe for dogs.
Second, you should only feed your dog cooked mushrooms or provide a safe mushroom supplement. Raw mushrooms can be toxic to dogs.
Finally, you should start by feeding your dog a small amount of mushrooms and gradually increase the amount. This will help you to gauge how your dog reacts to mushrooms and avoid any potential side effects.
Mushroom supplement
We recommend the safest way to incorporate mushrooms into your dog’s diet is by using Fera Pet’s Mushroom Supplement.
Fera Pets Mushroom Supplement is a blend of 10 different organic mushrooms that have been carefully selected for their nutrient dense properties and health benefits.
The supplement comes in a powder form that can be easily mixed into your dog’s food. It is also delicious, so your dog won’t even mind it’s there!
So, as you can see, there are many benefits of mushrooms for dogs. If you are looking for a way to improve your
There are many other benefits of mushrooms for dogs. If you are looking for a way to improve your dog’s health, consider adding mushrooms to their diet. You may be surprised at how much they can benefit from this amazing superfood.
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.
Is your Great Dane not eating enough? This can be concerning and it’s a popular topic in the Great Dane community! There are various reasons why a Great Dane might become picky or stop eating, ranging from temporary issues like stress, changes in the environment, or minor digestive upsets, to more serious health conditions such as dental problems, gastrointestinal disorders, or metabolic issues.
Before we dig more into this, I have to remind readers that if a dog is truly not eating and is losing weight, this is considered a medical emergency. Always see your veterinarian if you are worried about your Great Dane not eating enough, or not eating at all.
Great Dane Not Eating Enough…or At All!
Buckle up, this is a big one! If your Great Dane is picky, acting strange, or just not eating much, the answers are here for you. There are times when a loss of appetite can absolutely be a concern.
Here is a list of reasons why a dog won’t eat, that require veterinary care ASAP. If any of these could be true for your dog, do not read the rest of this article, call your veterinarian or if life-threatening, GO!
Anxiety (if it results in withholding food for more than 24 hours)
Bloat or other gastro-based emergency
Cancer
Here are some less serious reasons why your Great Dane isn’t eating enough:
Tummy upset
They are eating enough, you just think they need more (common!)
They just finished a growth spurt
It’s hot out and their appetite is down
Anxiety & stress
They are not receiving as much exercise as usual
The feeding area is dirty, noisy, or scary
The food is bad (read about the recent Victor recall, they had been selling contaminated food for months and many dogs had refused to eat it before the recall was finally issued)
They are receiving too many toppers, treats, and chews
Notice I didn’t mention picky eating! We’ll get more into that later.
What to do if a new Great Dane puppy won’t eat
It can be alarming if your new Great Dane puppy won’t eat! We all know that Dane pups NEED a lot of food to grow, so it can be scary when they aren’t ravenous for their food.
Great Dane puppies grow fast and a loss of appetite can be alarming, but keep this in mind: for growing large breed dogs, overnutrition is just as dangerous as undernutrition! Overfeeding Great Dane puppies leads to orthopedic growth disorders, too fast growth, and problems such as carpal laxity that are hard on the joints.
Always go by your veterinarian’s advice regarding overall body condition; Dane puppies should be lean, not round.
What if my Great Dane Puppy is a picky eater?
You’ll notice that ‘picky’ is not listed here as one of the reasons why a puppy dog won’t eat! Many people believe that they have a picky dog on their hands, but it’s actually very rare.
Picky eaters are most often a symptom of the environment, and the harsh, honest truth here is that your picky pooch has likely trained YOU!
Every time you add a topper, canned food, boiled chicken, table scraps, or dog treats to encourage eating, your Great Dane puppy learns that if they ignore their food better things will come.
Most dogs are very smart this way, and the only way to solve this problem is to be strong. Our Stop Picky Eating post is super helpful for picky pups!
Stop bribing your puppy
To put this simply, stop bribing your dog to eat unless your veterinarian has encouraged you to do so following an illness! Your puppy will not allow itself to starve to death, and will eventually eat the dog food that was presented to them as-is.
Every time you switch foods to try and appease your ‘picky pup’, you also risk upsetting the stomach more. Many people start to believe that the resulting chronic loose stools are ‘allergies’, change foods again, and thus will begin a never-ending cycle of gut issues.
These problems can be brought on by constant changes to food and nutrition while the puppies’ digestive system was still maturing.
When you switch foods, the balance of nutrition and gut flora is thrown off again; it can take up to 12 weeks for a dog to acclimate to a new food. Every time you find your dog not eating the way that you think he should, we encourage you to look at health first before making changes.
We cannot state this enough: if you are feeding an appropriate, science-based large breed kibble and your puppy is not knuckling or experiencing growth disorders, STICK WITH IT!
Stop switching foods. It’s really not healthy.
What to feed a Great Dane puppy so that they eat
The best dog foods for a Great Dane puppy will be science-backed, highly researched, formulated for the growth of large and/or giant breed dogs, and from a company that employs a veterinary nutritionist (or team of them) to formulate, oversee, research and test the diet.
Many boutique food brands that sound ‘healthy and holistic’ are often the creation of great marketing, not necessarily of great research and excellent nutrition.
We recommend checking the credentials of any food brand you are considering as your pup’s main diet. The wrong food can cause heart problems, kidney problems, issues with vitamin and mineral levels and more.
Thankfully, the Pet Nutrition Alliance did the work for us and compiled the important information on each brand on a spreadsheet. This makes dog food brand decisions super easy!
We recommend a Large Breed Puppy formula from Purina Pro Plan or Eukanuba, and as above, STICK WITH IT! For more information on how to feed a Great Dane and the best dog dry food and amounts for growing Dane pups, read our famous Ultimate Great Dane feeding chart post here!
Here are our favorite science-backed foods for Great Dane Puppies. Click to shop on Chewy. Pro tip: autoship saves you money and time!
Check out THE GIANT DOG FOOD PROJECT to compare brands and values.
Your puppy is overwhelmed, fearful, or scared
It’s not uncommon for Great Dane puppies to feel a little overwhelmed during the first days in a new home. An overwhelmed, overtired, and overexcited dog won’t eat reliably, and that’s ok.
Not only have there been several changes to their life and routine, but they’ve likely had vaccines and possibly even ear cropping. Veterinary care like this can make them feel a little icky for a few days, so you may just need to be patient.
Your puppy has parasites
As above, worming medication can cause tummy upset, and so can parasites!
Your veterinarian will likely do a stool sample and worm your puppy with an oral medication. If your puppy has worms, this medication can make your puppy feel not-so-great while the worms die.
Common worms and parasites include tapeworms and roundworms, which you may see in their stool! There is another very tiny parasite called giardia that is a very common cause of loose stools in Great Danes.
If you are struggling with your puppy’s stomach upset, ask your veterinarian to test for Giardia, which requires antibiotics to treat.
Parasites are very common in puppies and treatable. As long as you have gotten your puppy from a reputable Great Dane breeder and had your first vet visit, this should be no big deal.
Your puppy has a stomach upset
Another common cause of stomach upset in Great Dane puppies is switching foods! Many pet parents are excited to switch foods and may immediately jump to a food brand that the puppy had never had before.
We ONLY recommend that puppies be fed a science-based and highly researched large breed puppy kibble diet formulated for large and giant breed growth (our favorites are below).
If your breeder was feeding something else, switch slowly to avoid further stomach upset.
Note: If your puppy is knuckling or experiencing HOD, Panosteitis or other orthopedic growth problems, your puppy must switch to an appropriate, science-backed large breed puppy kibble immediately.
Too many treats can make a dog eat less
Training treats can also cause a puppy to become full or overloaded with the wrong nutrition! Too much of a good thing can result in a decreased appetite, which can be alarming AND lead to loose stools, growth disorders, and more.
Take it easy with dog treats. Keep bites teeny tiny and consider doing as much training as you can with your puppy’s kibble, instead!
(No, your dog will not bloat if you feed them kibble for training! Contrary to popular belief, ‘resting’ before and after eating is not reliable for preventing bloat in Great Danes).
Too many training treats can also throw off the important balance of nutrition needed for proper growth. Too much food, fat, nutrition, and unbalanced amino acids and calcium and phosphorus levels are dangerous for growing puppies.
Here are some of our favorite holistic whole-food training treats for Great Danes. Use in moderation!
Your puppy is sick
Unfortunately, illness can be devastating for young Great Dane puppies. If your Dane pup has any of the following symptoms, seek veterinary care immediately:
Excessive amounts of diarrhea
Blood in stool
Pale gums
Vomiting
Low or high body temperature (use this thermometer to check)
Lethargy (no energy, even while awake)
Weakness, stumbling, unable to stand, walk or play
Cloudy or watery eyes
Discharge from the nose or mouth
Foul smell
Large, distended abdomen
Crooked paws
Showing pain signals including limping, whining, crying, chewing paws, aggression, etc.
Parvo in Great Dane Puppies
Parvo, for example, could be one reason that your puppy is not eating. While there are vaccines for Parvo, puppies are at risk until they are fully vaccinated.
This particular disease is extremely difficult to treat and also deadly. Early diagnosis is key; if you see any signs your puppy needs to see a veterinarian immediately.
A thorough physical examination is warranted anytime you feel something is ‘off’ with your puppy, including crooked paws (which could be a sign of knuckling).
Other symptoms of poor health can include whining while going potty, weight loss, and limping. A urinary tract infection is a common problem for Dane pups and one that can result in a reduced appetite in dogs.
Not only that, but a Dane pup can become dangerously dehydrated very quickly, so if your puppy is having trouble with loose stools and throwing up, get to the vet immediately.
Even if he or she’s drinking water, it may not be enough.
Your Great Dane Puppy is Full
Many times, a puppy that has no appetite is actually full!
Too much nutrition can lead to knuckling and loose stools, so keep that in mind if your dog loves to scarf food and eat too much.
Great Dane puppies grow fast and need a lot of nutrition, and your dog’s eating habits will change often throughout the first several months. As a matter of fact, you may find that your puppy is at the food bowl asking for food at odd times, and turning its nose up at other times!
Your pup will need more dog food before and during a growth spurt as well.
We say feed them and let them guide you! The goal with puppies is not to stuff them with an exact number of cups of food, but rather to give them the nutrition they need to grow slowly and with excellent body condition.
Our Great Dane puppy feeding chart can give you a rough idea of how much you might expect to feed, but only your puppy really knows what he needs.
Do not let your puppy (or adult Great Dane) gain excess weight. If your dog scarves food down and eats without stopping, it’s time to step in and strictly monitor intake.
Is it normal for puppies to not eat all of their food
Assuming that your healthy puppy has a quality, age-appropriate science-backed dog food and is otherwise vibrant, robust, and active it can be perfectly normal for your pup to leave food in the bowl.
As above, this is not a sign that your Great Dane is one of the reported ‘picky eaters’. A dog that is self-regulating its intake is very different than a dog that has had an actual loss of appetite.
It’s important to monitor your puppy and keep tabs on growth, overall health, and energy levels; this matters more than actual food intake!
As a pet parent, it’s normal to worry, but unless your dog recently suffered illness, is losing weight, or is showing other sights of stress or health problems, try not to stress. Keep your puppy on the same dry dog food and stick it out!
Having interest change from meal to meal and day to day is totally normal and to be expected. This chart below is just a guide; the food you choose and your puppies appetite will change these amounts.
When should I worry about my puppy not eating?
Of course, there does come a time when you should worry about your puppy not eating!
You definitely want to see medical attention for your dog if it is losing weight, acting lethargic, distressed, or having difficulty chewing.
Sometimes a stick or bone has become lodged inside of the jaw and it can make it difficult for a puppy to eat and drink water normally.
If your dog’s stool has blood in it, you will need to see your vet immediately as this can be a sign of foreign bodies or Parvo. Pale gums, coughing, and dehydration are also indicators of physical distress that will require immediate veterinary care.
If your puppy ate something they shouldn’t have such as socks, jewelry, or toxic foods such as grapes or Xylitol you will likely notice a reduction in appetite.
These things are a medical emergency and cause for concern.
At times, excessive treats, table scraps, or stolen food from the counter can lead to a condition called Pancreatitis. This can make your puppy stop eating and show signs of nausea, tummy upset, and weakness.
However, if your puppy is bright, vibrant, and playful while awake with nice tight feet and a great nap schedule (remember, Great Dane puppies need a LOT of sleep!), chances are everything is fine. Let your puppy sleep, they will eat when they are hungry!
A healthy Great Dane pup should be curious, friendly, active, and ready to go when awake!
Bonus Tip: Monitor water intake when your dog won’t eat
We do not recommend limiting water intake or withholding water for ‘potty training’.
This dated practice can lead to dehydration and may actually teach your puppy to gulp, hoard, and guard water as a valuable resource.
Of course, a pup doesn’t need to be drinking water overnight. But if you are taking up the bowl at dinner time so you don’t have to let your puppy out to pee at 2 in the morning, stop.
Let your puppy drink water as needed and desired until you all go to bed for the night.
Take your puppy out for one last late-night pee (use LOTS of treats and yes, kibble to reward this behavior!) and then quietly, calmly go out as needed through the night.
They will outgrow the need to go out and pee overnight once their bladder is mature, and you’ll be getting restful sleep again!
What to do when your puppy isn’t eating?
Many people start adding wet dog food, boiled chicken, treats, canned food, or other tasty toppers to entice their puppy to eat.
Others will attempt hand feeding or hydrating the food in warm water. It’s important to remember that appetite in dogs can and will fluctuate!
Note: some studies show that food moistened in warm water, that has citric acid in the formulation may increase bloat risk.
As we mentioned before, bribery is a dangerous path that will lead to a lot of frustration.
We believe in offering up to 5-10% of the diet as healthy toppers because, for Great Danes, it may reduce bloat risk.
However, there is a big difference between adding healthy foods to increase the intake of fibers and omegas and adding unbalanced junk food to make the dry kibble somehow more appealing.
We recommend rehydrated Olewo carrots for loose stools.
Balanced raw, fish oil, the occasional raw egg, or a few scoops of Dr. Harvey’s are also welcome additions to the Great Dane food bowl!
As above, these items should be added for health reasons, not as bribery.
Best Foods for Great Danes & The Appropriate Diet
Once your puppy learns that skipping meals means you bring out the good stuff, all bets are off. We promise, that if you are feeding an appropriate dry food diet, you do NOT need to switch to a new food so that your dog will eat!
If you are feeding a science-backed, highly respected solid food that is formulated for the growth of large breed dogs, stick with the same food. We recommend choosing brands that invest heavily in research, professional veterinary nutritionist formulation, development, ingredient sourcing, and formula testing. These brands include Purina, Eukanuba, and Iams.
Scheduled Feedings to Reduce Pickiness
If your dog won’t eat and there are clearly no health issues, wait it out. Put the bowl down, offer the meal, and walk away. Don’t make a fuss.
Pick it up again if your dog refuses it after 15-30 minutes. Offer it again later for a mid-day meal, and repeat this process until your dog gives in and eats their solid food.
Another trick you can try when your dog won’t eat is to make eating FUN. Use your dog’s normal food as training treats, and reward your dog throughout the day with a few pieces for awesome behavior.
The KONG WOBBLER can also be very engaging for dogs that need their food to ‘run’ so they can hunt for and chase it! We always love seeing food used as enrichment. If your dog won’t eat, this is a great trick to try!
Reasons for the loss of appetite in dogs
Like puppies, there are many reasons why an adult Great Dane will have a loss of appetite.
Here are just a few things to look for if you have a dog not eating:
A foreign body such as a sock in the digestive tract
Stomach upset from eating something toxic or irritating, including chocolate, grapes, certain house plants, and xylitol
Stomach upset from counter surfing things such as butter, roasts, cookies, or treats that are unbalanced, fatty, sugary, and sit heavy in the stomach (watch for signs of pancreatitis! See below).
Toxicity from exposure to essential oils such as eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil, cinnamon, citrus, peppermint, pine, wintergreen, and ylang-ylang that are not safe for dogs
Boredom. Like humans, bored dogs can become depressed, suppressed, and may turn their noses up at food. Make eating fun by using a puzzle feeder and food as training treats!
Congenital problems such as heart or digestive system defects that haven’t been diagnosed
Liver disease or kidney disease
New food (switching too quickly can cause stomach upset, OR the new dog food has more nutrition and your dog won’t have to eat as much as they did with the previous food.
A senior dog will have a reduced appetite and will require a different dry dog food formulation than a puppy or adult.Dental disease in senior dogs can also cause decreased appetite; your veterinarian can address this with you.
Some dogs with advanced dental disease may need canned food or a liquid diet.
Signs of pancreatitis in Great Danes
Here are some signs of pancreatitis, which is a life-threatening illness that can happen when dogs ingest too many things that are fatty such as too many rich treats, roasts, butter or bacon.
Scavenging for food is one of the leading predictors of a dog experiencing pancreatitis; however other things may cause it.
Diarrhea
Abdominal Pain
Distress, including laying with the rear end high in the air
Fever
Lethargy
Vomiting
Decreased appetite
Nausea
Pancreatitis in dogs has other factors and causes as well, and the prognosis is based on severity and treatment. If your dog is showing these or other symptoms that are alarming to you, it’s important to seek veterinary care as soon as possible.
Counter surfing and trash surfing is a real problem for Great Danes! Learn how to solve this dangerous and annoying behavior.
Your pet’s health is at risk if you don’t implement training and management.
Balanced training is the most humane choice for dogs because it teaches and rewards them while also giving them all of the information they need to make mature decisions. This includes NO, a simple thing that can save your dog’s life.
A picky Great Dane dog with a decreased appetite is often caused by, get this, poor handling!
Biologically, dogs don’t want to starve. Let your dog’s eating habits be your guide here: many dogs are incredibly good at self-regulating intake, just by nature! Appetite in dogs is fluid and will change day-to-day, too.
If they don’t eat, it’s because they don’t need the food, have a medical problem, the food is bad, OR we’ve trained them to hold out for the good stuff. A dog not eating because they’ve learned this is a dog that is making the rules.
That last part…read it again.
We’ve trained them to hold out for the good stuff, and they’ve trained us to give it to them!
Every time you add toppers or change foods to encourage your Dane to eat, you teach them that if they turn their nose up at the food bowl better things will come. A dog not eating may actually be a dog that figured out a neat trick to eat treats with every meal.
If you’ve ruled out medical problems and you are feeding a fresh (not stale) high-quality, science-backed kibble that is correctly formulated for your Great Dane, chances are your Dane is either full or totally playing you.
Now of course it stands to reason that your Great Dane may get tired and bored of a certain food. We recommend changing proteins on occasion but stick with the food that is working for you.
When you change proteins, stick with the same formula
Example for an adult dog:
Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Chicken and Rice, switch to Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Beef and Ric
Are Great Danes picky eaters?
By nature, Great Danes are not picky eaters!
However, the myriad of health problems that plague this breed resulting from bad genetics and incorrect foods can make them seem picky or intolerant of certain foods.
Great Danes are unfortunately prone to a number of health issues that can result in a dog’s loss of interest in food.
When a dog won’t eat or flat out refuses, it might be helpful to rule out these common health issues:
Allergies. While dietary allergies are actually extremely rare, environmental allergies can make a dog uncomfortable.
Thyroid disorders.
Diabetes
Painful orthopedic problems including wobblers, HOD, Dysplasia or arthritis
Poor structural conformation that leads to painful joints and movement
Chances are, your Great Dane is not actually picky and other things are going on.
If you think it’s just general pickiness, wait it out! You might be surprised to find that your dog starts eating again after a day. If not, seek medical advice just in case.
When should I be concerned that my dog is not eating?
Anytime your dog’s appetite seems to have decreased drastically, you will want to watch for other signs and symptoms. A loss of appetite in dogs can be alarming, and it’s good that you are paying attention!
A dog that normally loves its dry dog food and that is suddenly refusing food of any kind may have medical problems that go far beyond a simple loss of appetite.
If your dog stops eating altogether and you aren’t sure why we recommend seeking professional help from your veterinarian before switching foods again.
Older dogs that stop eating
Older dogs that are not eating and that have other health problems may be towards the end of life; just like humans, a dog in hospice will often experience a loss of appetite and stop eating before passing away.
It is important to keep senior dogs in hospice staying hydrated, drinking water, and being as comfortable as possible!
A dog’s loss of appetite in the latest days of life is normal and may be an indication that it’s time to say goodbye.
Did you know that there are now canine hospice options? Chat with your veterinarian for referrals and advice. They can help guide you towards making sure that your elderly dog is drinking water and staying hydrated before you have to make any other end-of-life decisions.
How do I make my Great Dane eat more?
In most cases, you don’t actually need your Great Dane to eat more!
Many people are alarmed to see how ‘thin’ their Great Dane is. The truth here is that a little rib showing is normal and desired. Very few dogs are actually underweight, and very few dogs actually need to eat more.
The written breed standard for Great Danes in all Countries, including Europe and the U.S. defines them as being an athletic breed, never stocky.
For truly underweight dogs that need more nutrition, medical attention is needed first to rule out underlying causes such as disease, parasites, cancer, or congenital deformities such as megaesophagus.
Great Dane puppies in particular can be very lean and lanky as they grow. They will fill out once they are more mature, usually between 2 and 3 years of age.
Here is an image of three Great Dane dogs. One is underweight and malnourished. One is at a perfectly healthy weight. The third is overweight.
An Underweight Great Dane
A Healthy Weight Great Dane
An Overweight Great Dane
A malnourished, underweight dog will lack vibrancy and won’t have much energy. Many ‘thin’ dogs that are labeled as ‘underweight’ have shiny coats, muscle tone and lots of energy! Those dogs need to be left as-is.
Adding weight to a Great Dane is hard on the joints and can shorten the life span by 2 years, on average. For giant breed dogs that tend to have short lifespans in the first place, that is devastating.
If you think your dog is underweight and needs to eat more, talk to your vet first! Most people are so used to seeing ‘fat’ dogs that they don’t know what an appropriate waistline is on a dog.
A lot of ‘thin’ dogs can actually use some muscle building as well. Muscle and activity will nearly always come with an increased appetite, as the added nutrients are needed to build muscle.
We highly recommend that all Great Danes are off-leash trained and have the opportunity to move, explore, run and play freely without physical restraints such as harnesses, head collars, prong collars, or long leashes.
These natural activities help them build muscle and can improve balance, strength, and motor coordination. For off-leash training, modern E-Collars cannot be beat. We have tons of resources on this topic here.
When should I worry about my dog not eating?
If your dog is acting lethargic, it’s time to worry.
A dog that has no energy, dull eyes or that is weak needs medical assistance.
Muscle wasting is a problem for dogs that have begun to lose weight due to a too-low intake of food. Without the nutrition or fat reserves needed for survival, muscle tone will diminish.
Some dogs may be coming from rescue situations where severe neglect led them down this path.
A veterinarian can advise on the best course of action for food intake, water intake, and nutrition in dogs that are severely underweight. A new food will typically be advised, as there are certain dry dog food formulas that have more of the kind of nutrition a dog like this will need to rebuild their strength.
Some healthy dogs may eat less and begin to lose weight. This can be concerning to dog owners, especially when it’s clear that the dog’s appetite has changed or been reduced.
Many dogs are actually overweight, and a heavy dog not eating as much of their normal food may actually be a good thing. For those dogs, they may appear to look ‘too thin’ because their new body condition looks different, but it doesn’t mean that you need to be alarmed.
Always chat with your veterinarian to rule out health problems, including cancer, diabetes, thyroid issues, and heart problems if your dog’s appetite seems unusually different.
Is it normal for a dog to not finish their food?
It is very normal for a dog to not finish its food! If your dog won’t eat the entire bowl, consider that it could just be a matter of ‘too much’.
Think about how this applies in the wild. A dog is naturally inclined to not overeat because instinctually dogs know how much nutrition their body actually needs.
In most cases, we recommend trusting your dog here. If your Great Dane is eating but doesn’t finish their food, they are probably full and don’t need anymore!
Many people worry about food because they are concerned about bloat. They want their dog to eat on a schedule so that they can strictly monitor meal and rest times.
There are definitely much bigger things to be concerned about when it comes to bloat risk and minimizing the chance that your dog experiences it.
Genetics, gut health, and poor temperaments are key factors. For more information on bloat in Great Danes and how it relates to nutrition, read our Great Dane Bloat articles below.
If your dog has no aggression, food-scarfing, hoarding, training, or temperament issues it’s actually fine to allow your dog to graze on the food they leave in the bowl. As a matter of fact, frequent, smaller meals are correlated with a DECREASE in bloat risk!
If your dog is overweight, obese, frantic, aggressive, frustrated, or needs a lot of training, however, this is not recommended. For those dogs, 2-3 scheduled meals per day, served in a low-stress environment for just 15-20 minutes is ideal.
Monitoring your dog’s body condition is extremely important, and avoiding food scarfing, fights over food, and frustrating behaviors at the bowl is part of being an educated, dedicated Great Dane owner.
You know your dog best!
The case of too many treats
Many dogs are full and uninterested in food because they are getting too many treats!
Treats may be coming from cute puppy eyes at the treat jar, table scraps, bones, chews, table surfing, and yes, even your treat bag during training.
If you are working on training your Great Dane, try mixing some of your dog’s dry food ration for the day into your treat bag.
Use food as a reward so your dog receives correct, balanced nutrition and gains confidence doing a job well done.
Not only will this make their food more enticing because they have to ‘work for it’, but the variation of treats between high value (such as Ziwi Peak) and their kibble will work to make your dog that much more interested in working for the good stuff.
Every time they get a higher-value treat, it’s like hitting the jackpot!
Freeze-dried meats and organs (small amounts, don’t overdo it)
Cheerios
A trail mix made up of hotdogs, dry food, Ziwi peak, blueberries, and freeze-dried chicken
When your dog is eating dry food as a reward during training, you will find that your dog starts to really enjoy their meals! By nature, dogs want to ‘work’ and that includes hunting, searching, sniffing, sitting, and doing tricks.
As a matter of fact, a lot of behavior problems in Great Danes including destruction, chewing, separation anxiety, anxiety, lunging, barking, and pulling like a freight train are directly related to, get this, frustration and BOREDOM!
When we ask our dogs to work for their dry food, we are providing them with enrichment and mental games that will help them thrive.
Does your dog turn its nose up at kibble when used as a training treat? Make it a little more ‘enticing’ by spraying it with bone broth or warm water and as above, mixing it up with higher value treats.
PRO TIP: If you use hot dogs, the kibble will naturally become more appealing because the hot dogs will ‘scent’ the kibble in the treat bag!
If your dog likes to eat treats but not their normal food, you can also ‘trick’ them into thinking their dry food is a treat by using it as a filler for fun puzzle toys such as the West Paw Topple.
We believe Great Danes should have fun with their food, and that a dog’s appetite is often linked to how hard it was for them to get that food.
Sometimes it really is a matter of making a dog eat through the use of brain games and puzzles.
If your dog is not ok when you leave the house, you can actually use their meals, canned food, and dry food to your advantage!
We recommend creating a mixture of kibble, wet food, rehydrated Olewo carrots and a few high-value tidbits such as Dr. Harvey’s freeze-dried treats or Ziwi Peak.
Take this mush and stuff it into a Dane-sized West Paw Wobbler and stick it in the freezer!
Offer this frozen treat to your dog while they are in another room and confined away from you. Practice this daily, so your dog learns that you being in a different room and out of sight is ok!
They will enjoy the wet food as they work to get it out of the stuffed toy, and with practice, they will begin to have positive associations when you are away. You can make this puzzle even more enticing with the addition of canned food, something that many dogs love.
Separation anxiety is unhealthy for Great Danes and can increase their risk of experiencing bloat. Anxiety and stress have strong ties to bloat occurring!
It’s important to take steps to work on it, but it does take time and patience. If your dog won’t eat or work on the puzzle toy during these short practice sessions, lower the criteria. Leave for only 10 seconds, then 45, and so on.
The more time your dog can spend having a positive, no-stress experience with you out of site, the better.
What to give my dog if she is not eating?
The last thing you want to do is to bribe your Great Dane into eating.
A healthy, normal dog will not allow itself to starve to death! Decreased appetite in dogs happens for many reasons and many times the reason is both simple and benign.
It’s important to rule out medical reasons for reduced appetite in dogs such as parasites, pain, foreign objects or cancer, however!
If your Great Dane is not eating because of illness, your veterinarian may be able to offer an appetite stimulant in addition to treatment that will get your pup well again.
Canned food is highly palatable and many dogs experiencing a loss of appetite associated with illness will benefit from it.
Sick dogs need extra support: in this case, your veterinarian will advise you on an appropriate diet for your dog while healing. Dehydration is one of the biggest dangers for dogs that are not eating or drinking water.
You can encourage your Great Dane to drink water by adding a little bone broth or Nulo hydrator to make it more palatable. (Have you ever had a cold where water just didn’t taste good but you could chug orange juice? This happens in dogs, too!).
Cottage cheese, boiled bland chicken and rice, bone-broth, commercially available re-hydrators (such as NULO), hand-feeding, canned food, or a prescription liquid diet may be advised.
However, if you’ve determined that your dog is healthy, there are things you can do to encourage eating that will also benefit overall health!
We recommend the following options as toppers for kibble:
Rehydrated Olewo Carrots
This is the best remedy for loose stools and tummy upset! Not only that, but the added fiber may help reduce bloat risk.
For an adult Dane, measure 2 TBSP of dehydrated pellets and rehydrate in warm water before serving. You can use this mixture as stuffing for food puzzles or toys or as a mix-in or topper for kibble.
Dr. Harvey’s
Dr. Harvey’s food mixes contain dehydrated whole food ingredients such as oats, carrots, spinach, and blueberries. There are several options to choose from and dogs LOVE them!
Rehydrate a scoop with water and serve on top of your dog’s kibble as a way to encourage and entice eating. Remember to keep toppers, especially unbalanced ones to less than 10% of the diet.
Egg – any style!
It’s ok to occasionally offer eggs to your Great Dane. Raw is fine! Most dogs also love receiving a whole shell-on hardboiled egg that they have to open themselves. Scrambled eggs, poached eggs or sunny side up are fine as well, just make sure they are cool before serving.
We recommend offering no more than 1-2 eggs per week to Great Danes, unless part of a fully balanced and appropriately formulated raw diet.
Canned Food
Dogs love canned food. We recommend introducing canned food toppers slowly and using the same brand and formula as your kibble.
For example, an excellent pairing is Purina Pro Plan Large Breed paired with Purina Pro Plan Large Breed canned wet food.
(Note, most wet dog food is not recommended for growing Great Dane puppies, as it may not be formulated correctly for growth, only maintenance.
Always check the label! If you offer canned food to your Great Dane puppy, do so in moderation or look for an appropriate, science-backed formula that is appropriate for the growth of large breed dogs).
What if my dog won’t eat and is acting strange?
If your dog is acting strange, has had a loss of appetite, and seems unwilling to eat, it may be experiencing a medical emergency.
A Great Dane that is acting strange may be stumbling, pacing, foaming, crying, whining, shaking, hiding or unable or unwilling to get up. A dog won’t eat if they are in distress.
BLOAT in Great Danes is life-threatening and unfortunately common. If you see any of the following symptoms, it is imperative that you seek emergency care. This is true EVEN IF your Great Dane has had its stomach tacked!
Attempting to vomit
Pacing, whining, crying, and acting distressed
Distended abdomen
Foaming at the mouth
Excessive drool
Looking at the stomach area
Collapse
A dog may also act strange if they have ingested toxins or poisons, gotten into a fight with other dogs (internal injuries), or if they are in pain and have other symptoms such as shaking, coughing, excessive panting, or seizures.
It’s always worth getting checked out and not ever assuming that your dog’s decreased appetite is related simply to food.
Liver disease, kidney disease, dental disease, and even heart disease can be ‘silent’ before they are deadly.
Some dog owners find it helpful to keep a journal or notebook that documents health from week to week and year to year. This practice will be insanely helpful to your veterinarian, too!
If you notice a decreased appetite in your dog who is otherwise acting normal, start documenting their daily intake of food, treats and water.
You can also take note of body condition, activity levels, and any unusual gain or loss of appetite.
Are you having a problem with a dog not eating, but still unsure if you are doing the right thing or not? We always recommend seeking veterinary care when you aren’t sure about what is going on with your dog.
There is a big debate going on in the world of big dogs. People are very confused about whether they should feed their Great Dane puppy food or adult food! Large breed dogs such as Great Danes need specific nutrition that is designed for their explosive growth, size, and needs. I’m going to clear this up today with a research-backed discussion, so you know what to feed YOUR big puppy!
In the world of Great Danes, there is a lot of misinformation about nutrition. Everybody has an opinion.
It used to be said that you should always feed a Great Dane puppy an ‘adult’ kibble.
The truth? A dog’s diet should change depending on its life stage!
Spoiler alert: Science has allowed dog food manufacturers to change and update their formulations. This means that finally, large-breed puppy formulas are now ideal for Great Dane puppies!
So today we are talking about the importance of large-breed puppy food for Great Dane puppies.
We are going to discuss the difference between puppy formula and adult dog food. We will also talk about what type of diet is best for large-breed adult dogs and Great Dane puppies!
BEST DOG FOOD PUPPY LARGE BREED FOR GREAT DANES
Large breed puppies such as Great Danes are prone to a number of growth disorders that can be caused or worsened by an incorrect diet.
Knuckling is a common developmental orthopedic disease that causes the puppy’s legs to ‘bow out. Other growth disorders include panosteitis, HOD, and hip or elbow dysplasia.
Choosing the right large breed dog food for a Great Dane puppy is extremely important. Smaller breeds don’t have the same requirements, so if you are new to Great Danes it’s time to research!
We believe that puppy foods are ideal for growing Great Dane puppies! Many large breed puppy foods are formulated with the growth of large dogs in mind and are appropriate for their brain, eye, joint, bone, and muscle development.
Important note: Dog food manufacturers consider Great Danes to be ‘large breed’ dogs. We know they are ‘gentle giants’, but for the purposes of science, let’s stick with ‘large’!
The most important factor to consider when choosing pet food for a large breed (such as a Great Dane) is the calcium and phosphorus ratios.
Calcium should be at or below 1.4%
Phosphorus should be slightly below calcium.
An example of an ideal calcium-phosphorus ratio to see on a bag of large breed dog foods is:
Calcium (Ca) (Min) 1.1%
Phosphorus (P) (Min) 0.9%
A properly balanced diet for large breed dogs will have a high-quality protein source (including meat and meat meals), omega fatty acids, probiotics, and balanced fat and carbohydrates to keep your puppy at a healthy weight.
NOTE:
Food with perfect calcium/phosphorus ratios can still cause growth problems!
The correct balance of amino acids, protein, carbs, fat, and vitamins is extremely important, too.
The special nutritional needs of Great Dane puppies have been addressed by dog food companies that have dedicated a lot of time, money, and effort to testing, research, and formulations.
In other words, the advice of ‘no puppy food ever’ for Great Dane puppies is now considered dated and inaccurate, especially when you are considering science-backed kibbles such as Purina Pro Plan that are heavily researched and tested.
Pet owners are not necessarily experts in nutrition, so it’s helpful to know that the dog food company you choose is extremely thoughtful, thorough, researched, up-to-date and diligent with your dog’s health.
We recommend choosing a large breed puppy dog food that is formulated by a board-certified Veterinary Nutritionist, from a company that has invested heavily in canine nutrition and health research.
Ideally, the kibble you choose is also clean with quality ingredients from known sources.
The dog food you choose for your Great Dane puppy should have one of the following AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements on the label.
These statements will help you make a more educated choice about the actual balance and nutrition behind the large breed formulas being compared.
Some minor variations in these statements are normal. Click any button on the left to see the AAFCO statement associated with each option for your Great Dane puppy.
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.
The following foods meet our guidelines for growing Great Dane puppies:
IS YOUR GREAT DANE PUPPY KNUCKLING?
Check out our science-based and constantly growing knuckling resource page.
BENEFITS OF LARGE BREED PUPPY DOG FOOD FOR GREAT DANE PUPPIES
Large breed dogs require specific nutrition that they will not get from small breed dog food.
A good quality diet for a Great Dane puppy will have been specifically formulated with large breeds in mind.
Healthy bones, healthy joints, healthy skin, and reducing the risk of growth disorders such as hip dysplasia and knuckling are just some of the considerations put into puppy kibble formulation.
Nutrition + research for large breed dog food
Puppy formulas from companies that are actively researching big dog nutrition and growth are most likely to have the correct balance of nutrients, proteins, fats, carbs, calcium, phosphorus, and amino acids for Great Dane puppies.
What do veterinarians say about large breeds + nutrition?
The veterinary community agrees! Large breed puppy dog foods are the best choice for growing giant breeds.
Food formulated for Great Dane puppies has a slightly higher protein level and a more appropriate balance of fat and carbs than adult dog food. Not to mention the correct ratios of vitamin d, fatty acids, amino acids and probiotics.
WHEN SHOULD A PUPPY TRANSITION TO AN ADULT FORMULA?
When deciding what age to transition your big dogs’ diet from a puppy to adult formula, keep in mind that large breeds don’t reach maturity until they are around 18-24 months of age.
While small breed dogs become adults much faster, large breeds are slow to mature and require a lot of time, excellent nutrition, and slow growth to reach peak health as an adult.
Large breed dog food for puppies is formulated to promote slow and healthy growth in big dogs.
Age ranges + food formulas
A scientifically formulated canine diet will actually indicate the recommended age range for their foods. If the food company you have chosen understands their product, they can also tell you (through customer service).
For example, Purina Pro Plan Large Breed food for puppies is food formulated to be fed to large breeds for the first 2 years of life! Other formulas are different and the nutrition is based on breed size and age.
Fish oils, probiotics and the correct balance of nutrition slow down the growth rate and contribute to energy levels, bone development and healthy skin.
These things matter a lot to a big dog, especially before large breeds fully mature! If you are surprised by all of this, keep in mind that small breed dogs mature so much faster, and that’s ok!
Do not rush or force the growth of your puppy. Having the ‘biggest dog’ can mean having the unhealthiest dog!
WHAT IS THE BEST FOOD FOR GIANT BREED DOGS?
When looking for a large breed food, make sure that meat or meat meals are listed in the first ingredients. Probiotics and omega fatty acids are also important.
You may notice ‘vitamin d’, riboflavin, biotin, and other important nutrients added as well. These necessary vitamins and minerals contribute to a balanced diet, although they may make the ingredient list look long!
A dog food (puppy large breed) that is ideal for your growing Great Dane will typically say ‘Large Breed Puppy Food’ on the label.
In some brands, a comparable large breed food for adult dogs may be acceptable (in lieu of a puppy formula). Talk to your veterinarian and read the AAFCO statement on the label before making a purchase.
A senior dog may benefit from a transition to senior dog foods, which will be labeled accordingly and may offer additional support for the kidneys, heart, joints, energy levels, and weight.
If you have a small breed dog in your house, we recommend feeding a comparable small breed dog food if possible.
Small breeds, like giants, have unique nutritional needs, and taking advantage of modern advances in science and nutrition is better for everybody!
DO LARGE BREED DOGS HAVE TO EAT LARGE BREED FOOD?
Large breed adult dogs can technically be fed any ‘all-life stages’ food however they greatly benefit from large breed food that is formulated specifically for them.
A pet’s health is often tied to their nutrition, so choosing the right pet food formula matters. A large breed dog needs more joint support than a small breed dog, and large breed dog food offers the correct balance of nutrients and supplements for their orthopedic needs.
Adult Great Dane health problems
A dog’s risk of developing arthritis increases as they age. Many Great Danes also gain weight once they have been spayed or neutered. Keeping your Great Dane at a healthy weight is a key element in increasing their lifespan and reducing their risk of painful joint problems!
These are just some of the reasons why choosing a large breed dog formula for the correct life stage (puppy vs. adult) is so important: the correct formulation for each life stage will help maintain appropriate growth, overall weight and joint health.
Unfortunately, not all dog food brands are created equal, and it can be difficult to know which one is best for your pet.
The nutritional needs of a Great Dane puppy are different than the needs of an adult. It is so important to choose an appropriate, large breed, science-backed food formulated by credentialed professionals!
Here are some great adult options for your Great Dane, once maturity is reached:
WHAT FOOD DO GREAT DANE BREEDERS USE?
The American Kennel Club supports breeders and recommends that dog owners speak with their veterinarian when choosing a food for their large and giant breed dogs.
Some breeders will recommend ‘Life’s Abundance’. You can read our blog post here on why we don’t consider this an appropriate, safe, ethical, or quality food.
The majority of breeders with the top show dogs in the world feed and recommend Purina Pro Plan formulas. Contrary to popular belief, Purina is not a low-quality food. It’s highly tested, extensively researched, and formulated by veterinary nutritionists.
While ‘sweet potatoes’ and ‘whole grain brown rice’ may sound healthy, the truth is that they are both carbs which may throw the nutrition and balance off!
Kidney disease, heart disease, allergies, weight gain or weight loss are just some of the problems with feeding a poorly balanced or incorrectly formulated food. This is especially true for senior dogs who need as much support as possible to maintain robust health.
We believe that this is why it is so important to not make purchase decisions just on the ingredients list of the food.
Dog food labels can be exceptionally confusing to dog owners. When you are in the pet stores searching for adult food or a puppy formula for your Great Dane, it’s helpful to have a basic understanding of dog food ingredients and analysis.
However, it’s also important to recognize that as a dog owner, you likely aren’t a nutritionist with a veterinary degree and advanced certifications (and probably don’t know anybody who is, either). Sales reps and staff at dog food stores generally lack reputable knowledge and education about nutrition as well.
Reading the ingredients and analysis label can only give you a tiny picture of the information needed to make a decision about which large breed food to choose for your Great Dane!
Look at science, then look at marketing
Look beyond the marketing of the brand. The claims of ‘robust health’, ‘human grade ingredients’, ‘no recalls’ and ‘all natural’ are all there to make you buy the food.
This list below from the WSAVA is a helpful guideline for choosing dog food!
You’d be surprised how many pet food brands do NOT meet these guidelines, despite being marketed as ‘high quality’, ‘natural’, and ‘family owned’.
(This information is helpful for owners of small breeds, too!)
Treat training pouches for training your Great Dane!
THE BEST LARGE BREED DOG FOOD FOR ADULT GREAT DANES
Unlike large breed puppies, an adult large breed dog is not growing and has different nutritional and support needs.
Adult formulas in general tend to be a lower calorie food with different vitamins, minerals and slightly different protein-fat-carb-fatty acids balance.
We recommend choosing large breed kibbles that, as above, are scientifically formulated and backed.
Your dog’s diet should be complete and fully balanced for their life stage. Keep toppers to a minimum (10% of less of the overall intake) to avoid creating picky dogs or causing your dog foods to become unbalanced.
Natural dog food for Great Danes
If you are looking for a more ‘natural’ option for your large breed puppies or adult dogs, Just Food For Dogs makes an excellent topper. Fiber and fresh foods can also help reduce the risk that your large breed dog will develop bloat!
A well balanced raw meat diet may also be appropriate for large breed dogs.
This option is worth looking into for dog owners that are willing to do diligent research and have the time and freezer space for it.
Large breed dogs that suffer from allergies and intolerances may thrive on a balanced raw diet; talk to your veterinarian!
IMPORTANT FDA ALERT ABOUT GRAIN-FREE KIBBLE AND HEART DISEASE IN GREAT DANES
FDA officials are investigating possible links to diets for dog heart diseases. DCM is a devastating and often silent disease that many large breed dogs, including Great Danes are prone too.
It is believed that poorly formulated and untested foods may be a contributing factor in dogs developing this heart condition, which often presents as sudden death before any symptoms are seen.
Suspect dog food ingredients
Some suspect ingredients in lower quality, untested large and giant breed kibbles include peas, lentils, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and garbanzo beans. When choosing your dog’s food, these ingredients are worth noting and asking a veterinarian about.
Dog nutrition can be complicated, especially when manufacturers must put as much nutrition as possible into a user-friendly baked and extruded kibble product!
DACVN & The Credentialed Veterinary Nutritionist
For information about veterinary nutritionists and the advanced degrees and certifications available to veterinarians to advance their knowledge of food and formulations, check out these links below:
American College of Veterinary Nutrition: www.acvn.org
Companies that do not have a board-certified veterinary nutritionist employed to formulate their large breed dog food kibbles are treading in dangerous water. Regardless of your stance on the grain-free vs. DCM debate, that’s an important take-away for anybody trying to choose a healthy kibble diet for their big dog or smaller dogs, too!
Please visit this link if you want more information and to find out if your pet’s food is putting them at risk.
Looking for more information on how much to feed a Great Dane puppy? Is free feeding or scheduled feeding a better choice?
Read our famous ‘Ultimate Great Dane Feeding Chart’ post and learn more about choosing a kibble, how much to feed, raw meat diets, home-cooked diets, and more.
Age
Timing
Amount
Puppies under 12 weeks
3x/day
2-4 cups/day
Puppies 12-24 weeks old
3x/day
3-6 cups/day
Puppies 24 + weeks (6 months) or older
2x/day
5-10 cups/day
Puppies 12-18 months
2x/day
6-12 cups/day
Adults 18+ Months
2x/day
4-8 cups/day
These values are averages. Your pet may need more or less. Always talk to your veterinarian and use the manufacturer’s feeding chart as a guideline.
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