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Best Dog Food for Great Danes
- Authors
- Name
- ChewyChoice team
Introduction
Great Danes, often celebrated as the hearted giants of the dog world, are captivating animals that embody grace and power. Standing tall at heights reaching up to 32 inches at the shoulder and weighing up to 175 pounds for males with smaller but still impressive sizes for females these majestic canines leave a lasting impact wherever they go. Besides their size, Great Danes are known for their loving and friendly demeanor charming all family members, including kids.
Caring for a Great Dane goes beyond admiring their beauty. These gentle giants need attention to various aspects of their well being especially when it comes to their diet. Providing them with nutrition is crucial, for maintaining their health and ensuring a long life.
This guide aims to assist you in comprehending your great danes requirements and identifying top notch dog food choices.
Understanding the Nutritional Needs of Great Danes
Considerations for Selecting the Best Dog Food for Great Danes
Great Danes, being dogs have specific dietary requirements that need careful attention to ensure they stay healthy and grow well. It's important to give them top notch dog food made for breeds to provide the right nutrients in the right amounts.
Up until they're 18 months old, Great Danes should eat food designed for large breeds to support their growth properly. Unlike other dogs, Great Danes have prolonged bone development so it's crucial to give them a diet that meets their specific needs during this critical period.
Choosing the food for Great Danes can be hard because each of them is unique. It's important to consider various factors when picking their dog food. One key factor is the age of the dog. Pups have different dietary requirements than adult dogs. So choosing a meal that suits their age is essential.
Understanding AAFCO Guidelines for Great Danes Nutrition
AAFCO guideline specifies the minimum nutritional needs of both puppies and adults. For instance, adult dogs need at least 18% protein while puppies need around 22.5% protein on a dry matter basis.
Keeping breed needs and AAFCO guidelines in mind. Convert the nutritional analysis to a dried-matter basis for easier comparison. More importantly, consulting with a veterinarian. This ensures that the chosen food meets the needs of your pup based on their life stage and specific needs.
Navigating Joint Problems for Great Danes
Feeding them too much or letting them grow too quickly can raise the chances of joint problems like hip and elbow dysplasia, osteochondritis and growing pains in Great Danes. Following the feeding instructions on the dog food packaging and seeking advice from a vet are essential to ensure they get the nutrition and grow at a good pace.
Feed your Great Danes the right amounts of joint health nutrients
Large breed puppy diets are created to regulate growth by managing phosphorus, calcium and vitamin D levels. This helps reduce the risk of bone issues linked with growth. Moreover, many diets tailored for breeds contain increased levels of glucosamine and chondroitin, for better joint support meeting the special needs of Great Danes. By following these dietary guidelines and offering a well-rounded meal plan customized to fit their size and development needs owners of Great Danes can enhance their pets' general health and happiness ensuring they lead a joyful and satisfying life.
Best Dog Food for Great Danes July 2024
1. ORIJEN Puppy Large Grain-Free Dry Puppy Food
Protein
Fat
Carbs
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Salmon
- Whole Herring
- Chicken Liver
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Good sources of protein: This food has chicken, turkey, and salmon as the ingredients offering excellent animal-based protein options for active great danes.
- Carbohydrates for energy: Whole red lentils and beans provide complex carbohydrates and fiber for steady energy.
- Essential fatty acids: Omega fatty acids from sources such as pollock oil and chicken fat are present, with guaranteed levels of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids for skin and coat health.
- Joint support: Contains glucosamine which can help aid in maintaining joints and mobility for the great danes breed.
- Probiotics for gut health: Dried bacillus coagulans fermentation product provides probiotics to support digestion and immunity.
Cons:
- Potential allergens awareness: Chicken, egg, lentils, and peas could be potential allergens for some great danes.
Sample Review from buyers
I have a couple of puppies and one is a very picky eater. Both are finish fast and want more. I used to practically hand feed the picky eater so obviously he is loving the taste.
2. Hill's Science Diet Senior Adult 6+ Large Breed Chicken Meal, Barley & Rice Dry Dog Food
Protein
Fat
Carbs
- Chicken Meal
- Cracked Pearled Barley
- Brewers Rice
- Whole Grain Wheat
- Whole Grain Corn
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Good sources of protein: This food has chicken as the ingredients offering excellent animal-based protein options for active great danes.
- Carbohydrates for energy: Barley, wheat, and corn provide complex carbohydrates and fiber for steady energy.
- Essential fatty acids: Omega fatty acids from sources such as flaxseed and chicken fat are present, with guaranteed levels of omega-6 fatty acids for skin and coat health.
- Joint support: Contains Chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine which can help aid in maintaining joints and mobility for the large great danes breed.
Cons:
- Potential allergens awareness: Chicken, soybean could be potential allergens for some great danes.
- Plant protein resources: We found that this food contains soybean which is a plant-based protein source.
Sample Review from buyers
I have fed my dogs pro plan for years. Recently, my 14 year old pound pup began bloating after he ate. I switched him to 11+ Hills and it was like night and day! I immediately ordered a bag for Gladys, my 6 year old bouvier des flandres. She loves it so much she does the running man when it’s time to eat! She cleans her bowl EVERY TIME!
3. Blue Buffalo True Solutions Jolly Joints Mobility Support Formula Dry Dog Food
Protein
Fat
Carbs
- Deboned Chicken
- Chicken Meal
- Oatmeal
- Brown Rice
- Barley
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Good sources of protein: This food has chicken, shrimp meal and others as the ingredients offering excellent animal-based protein options for active great danes.
- Carbohydrates for energy: Oatmeal and brown rice provide complex carbohydrates and fiber for steady energy.
- Essential fatty acids: Omega fatty acids from sources such as flaxseed, canola oil and fish oil are present, with guaranteed levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for skin and coat health.
- Joint support: Contains chondroitin sulfate which can help aid in maintaining joints and mobility for the large great danes breed.
Cons:
- Potential allergens awareness: Chicken, egg, peas could be potential allergens for some great danes.
- Plant protein resources: We found that this food contains peas which is a plant-based protein source.
Sample Review from buyers
I'm not really sure if this is going to help my dog Buddy. But he does seem to enjoy the food. Buddy is 15 years old and has bad arthritis in his back legs. He is on Adequan and I am hoping that will help him but I thought I might as well try the dog food as well.
4. Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Smoke-Flavored Salmon Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Protein
Fat
Carbs
- Salmon
- Ocean Fish Meal
- Sweet Potatoes
- Peas
- Pea Flour
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Good sources of protein: This food has salmon and ocean fish meal as the ingredients offering excellent animal-based protein options for active great danes.
- Carbohydrates for energy: Sweet potatoes, peas and lentils provide complex carbohydrates and fiber for steady energy.
- Essential fatty acids: Omega fatty acids from sources such as canola oil are present, with guaranteed levels of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids for skin and coat health.
- Probiotics for gut health: Dried lactobacillus plantarum and others provide probiotics to support digestion and immunity.
Cons:
- Potential allergens awareness: Salmon, ocean fish meal, peas and lentils could be potential allergens for some great danes.
- Plant protein resources: We found that this food contains peas which is a plant-based protein source.
Sample Review from buyers
We needed to find a dog food with minimal ingredients. Our older gentleman has terrible skin allergies. He's on apoquel, and stretch everyday, and was still having really red skin and itching. Its much better now, we give him call of the wild Pacific stream, and canned salmon. His coat looks better he has more energy (he's 13 in june), the scratching is less, and I'm hopeful.
5. Holistic Select Large & Giant Breed Adult Health Chicken Meal & Oatmeal Recipe Dry Dog Food
Protein
Fat
Carbs
- Chicken Meal (source of Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate)
- Rice
- Oatmeal
- Oats
- Chicken Fat
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Good sources of protein: This food has chicken meal and pork meal as the ingredients offering excellent animal-based protein options for active great danes.
- Carbohydrates for energy: Rice and oatmeal provide complex carbohydrates and fiber for steady energy.
- Essential fatty acids: Omega fatty acids from sources such as flaxseed are present, with guaranteed levels of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids for skin and coat health.
- Joint support: Contains glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate which can help aid in maintaining joints and mobility for the large great danes breed.
- Probiotics for gut health: Dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product and others provide probiotics to support digestion and immunity.
Cons:
- Potential allergens awareness: Chicken, egg, lentils, peas could be potential allergens for some great danes.
- Potential for weight gain: The high caloric content (3,804 kcal/kg or 453 kcal/cup) could lead to weight gain if portions are not properly controlled for great danes.
Sample Review from buyers
Switched from another brand to this for my two Great Danes. The switch went well and they LOVE THIS FOOD. Everytime i fill their bowls they go over to chow down. Makes me feel like i made the right decision by my dogs.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I safely switch my Great Dane puppy to adult food?
Between 12 and 18 months, take into account your puppy's breed size and switch to the appropriate adult formula to fulfill their evoling nutritional needs. The timing for switching to adult food depends on how fast your dog grows, with smaller breeds typically maturing faster than larger breeds.
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