Nutritionist explains: No, you shouldn't feed your large breed puppy a regular sized puppy diet

Should I feed my Pug puppy the same diet as my Newfoundland puppy? The answer is no!

Firstly, it’s important to recognise the differences between dog sizes to understand how nutrition and feeding plays a vital role in ensuring optimal growth. The time taken for large and giant breed pups to reach their adult weight is slower than their small and medium breed counterparts. Generally, large and giant breeds will reach their adult weight at approximately 12-18 months, with some breeds such as the Mastiff, that can weigh up to 230lbs at adult weight1, taking up to 24 months. On the other hand, small and medium breeds typically reach their adult weight between 6-12 months of age. Large breeds are generally defined as dogs that will weigh from 25 to 45kg and giant breeds more than 45kg at full maturity (not in the head).

Don’t they just grow up so fast?

Ensuring your large breed puppy grows at a steady rate, rather than the maximum growth rate is especially important. Overfeeding and excessive intake of high energy diets is undesirable for dogs of any breed and age; however, studies have indicated that the overfeeding of large breed pups can accelerate skeletal growth and body weight, increasing the incidence skeletal disorders.

Their energy requirements can vary greatly based on several factors including, but not limited to breed, age, neutering status, life stage, environment and activity. All pet foods provide feeding guidelines to allow you suitably portion your pup’s daily meals to prevent overfeeding (or underfeeding) and maintain an ideal body condition. Ensuring your pup has the correct energy intake and therefore optimal growth rate can be managed through regular weight monitoring and measuring their body condition score (BCS); speak to your vet on more information on how to measure BCS.

It is also important to remember that if the volume of an energy-dense (rich in calories typically from fat) growth diet is restricted, it may result in deficiencies in other nutrients; large and giant breed puppy formulas generally have adapted energy contents compared with other growth diets to promote optimal growth and avoid excess weight gain whilst ensuring other key nutrients are provided in the correct proportions. Some suitable options for you could be: Acana Puppy Large Breed Dog Food or Royal Canin Giant Puppy Dry Food.

Calcium for strong bones, right?

Calcium is a key nutrient for the healthy growth and development of puppies large or small; puppies have a higher calcium requirement than adult dogs to support growth, however, studies have indicated that diets with excess calcium can have a negative impact on skeletal development in large breed puppies. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has set a maximum calcium concentration of 1.8% on a dry matter basis for diets to be suitable for large breed puppies, with a maximum calcium to phosphorus ratio of 2:15. Still, too little calcium over time may also lead to other health problems, so balance is key, along with other nutrients such as phosphorus and vitamin D.

What can I do to help ensure my large fur-baby gets the best start in life?

Ultimately, since you cannot change their genetics after birth, the best thing you can do is to choose a diet that has been specifically formulated for them, regularly monitor their weight and BCS, don’t supplement their diet unless advised by your vet and hold off on too many of those tasty treats (no more than 10% of their daily intake of foods) . But most importantly of all, enjoy them whilst they’re small (ish)!

For any advice on feeding your large breed puppy an optimal diet, don't hesitate to reach out to one of Pet Direct's Customer Service Experts on 0800 200 240.

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