Large Breed Puppy Nutrition: An Ounce of Prevention Worth a Pound of Cure
A large breed puppy grows extremely rapidly. Your average golden retriever, for instance, grows from 14 oz to over
65 lbs within one year – a 70 fold increase in size. Human beings take 18 years to accomplish the same thing! This
rapid growth leaves large breed puppies vulnerable to tissue abnormalities during development, even while
increased weight stresses these weakened bones and joints.
Over 30 years ago, researchers investigated the link between a puppy’s diet and the developmental orthopedic
diseases that were becoming so common – “wobbler” disease, hip and elbow dysplasia, hypertrophic
osteodystrophy (HOD), and osteochondrosis dessicans (OCD). While protein did not seem to be a factor,
excessive calories and unbalanced or excessive calcium levels were proven to negatively effect skeletal
development in puppies.
We now know that puppies should grow slowly. While the rate of growth can be controlled with diet, the final
adult size is controlled by genetics unless severe dietary deficiencies (usually from homemade diets) occur in the
first year of age. As a basic rule of thumb, your puppy shouldn’t look round or fat.
Previously, some breeders addressed this problem by feeding adult foods to large breed puppies. Maintenance diets
can vary widely in their calorie contents and nutrient profiles, to the extent that some can mimic regular puppy
diets and others will be nutritionally inadequate for puppies. Some have undergone actual feeding trials according
to standards of the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), but others have not, making them
particularly dangerous for growing bodies.
In general, we are looking for these characteristics in the best large breed puppy diets:
 Protein should be at least 27% on a dry matter basis (minimum 22%)
 Fat should be restricted to 14% or less
 The ratio of calcium to phosphorus should be 1:1 up to 1.3:1, and should constitute about 1% of the diet on a
dry matter basis
 Most will contain fiber, which limits the amount of calories that can be included
We recommend any of these brands of large breed puppy diets: Science Diet, Eukanuba, Eagle, and Nutro.
The best ways to control rapid growth in large breed puppies are:
1. Feed a complete and balanced diet especially designed for them, (having fewer calories and appropriate
calcium levels), until the puppy has reached at least 80% of the expected adult weight.
2. Feed in meals only – never allow a puppy to free feed
3. Learn how to do a Body Condition Score (BCS) and keep the puppy’s score around 4/9
4. Do not add dietary supplements such as vitamins, calcium, or other minerals
5. Exercise should be regular and moderate
Further Reading
1. Hedhammar A, Wu F, Krook L, Schryver HF, Delahunta A, Whalen JP, Kallfez FA, Numez EA, Hintz HF, Sheffy, Ryan GD. Overnutrition and
skeletal disease. An experimental study in Great Dane dogs. Cornell Vet 1974; 64 (Suppl 1): 1-160
2. Nap, R.C., Hazewinkel, H.A.W., Voorhout, G. et al. (l993): The influence of the dietary protein content on growth in giant breed dogs.
J.Vet.Comp. Orthop.Traum.6, 1-8
3. Nap RC, Mol JA, Hazewinkel HAW Age-related plasma concentrations of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I(IGF-I) in
Great Dane pups fed different dietary levels of protein. Domest Anim Endocrinol. 10:237-47, 1993
4. Schoenmakers I, Hazewinkel HAW, Voorhout G, Carlson CS, Richardson D. Effect of diets with different calcium and phosphorous contents
on the skeletal development and blood chemistry of growing Great Danes Vet Rec 147; 652-660, 2000
5. Nap RC, Hazewinkel HAW, Voorhout G, Van Den Brom WE, Goedegebuure SA, Van 'T Klooster ATh. Growth and skeletal development in
Great Dane pups fed different levels of protein intake. J Nutr 1991; 121:S107-S113.
6. Hazewinkel HAW, Goedegebuure SA, Poulos PW, Wolvekamp WThC. Influences of chronic calcium excess on the skeletal development of
growing Great Danes. JAVMA 1985; 21:377-391.
7. Goedegebuure SA, Hazewinkel HAW. Morphological findings in young dogs chronically fed a diet containing excess calcium. Vet Pathol 1986;
23:594-605.
8. Hazewinkel HAW, Van Den Brom WE, Van 'T Klooster ATh, Voorhout G, Van Wees A. Calcium metabolism in Great Dane dogs fed diets
with various calcium and phosphorus levels. J Nutr 1991; 121:S99-S106.
9. Lauten SD, Goodman, SA, Brawner, WR, Cox, NR, Hathcock, JT, Jungst, SB, Kincaid, SA, Montgomery, RA, Rumph, PF, Baker, HJ, Reinhart,
GA, Lepine, AJ. Growth and body composition of the large breed puppy as affected by diet. In: Reinhart GA, Carey DP, eds. Recent Advances in
Canine and Feline Nutrition, Volume II: 1998 Iams Nutrition Symposium Proceedings. Wilmington: Orange Frazer Press, 1998; 3-12.
10. Goodman, SA, Montgomery RD, Fitch, RB, Hathcock, JT, Lauten, SD, Cox, NR, Kincaid, SA, Rumph, PF, Baker, HJ, Lepine, AJ, Reinhart, GA.
Serial orthopaedic examinations of growing Great Dane puppies fed three diets varying in calcium and phosphorus. In: Reinhart GA, Carey DP,
eds. Recent Advances in Canine and Feline Nutrition, Volume II: 1998 Iams Nutrition Symposium Proceedings. Wilmington: Orange Frazer
Press, 1998; 63-70.
11. Lauten SD, Brawner Jr WR, Goodman SA, Lepine AJ, Reinhart GA, Baker HJ. Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry measurement if body
composition and skeletal development in giant breed dogs fed diets differing in calcium and phosphorus. FASEB J 1997; 11:A388.
12. Dammrich K. Relationship between nutrition and bone growth in large and giant dogs. J Nutr 1991; 121(11 Suppl):S114-21