Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Feeding Your Mastiff Puppy

UPDATE: January 2016 - This post is several years old.  I have been feeding a raw diet for nearly 5 years now and it is in my opinion the best thing I could ever do for my dogs. If you are looking for advice or opinions on a specific brand of food please follow the protocol I set forth in the blog post Choosing a Top Quality Dry Food or visit dogfoodadvisor.com to find out the specific rating of a food. I have fed raw so long I can't comment on any one food other than what is outlined in my articles and at dogfoodadvisor.com

When it comes to feeing your puppy, try to feed them 3 to 4 times a day until your pup reaches 3-4 months of age, and then advance them to twice a day. Your puppy will indicate to you how much you should be feeding them. You can start with the guide below, but if your puppy eats the recommended amount of feed within a reasonable time, 20 minutes or so, then increase the feeding 1-cup at a time.
4-8 weeks of age         3-4 cups per day spread between 3-4 meals
8-12 weeks                  4-6 cups per day spread between 3-4 meals
12-16 weeks                6-8 cups per day spread between 3-4 meals
4 to 6 months             8-10 cups per day spread between 2-3 meals
6-18 months               8-12 cups per day spread between 2-3 meals
It is also important to remember how prone to bloat Mastiffs are.  I don’t feel comfortable feeding more than about 3 ½ cups in one sitting to help keep the risk to a minimum.  Also be sure to keep you puppy or dog from guzzling water after a meal.  A drink is fine, but don’t let them drain the dish, you don’t want all that dehydrated kibble expanding too quickly in their gut.
Make sure you puppy has access to fresh clean water at all times.  Water should NEVER be withheld to aid in potty training.  The only time my dogs or puppies do not have access to water is when they are crated, and for very young puppies this should be for short amounts of time only.
When choosing a food for your puppy, make sure to feed a quality kibble with no by-products or added chemicals.  It is also good to go ahead and start your puppy on adult food, not puppy food (your vet may argue with this, but they aren’t giant breed specialists, remember these aren’t large breed dogs, they are giant breed dogs).  Most puppy foods have protein levels that are too high for giant breeds that grow so rapidly.  You want your protein level to be right around 25% and absolutely no higher than 28%.  It is also important to keep  your calcium/phosphorus ratio right at 1:1.  Doing these things is a huge step in preventing conditions like HOD (Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy) or Panosteitis.  These are both painful conditions and can be crippling for life if not treated with a balanced diet.
Remember, the size of your Mastiff is genetic, not nutritional. You cannot hurt your puppy by keeping him lean and fit, but overfeeding a Mastiff puppy can ruin them orthopedically for life, causing a lot of pain and numerous vet bills over the life of your Mastiff.

99 comments:

  1. Wow that's a lot of food! Our dogs are full grown (Blue is nearly there) and they only eat 3 cups of food a day each.

    I just love Mastiffs.

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  2. Good to know that I am feeding her the correct amount... She has sort of told me how much. She hardly every eats all at one sitting but generally will come eat when she wants to. She ends up eating between 9-12 cups a day. A 30 pound bag will last a little over 2 weeks. She is nice and lean and her hips are well defined.

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  3. It is nice to read that I am feeding my baby correctly. She is 8 months old just weighed in at 120 lbs and eats about 9 to 12 cups a day. She is lean and and her hips are well defined. She often times will not eat everything at one sitting but come back when she feels like it.

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  4. This is very very helpful. My family and I are getting our first Mastiff on December 21st.. He will be 8 weeks old December 19th. I have been really reading up on the breed and trying to find out the best way to feed him (Levi). I have had large breeds but never a giant breed. This is by far the most helpful article I have read. I hope I do right by Levi and feed him properly. It is all very confusing sometimes reading all these "opinions."

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    1. Glad it was helpful to you. Feel free to ask any questions you might have :)

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  5. I myself am going to proudly add a mastiff to my family. I have been doing a lot of researching and I agree that it can get really confusing. The training is going to be a breeze for me but the food is what confuses the heck out of me. The puppy will be about 9 weeks when I will bring her home. What brand of food is good for a Neapolitan Mastiff? I am leaning towards Merrick's dry food & add a bit of wet food as well but I also read that RAW meat is best. I want what is best buy I also want to be able to afford it. My main priority is proper nutrition because it is very important since it is a giant breed and I dint want it to suffer from hip dysplasia or joint problems due to malnutrition or over feeding. Please help! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

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  6. I myself will soon be proud to add a Neapolitan Mastiff to my family. I have done some research and read a few things here and there and it is pretty confusing to me as what is a good kibble for a giant breed. I read RAW meat is best but it can be a bit expensive. Is there any food (kibble) that any of you have had good results with and have had no problems at all with your mastiff? With a giant breed I know there are health issues to keep in mind and I know nutrition plays a big role in preventing them. Please, if anyone has any suggestions or advice I will greatly appreciate it. Thank you,

    Angie

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    1. Hi Angie, try looking at dogfoodadvisor.com. I would stick to 4 or 5 star foods and try to keep the protein level as low as possible. I have a few articles on raw you could checkout, but do a lot of research before you just jump down that road. I personally feed raw and have for almost 2 years so I couldn't recommend a food off the top of my mind, but feel free to ask about any specific foods you are considering. Another item to note is that puppy food is not necessary, go straight to adult (your vet might argue with this). You want your puppy to grow slow and even, there are a lot of extra calories in puppy foods and usually the protein levels are too high for my preference. Good luck with your new baby!

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  7. Thank you Gryphon Mastiffs! I honestly would love to feed my baby raw meat because I know it is better but I have to admit that i am a bit nervous. How do I even begin? Will it be more expensive than feeding kibble? I also am not too sure if it would be possible to feed kibble for one feeding and raw for the next feeding. Is that possible? Is it healthy? I went to a couple of butcher shops nearby and they can collect all the bone little fragments that the machines collect. The bone fragments are actually somewhat powder but not sure if I can mix that with the food. I do know that bone is really good for them.

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  8. How wonderful to find a blog where I can learn information about my 16 month old female mastiff that we just rescued 3 days ago! I've never owned a mastiff - boxers and Rottweiler - big dogs indeed - but nothing like this one! I've been feeding her 3 cups in the morning with 1/2 c chicken broth, 3 cups midday, 3-4 cups in the evening and in between all that a yogurt...she gets a little peanut butter too in her kong if I have to run errands and crate her...advice anyone??

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    1. As long as she isn't ribby or isn't pudgy I would just keep doing what you're doing! She sounds like she's eating about the right amount for her.

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  9. I feed my puppy who is almost three months old 6-8 cups of food. I free feed him and always have water out. I think since he is the only dog he does not need too worry about speed eating. The food last him all day and he is lean from prouncing around our yard .25 in size. I will watch as he grows top make sure he does not change to gulping like my labs did but it is not always necessary to give supervised meals. Also we feed ours Kirkland from Costco Lamb and rice adult food it rates for stars. So a quality good without completely breaking the bank.

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    1. Each dog is different. Some people have no issues free feeding. My female is a HOG though, and no doubt if free fed she would be horribly obese. If it's working for him then that's great!

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    2. Yep I no longer free feed I noticed during his growth sports he was gobbling so two meals a day down 3.5 cups each with snacks in between. I am happy to say that he is growing at a healthy speed and other then bring slightly overly submissive is a great dog :-)

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  10. What do you reccommend for those who work and cannot get home mid day to feed or let them out? Reconsider getting a dog?

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    1. Not necessarily, just don't punish a puppy for not being able to hold it! If they are potting in the crate maybe look into a pet sitter for a mid-day walk.

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    2. Oh, we never punish for accidents. They did very well and only had an accident or two because of either upset stomach or UTI.

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  11. Wish I had read this, I overfed my 6 month old for french/rotty cross (families first puppy though have had other dogs for 16 years and should know better) for just 6/8 weeks after neutering (blind love for bones etc) and she now has chronic hip problems. Homework on these big dogs is vital, some of my girls problem (dysplacia) was hereditary but my actions did not help, it's a gamble with big X's, I would never go for a x again without hip scores etc. I will take good care of her she's a lovely girl, but could kick myself and have learnt a very important and very expensive lesson.

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  12. i have a few questions. I adopted a mastiff puppy last saturday. He looks to be mixed with a cane corso. He is approximately 3.5 months old and weighs 31 lbs. Vet says he is in great shape. The shelter told us to be feeding him 1.5 cups of food, 3x per day. so thats about 4.5 cups per day. He eats Royal Canin Medium puppy which has a protein content of 30%. I notice he eats EXTREMELY fast, is this because he is hungry? Can anyone make some suggestions/advice on his diet. Thanks a lot.

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    1. Some dogs are just gulpers. If he is in good physical shape I would try not and overfeed. They make pans for dogs who are gulpers, there are contoured to make it hard to get more than a few pieces at a time. That might be something to look into. This is just my opinion, but I would not have a growing Mastiff puppy on 30% protein kibble. The higher the protein in kibble the more chance you have of growth issues.... however if it's working for him it might be okay. If he starts having growth pains, Pano or HOD get him on a lower protein food. Just something to know about ahead of time to watch for. Good luck with your baby.

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  13. I was so happy to come across your site. I just have a question. I will be getting my puppy in a couple of days and one of the hardest parts I have had is trying to find a dog food that would be good for her. We have chosen Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy as a brand and I was wondering why you suggest to feed a puppy adult dog food instead of puppy food. I have looked at the protein levels as well as the calcium/phosphorus ratio and it seems to be acceptable. Just wondering if you had any suggestions.

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    1. Most puppy food contain alot more fat than adult kibble. Causing the puppy to gain more and grow faster than they need to. Of all the puppy foods out there the Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy is one that I probably would feed if I was going to feed a kibble puppy food, but most have too much fat and calories for our giant breed puppies to grow properly (not our LARGE breed puppies, our GIANTS!)

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    2. Thank you so much. You have been so helpful!!

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  14. Oliver is 6 months old and we have battled loose stools/diarrhea off and on. He gets 2 cups of Eukanuba large breed puppy food two times a day and GULPS the food down...always has. We thought perhaps he wasn't getting enough food so this past week we increased it to 3 cups. He now is back to loose stools. I read that overfeeding can lead to loose stools?? Any thoughts on the type of food- amount of food and the loose stools?

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    1. First of all (and no judgement), but Eukanuba is not that great of a food IMO. It only gets 3.5 stars on www.dogfoodadvisor.com, minimum I would recommend is 4 stars. Second, he doesn't need to be on large breed puppy food. That stuff is designed for large breeds, like labs that are destined to by 80lbs at adulthood, not for giant breeds like a Mastiff that will end up being 180+lbs.

      Four cups a day for a 6 month old Mastiff seems like not much to me, especially on a food with so much filler in it. I would look for what you can find locally that hits at least 4 stars, has no by-product meal or corn. You want your protein level as low as possible for him since he's still growing, under 26% if possible. You also want your phosphorus:calcium ratios as close to 1:1 as you can get. Once you get him transitioned to a better food (do it slowly mixing the two for a week or two) see how he does. The good news is that not only is Eukanuba not that great, it's way over priced, so you should be able to get a much better food for the same cost or less and you'll be doing better by your puppy.

      I think you will probably need to increase the amounts he's getting on the new food. My guys were eating 6-8 or more cups of food per day at that age. Does he look thin to you, how many ribs can you see or feel? Feel free to email me if you want to send pictures. If the food switch doesn't help in a month or so let me know and we'll revisit the matter. Good luck.

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  15. This is a great website. I just got my first EM puppy and I just love him. I recently started raw feeding him, all the research I did said that it was the best my to keep him healthy, so far so good.

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  16. We have 2 English Mastiffs, sisters. They are 5 lbs apart but one is tall and slender (similar to a Great Dane) and the other is a little shorter and stockier. They are 9 months old and when we weighed them about a month ago they were 80 lbs (stocky one) and 85 lbs (sleeker one). Is it normal for them to eat like this is their last meal? 8 cups seems like an insane amount of food. It seems anyone who has a dog close to ours in age is heavier. How can I tell if they are getting enough to eat? The sleeker one does look slightly thin but this is the first time we've owned them so I'm not sure. TIA.

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    1. My guys were eating 10-12 cups of food per day at that age, so he sounds normal to me!

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  17. hey guys i need help, yesterday i got a mastiff puppy I dont know how old she is but I can see that shes starting to grow in her teeths and my mom just wants to feed her kibble so she can get use to it because she says " we cant really afford that much food " but I seen how big this dogs get but I really want her to have more then just kibble please any advise for meals I can give her it will be helpful. iIreally don't want to give her up.

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    1. Hi Daniel - do you mean the puppy is just getting it's first set of milk teeth in? Like it's only 3-4 weeks old? That is WAY to young to be away from mom and litter mates. If that is the case you need to be soaking food in water, if it's just getting baby teeth it can't eat big kibble chunks. Is this a rescue puppy?

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  18. Hi.. I hope you can help. Charlie, our English mastiff if 16 weeks old and 50lbs. He use to be so thick and chubby and is no longer this way. We are having a hard time keeping weight on him and we are unsure of what to do. He was on Purina puppy chow when he came from the breeder at 8 weeks weighing in at 19 lbs. We changed over to Fromm because we heard that Purina was garbage. Fromm was to strong for his belly and we switched him back. Now he barley eats. He will eat a bowl (2 cups) here and there but not consistently unless we add almond milk to the bowl. Our vet mentioned putting goat milk on the food but that does not seem normal. Do you have any suggestions on foods that we can use to help put weight on our little guy. I am worried. Do you agree with wet food?

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    1. Anything made by Purina isn't that great IMO. I encourage you to visit www.dogfoodadvisor.com. I would ONLY feed a food that hits 4 or 5 stars. You also want your protein level low, under 25% if you can and your calcium to phosphorus ration to as close to 1:1 as you can get. If you are going to add something to entice him to eat I would add something that is beneficial to him (not almond milk) perhaps something like a good quality salmon oil. Goats milk I would also skip too, after weaning puppy/dog stomachs are going to do nothing but be irritated by dairy.

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    2. Also, just to add they do go through a very lanky stage alot of times when growing. If you want to send me a picture my email is gryphonmastiffs@gmail.com so I can see how thin he actually is.

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  19. Is there anyone that would share what brand of dry food they are happy with. I have my first English Mastiff, she is 12 weeks and 24 lbs. We have had her since this past Friday

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    1. I would avoid grainfree until she is done growing. Diamond Naturals, Fromm, 4 health are all good choices. I encourage you to visit www.dogfoodadvisor.com. I would ONLY feed a food that hits 4 or 5 stars. You also want your protein level low, under 25% if you can and your calcium to phosphorus ration to as close to 1:1 as you can get.

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  20. Ibe been feeding Merrick but her stool is runny like a cow pie, not formed at all. Any help or recommendations are welcome!

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    1. How long has you dog been on the new food? If it's been a week or more and no noticeable change I would try a new food. Is you dog a puppy or an adult? I like to refer people to dogfoodadvisor.com. I wouldn't feed a food with less than 4 stars. Puppy's have different nutritional requirements than adults, so I hate to give any specific recommendations until I know your dogs age.

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    2. My vet suggested giving my puppy probiotics. She was experiencing the same problems. She is on high quality food (Blue Buffalo) but she still had bouts of this. I use FortiFlora by Purina, once a day. It is a dry, gravy flavored supplement and she loves it. It is pricey if you buy from your vets but I found it the cheapest on Amazon. My vet suggested keeping her on this for probably her first yr (she is 6 mos and 80 lbs) and she is doing much better! Hope this helps!

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    3. We have a brand new Puppy that is almost 7 weeks old, he is 2/3rds English Mastiff and 1/3rd Great Pyranese. We were wondering if a dog food that has 31% protein is to much for him? The brand we wanted to start feeding him was Acana Wild Prairie and the ingredients look out of this world awesome! We were just unsure if that was to much for him. If so what would your recommendations be?

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    4. 31% sounds a bit high, I would shoot for 26% or less.

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  21. I rescued a bull mastiff puppy who is about 15 weeks now and he is well fed however he savagely gulps down his food and water in secods and will lick the bowl clean.I cannot leave out the waterbowl because he is constantly peeing from all the water intake.im also worriedabout to much water and depleting him of minerals etc.Once he eats his food he goes after my adult Boxer's food and I literally have to drag him away and crate him or he will finish his as well....... Help any suggestions ?! We are so used to leaving food and water out all day long .

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    1. I don't ever recommend free feeding. Some people have success at it, but alot of dogs either lose interest in eating from it because it's always available OR they become obese. A puppy will probably eat more than they need, and you want these guys to grow at an even pace, so I would suggest splitting his daily food into 2-3 meals. Whatever he doesn't eat in 20 minutes or so pick up and give him at his next meal.

      As far as water goes, I wouldn't restrict water intake, except right after eating, to prevent bloat. Have you talked to your vet about his high water intake? Might be a question for them.

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  22. Hello, we have just bought home our first english mastiff puppy, he is a male and is 7.5 weeks old. He is currently eating 3 cups of drys daily and 2 handfuls of raw mince, this is what the breeder had him on is what the breeder said I should continue feeding him. In your opinion do you think a mixed diet of dry and raw food at this age is good or should I be trying to feed him either one or the other?

    Thanks

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    1. You can do both, but don't mix them in a single meal. They digest at different rates and can cause stomach distress. That actually sounds like a fairly small amount of food, he'll start eating way more soon.

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  23. We are feeding our 12wk english mastiff Blue Buffalo Large Breed Puppy. I see you recommend going straight to adult food. Still large breed, I would assume? In the morning Monroe's stool is "normal" but as the day progresses he has loose stool. Would you recommend switching to the adult large breed of another brand?

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    1. Puppy food is quite rich and high in fat, so he definitely does not need it. I would buy a bag of adult and mix it until the puppy is gone, then go straight to adult.

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  24. I have a english mastiff puppy. She is 14 weeks old today..she has not been eating as much as she used to..maybe 2 to 3 cups a day..she used to eat more tfan that. . We feed her adult 4health salmon and potato. .. she is over 40 lbs and looks good but was worried she is not eating good.. do they go through phases? I can send u a picture if needed..

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    1. They definitely go through phases, seeing a rib or two is okay, you want them lean, but any skinnier than that and you might start to worry.

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  25. HI Maybe I missed it in the comments , But when should you start a puppy on adult food ? Mine is only 10 weeks and what I feed him recommended by his breeder is 30/20 Thanks so much

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    1. Sorry, not sure what you mean by 30/20, but most reputable breeders (maybe all) that I know don't use puppy food at all, it's extremely hard to find a puppy food with the right ratios and protein % to be correct for their growth.

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  26. I have a six week mastiff x ridgeback boy (a big boy) is it recommended to use both adult dry and wet food?

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    1. Up to you completely, but I don't use wet at all, it's really not necessary unless you want to give them a special treat or there is some medical reason they need it.

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  27. I have a six week old mastiff x ridgeback. He's a big boy already. I want to know whether to feed him both wet and dry adult food please.

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  28. i was introduced to a beautiful brindel mastiff on christmas eve 2014! i only ever had small mini doxies. I have two currently and 7month old AGGIE! i have fallen in love with this big clumsy kindred soul she has! i hadnt realize I wasnt feeding properly until i read here today. She would sneak the doxis food all day long. She would hover over their bowls and would quickly inject hersef into the bowl!! Needless to say, tonight i feed her five cups and she ate it with gusto and looked up at me with these big happy eyes!! I am so grateful for your infomation on how to do a mastiff!! I will always look for updates and I know tommorrow she will have a better day of her food and not having to sneak the doxies food!! AGGIE doesnt know that she is big either...she will crawl on her stomach to get eye to eye with my doxies!! TOO CUTE!!

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  29. I'm concerned my puppy isn't gaining the weight she should. She is an English mastiff and is about 6 months and only weighs about 50lbs. Am I wrong for thinking she should be bigger? She eats about 2 1/2 cups twice a day but we have to keep reminder her to eat because she becomes distracted. I'm concerened about her weight and if we are feeding her enough and the proper food. She eats large dog food called formm.

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    1. As long as she's not too thin I wouldn't stress about weight. Genetically she might just be a small Mastiff. Unless her parents were big she won't be big (and alot of not so reputable breeders like to lie about weight)

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    2. What do you concider skinny I see about 3 to 4 of her back ribs but her stomach hangs lower than our other dog (coonhound) her parents were normal size mastiffs when we saw them.

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    3. Has she been checked for internal parasites? If she's skinny but has a big round belly she could have some type of intestinal parasite.

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  30. I have a 13 week old mastiff boxer mix...she was the runt of the litter. I was told to feed her no more than 2 cups per day and is always hungry. She only weighs 13 pounds and I can see more than 2 ribs. Should I increase her food intake.

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    1. 2 cups of food is ridiculously low, yes please give her more! She's probably quite hungry.

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  31. I have an 6 month old English Mastiff mixed that I bought from someone that could no longer take care of her. I have had her for five days.This is my first pet and I am really worried about her because she is not eating very well. Her previous owner feed her Ol Roy Complete Nutrition but I read that that was not a good brand of food for her because is has soy bean and he also was feeding her cheeseburgers.
    I went off a friends advice and I purchased IAMS large breed puppy dog food. The first day I feed it to her she ate it all, but now refuses to touch the food and she has very watery stools. She would only eat the snacks that I gave her when i took her to relieve herself. So I went to speak to someone at the vet clinic and the nurse told me that to give her a cup of rice with a boiled chicken breast and/or a cup of yogurt to help with the loose stool. I gave her the rice and chicken for two days now but of course she still refuses to touch the dog food. Can you please give me advice on what I am doing wrong and what I need to do. I feel awful because I feel she is not getting enough to eat.

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    1. Iams is full of by-product meals, I would get her on a better kibble than that as well. I recommend visiting dogfoodadvisor.com to check the analysis of a food you want to try her on. I like the Diamond Naturals products, 4 Health as well. You want no by-products, no corn or soybeans and a calcium:phosphorus ratio as close to 1:1 as possible.

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    2. I had the same problem with my English Mastiff. I was feeding him Costco brand lamb and rice and then chicken and rice which is 4 star food that my breeder recommended. Apollo my pup ate it fine up until 8 months then stopped eating it. The stools were frustrating to clean up and he was looking slightly skinny to me even though the vet said he was fine. I dewormed him twice to make sure it was not that then finally at a recommendation of another customer in Costco switched him to Costco brand Natures Domain turkey and sweet potato, which is a grain free food. This has been great for my dog and makes me a happy owner to not have to spend excessive amount of time cleaning up runny poop. If the costco food is not a option for you price wise try Purina Smartblend chicken. The bags are smaller but cheaper initial cost and my dog Loved this food but would eat through it to fast and would poop a lot. Pets are tricky I have two sensitive eaters ( my cat to) do good luck hope you find something that helps ;)

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  32. MY MALES IS 75 LBS AND WILL BE 5 MONTHS IN A FEW DAYS. I have fed him Diamond Natural and now Purina Exclusive large breed, his stool is rarely solid and formed. Also is should be eating 6-8 cups. He has recently backed off his feed, barely eating 5 cups. He is lean, playful and looks good. What if anything do I need to change

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    1. If he's a healthy weight and it's a good food I wouldn't worry. His genetics will play the most part in his adult size.

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  33. Hello, I am new to this site and I already love it. I have a 4 month old EM. The vet recommended science diet so that is what she is on. This first ingredient is corn meal. What's up with that. I took her to the groomers for her nails. Abby yipped when the groomer was doing the front paws. The groomer said what type of food are you feeding her. I told her SD large breed puppy food. She told me to throw away the bag because my puppy was getting too much calcium and her front paws were growing outward and causing her to be bowlegged. Groomer said to feed her kibbles and bits for a week and her paws would grow okay. After 3-7 days I should notice a difference. Then go to tractor supply and get their brand and she would be fine. Any thoughts on this? She breeds Great Danes.

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    1. I would disagree that the food shes on caused her to yip when her toenail is clipped. More likely they got it to short or it scared her. However, science diet is crap food IMO. I would also forgo the kibbles and bits (even crappier food) and switch to a high quality kibble that has a calcium/phosphorus ratio as close to 1:1 as you can get. Tractor supply does have some decent options, 4 health, diamond naturals, etc.

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  34. We adopted a Mastiff last night, and not knowing much about puppy sizes we did not realize how small she is. She is supposedly 8 weeks old, but she is only 6lbs and has a large, firm belly. We are starting to think maybe she is not as old as the owners said, or the pictures of mom and dad are not accurate. Her parents supposedly weigh 140 and 200lbs. Will a vet be able to tell me how old she is? or will it be a waste of time? Thank you!

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    1. She needs to go to the vet in the next few days anyway for a check up. Was she purchased from a breeder or did you adopt her? If you want to email me a few pictures I can try and estimate her age. She might just be really poorly bred or a mix if you adopted her.

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  35. We have a vet appointment tomorrow afternoon. Her large belly is also a concern that we will address with the vet, and are bringing a stool sample for them. We purchased her from a breeder, so poor breeding is a possibility. The breeder also said they gave her 2 sets of shots themselves, but on the phone the vet said they do not honor this. Will it harm her to have her vaccinated at the vets? I have been reading a lot of your blogs, and I am so thankful that I found these. I have learned so much about Mastiffs, and all things related to them. Thank you :)

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    1. The less vaccinations the better IMO. But that's my personal beliefs. I say alot of folks are blind to the actual long term effects and damages that vaccines do and they say I'm a conspiracy theorist. It's up to you do to the research and decide for your self.

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  36. Hello,
    We have a 17 week old English Mastiff/Bullmastiff mix who is having loose stools. He was on an antibiotic from his vet, which seemed to clear it up until the antibiotic was gone, then loose stools again. Did a poo sample which came back negative for everything they tested for, and he was put on another antibiotic and probiotic. Cleared everything up, and now that they are done, back to loose stools.
    He also is not eating close to the recommended amount on his bag of food. He eats about 3-4 cups of food per day, and it is recommended that he eat 5.5. He is eating purina large breed puppy as that is what he was on when we got him. He is teething right and likes edible bones, so he is eating at least 1 per day as well, usually a busy bone or edible nylabone. The training school he goes to sells FROMM and I am wondering if we should switch him to that, and if he should still be eating 5 cups of FROMM per day, as that is probably going to be expensive at the rates they charge per bag. Please let me know what you think, we want our little guy to get better!!

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  37. Hello! We have a new EM puppy that is 9 weeks old and weighs 21.2lbs. I have been feeding her blue Buffalo life protection formula chicken and brownRice for large breed puppy. The protein content is 28% what are your thoughts on this kind of food. On the food website you always recommend I think it scored at least A 4 to 5 Star rating What are your thoughts on this type of food. Thank you for your help

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    1. From looking at the bag they seem decent... but then there's this: http://iheartdogs.com/breaking-news-blue-buffalo-admits-to-lying-about-ingredients-here-is-why-you-should-care/

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  38. Would you recommend mixing dry food with canned for one meal

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  39. I have a male who's 18 month old and we feed him raw. It's been about 9 months . I saw where you feed raw as well. Do you order your dogs food online or buy it in person. I wanted to look into ordering online and wanted a trusted site. Also I read some here to much bone is bad. Is this true if so how do you know how much to give.

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    1. You want a ratio of 80% meat, 10% organ and 10% bone. There are alot of online vendors, but I get most of my stuff locally through sales, craigslist, family and friends cleaning out freezers, we hunt as well and I raise rabbits, chickens and quail.

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  40. I got a 10 week old rotty-bull mastiff mix. We have had her for 3 weeks now. I was feeding her (since she was so large when we got her at such a young age) about a cup or so cup 1/2 - 3 times a day. My husband thought I was feeding her too much, but it still didn't seem to me that she is getting enough. She barely chews, she is on adult food not puppy food, and I can't seem to get her to slow down. I did my research and everything was saying to only give her a half a cup each meal, that can't be right can it? for a 13 week old pup who has doubled in size in the last 3 weeks we've had her? How much is too much? how much is too little? I hate seeing her always acting hungry, but I know pups are bottomless pits also. I see her ribs, but her belly isn't tucked in or anything. I just want to make sure she's getting what she needs and I'm not over or under feeding her...HELP! Too many mixed messages on how much to feed her!

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  41. Hello I was wondering if blue buffalo puppy (light blue packaging) life protein formula with lifesource bits is OK for my Corso Italian mastiff to eat? If not what would you recommend?

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  42. Pacific Stream Canine®Formula with Smoked Salmon.. is this OK to feed to a 8 to 9 week Corso matiff pup? Or blue buffalo chicken & rice?

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  43. I need help! What can I feed my cane corso? I had him on blue buffalo puppy, and realized it's not for him so I'm switching him to natural balance wild and pursuit lamb, chicken meal, a guinea fowl formula that has raw bites it says complete and balanced for puppies to adults: all breeds. Is this OK for him and his joints because it has a lot of protein in it?

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  44. I checked for protein, calcium, and phosphorous amounts in these foods and their lower than other puppy foods. I was wondering which one was recommended:

    Percise holistic complete - large and giant breed puppy
    Fromm Gold large breed puppy
    Nutri source large breed puppy
    Earthborne Holistic Large breed (all stages)

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  45. for the diamond natural dog food; do i need to get the large breed formula?

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    1. I personally liked the Large Breed Adult Lamb and Rice best, I think* (its been a while since I looked) it has about 24% protein. Alot of dogs and Mastiffs seem to have chicken allergies so I avoid that.

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    2. I use 4life from tractor supply. It has 30 grams of protein. She gets 3 cups in the morning and 3 cups in the evening. She is doing well.

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  46. Hi,
    We just adopted a 6 week old english mastiff last saturday (Nov 7). Reading up on what to feed him is very confusing. I see your posts about the large breed puppy food vs adult food. We have him on a large breed puppy food right now - do you have a suggestion for about how much we should feed him per day? He is almost 7 weeks and somewhere around 15 lbs.

    Thanks!!

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  47. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  48. Maybe third time Is a charm. I've tried to ask this a few times. I have a 7 week Mastador. She weighs around 10 pounds last weighed. Anyway should she be on this same kind of feeding schedule? Seems like she would eat until she pops! She came to me on Iams regular puppy food. Is there something better for her? She she be on large or giant food since she is part lab? TIA

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  49. Sorry Lesa, not alot of time for internet these days... Iams is not good food IMO, has alot of corn in it. Visit dogfoodadvisor.com and find a 4 or 5 star food is my suggestion. Adult food, protein under 25%, but being part Lab (smaller sized dog) you should be okay. You do want a feeding schedule, free feeding will make it difficult to potty train.

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    1. Thanks! Wasn't your fault on the third time btw lol! Mine or computer. Every time I tried to send it it wouldn't go through.

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  50. i have a female English mastiff Ive been feeding Diamond Naturals Large Breed adult dog food in the yellow bag she is 15 weeks and wights in at 30 lbs when i got her at 8 weeks she was 10.9 i keep food in her bowl she eats 3 times a day just wondered is she weighting in were shes supposed to be i know she drinks alot of water

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  51. What is s good food for a 10 week old mastiff lab mix? I am looking at Blue buffalo? Since she is a mix not sure if we should be using large or giant breed food? She is always hungry. TIA

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  52. We will be getting our mastiff puppy next week and want to feed a good quality dog food. I've been checking dogfoodadvisor.com. was wondering your thoughts on taste of the wild?

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    1. It's decent, not sure if they have an option that isn't grain free though.

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  53. I've noticed your comments about Purina brand dry dog food. We have a 17week old beautiful brindle girl. I took her off puppy food 3 weeks ago and had slowly introduced Kirland brand Chicken and Rice. My wife works for an animal hospital here in Pittsburgh PVSEC. They have a program for employees with Purina. So I decided to go with Purina Focus Large breed 26percent protein. She loves it and at 17 weeks weights 52 lbs gaining 4.5lbs per week since her last doctors visit 4 weeks ago.
    I just want what's best for my baby girl. Thank you for all your help

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    1. There are alot of different brands and types of Purina on the market now. I just check the label and make sure of the following items. If it does I would question it personally.

      Food contains NO corn and doesn’t have a lot of grains in the top ingredients.
      Company has disclosed where the food is manufactured.
      Food contains a good amount of animal protein in the top ingredients (prefer a named meal as #1 or at least a named meat as #1 followed by a named meal in the top ingredients).
      Food contains NO meat or poultry by-products.
      Food contains NO synthetic Vitamin K.
      Food has only named ingredients, especially in the fats and proteins.
      Food contains NO gluten meals.
      If food contains grains and vegetables, they are whole grains and vegetables, not fragments.
      Food contains NO artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. For instance, no BHA, BHT or Ethoxyquin.
      Food contains NO added sweeteners.

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    2. Corn and by-products are usually what I worry about with Purina brand foods.

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  54. Hi! I have 2 mastiff pups (Maso Mastiff, Mum is a Cane Corso and Dad is an Old English) They are 3 months old. They are on Antrium puppy food. It is holistic and gluten free. They are currently eating 5-6 cups split into 3 meals. My concern is that it has 28% protein. The puppies have more than doubled in weight (almost tripled) in the month that we've had them. Is it too early to introduce adult food? I was thinking a little bit of adult food mixed with the puppy food. I want to do what is best for them and am having difficulty finding Mastiff specific information. Nobody local to me is really a giant breed expert. Any help would be appreciated!

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    1. I personally never feed puppy food, they can go on straight adult food when weaned if your feeding kibble. It's easier to find the right protein level and phosphorus and calcium ratios in adult food. Typically puppy food has alot more fat in it for growing energy, but you want Mastiffs to grow slow, so that added fat isn't really good for them.

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