Diet Supplements and the English Mastiff

Studies have shown that daily supplements of Vitamin C can decrease the incidence and/or severity of hip dysplasia. As puppies I gave my dogs both 1000 mg of Vitamin C each day. At around 6 months of age I increased the dosage to about 2000mg per day. The best thing about Vitamin C is that any extra amount that is not used up by the body is simply expelled through the urine, so you don’t have to worry about a build-up in their system. I have also found it is much easier to give to them if you buy the powdered form.  You can just sprinkle it on the dog’s food instead of trying to give them multiple horse sized pills each day.

There are two other supplements that can and should be given to your dog in my opinion. One is a daily supplement of fish oil or coconut oil.  I give coconut oil in the morning with breakfast and fish oil in the evening with dinner. Make sure the fish oil is all natural with no chemicals added and that the coconut oil is cold pressed.  While Omega fats and oils play many important roles in the body, it helps keep the coat healthy and can aid in joint movement.  I also recommend a daily Glucosamine/Chondroiton Supplement.  This can be given for the life of the dog. I used to give human pill form Glucosamine, but recently switched to a liquid concentrate.  Again, it’s much easier to administer, just a tablespoon or so on the food, plus it’s much more cost effective to purchase it in this form.

Finally, one supplement you should NEVER give a Mastiff is CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTS! The use of calcium supplements can lead to bone and joint deformities and electrolyte imbalances, especially as a puppy. All the calcium a dog needs will come from its food, ensuring a proper balance of minerals for its growth.

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.

Choosing a Top Quality Dry Food

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 below and visit dogfoodadvisor.com to find out their rating. I have fed raw so long I can't comment on any one food other than what is outlined below and at dogfoodadvisor.com

I personally feed my dogs, and always have fed, Diamond Naturals Large Breed 60+lb dog food.  I’m seriously considering switching over to a raw diet because it is the absolute best thing you can feed your dog, however it takes a little more planning than I’m sure I can handle right now.  If you do choose to feed a dry kibble to your dog, be it an English Mastiff or a Toy Poodle, below is a list of criteria we believe a food must meet to be considered a quality kibble. 

• 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.

And remember, a top food is only top if your dog likes it and does well on it.   All of this information was taken from a list my friend puts together for the forum, Mastiff Online Community.  Here is a link to the article which contains a list of foods that adhere to the criteria above.  This list, in my opinion, is what I would consider the Dog Food Bible! 

On a side note, while it is outlined in the article, I wanted to bring attention to this: Please use caution in feeding grain free foods to growing dogs! Many grain free foods have calcium and phosphorus levels that are too high for growing giant pups. Feeding those foods can harm your puppy. So the general rule is steer clear of grain free until your dog's growth plates have closed, usually around 2 years of age.