Diet - commercial vs natural and BLOAT

Diet:
As previously mentioned, a fully-grown Mastiff will eat the same amount as a German Shepherd. When you are raising a puppy though, they will eat more as they grow rapidly – on average 1-2 kilos per week. The emphasis needs to be on QUALITY of the food, not the QUANTITY.

Giving dietary advice is like giving child rearing advice. There are 2 strong camps usually in direct opposition (namely commerical food vs raw food) with a few in the middle with a 'bit of everything' approach. Read up about both and make your decision based on fact - but consider the source of the information and their bias. Vets are supposed to be a great source of impartial advice with only your dog's health in mind - but did you know many operate on a kick-back system with the commercial pet food manufacturers?

If you use commercial food, only use one designed for giant breeds. AVOID "PUPPY" FOOD AT ALL COSTS! It is too rich for giant breeds and forces them too grow too quickly - placing stress on their joints and guaranteeing hip/joint problems later in life. Studies have been done on this and many have been published on various Vet sites and magazines - this is a direct quote from one:

"Some years ago, half of a litter from a mother dog showing hip dysplasia was given all the puppy food they would eat; the other half was given limited quantities of adult dog chow. As the pups matured, the ones given the puppy chow developed hip disease but the ones given adult dog chow did not." (find the full article here: http://www.petpages.com/article.php/10/32/Joint-and-Back-Pain-in-your-Pet)

I will reveal my personal bias here and state up front I am not a fan of commercial food. I only use this as an addition to, not the basis of, my dogs’ diet. We favour raw food – bones, fruits and vegetables. Our dogs’ diet is made up of lamb necks, lamb ribs (or brisket), chicken frames, raw vegetables and raw fruits (yes they really do eat them! Our Mastiffs graze off our fruit trees – we didn’t teach them this, they do it by instinct). I do give a small amount of commercial dry food as it contains trace minerals and also because it is convenient. Further information about other negatives to commercial food can be found here:

1. http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/health/common/feeding.html (wondering what goes into commercial food? You may be surprised!)

2. http://www.barfworld.com/html/barf_diet/barfdiet.shtml (a very popular diet for dogs called the B.A.R.F diet)

The two biggest mistakes people make when feeding their dogs are:

Too much food! Especially when you use commercial dog food as the main source of food. All brands have recommended feeding amounts and schedules – only problem is no-one ever sticks to these! Rover always gets slipped extra table scraps, training treats, bikkies, bones etc etc. These add to the calorie intake and people wonder why Rover is getting fat even though “I only give him the amount stated on the packet….”.

Incorrect balance of food. Dogs need a balance of protein, calcium, fats and vitamins/minerals. We don’t need to get the scales out and weigh everything and scientifically analyse each morsel – just some common sense! Raw foods contain all their nutrients because they haven't been cooked/processed out.

To know if you are feeding your dog correctly, look at your animal. Loose, elastic skin and a soft shiny coat means a correct fats/oils balance. Good form (feet arched like a cat, back not swayed, legs not splayed, nice straight white teeth) means animal has the correct calcium levels. Solid muscle is a sign of correct protein levels. Clear bright eyes and pink gums are evidence of trace minerals and vitamins balance.

Another (slightly gross) way to check this is to look at the dog's stools (yes, I mean poo!). A black, tarry stool is usually a sign of too much protein (red meat the likely culprit); smelly, loose and unformed stool (like a cow pat) a sign of too much fats/oils or too much starch (biggest culprit rich dry foods or canned food). The stool should be firm, formed with not much smell. After a few hours outdoors it should be dry and white like chalk - this means there is a correct amount of calcium (usually comes from eating raw bones). As far as condition goes, you should be able to see the dog's rib cage but not be able to count the ribs!

Exercise and food are linked to a serious condition in large breed dogs known as BLOAT.

The following links contain detailed information about bloat, please try to read as much as you can so you can avoid this painful - often fatal - condition:

1. http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm

2. http://www.kifka.com/Elektrik/Bloat.htm