Pets
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Mastiffs?
in Pets
I used to post here quite a bit, but see lots of new faces these days. Any of you have Mastiffs or other giant breeds? How much do they weigh and how old are they? What do you feed and how much?
DH and I have a 10 month old English Mastiff who currently eats TOTW, but we're constantly debating how much we should be feeding him...lol. I know the bag guidelines aren't always accurate and our vet doesn't have much experience with Mastiffs. Everything I read when researching it conflicts as well so your experiences are appreciated 
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Re: Mastiffs?
Every dog is different and that is the major reason that the bag guidelines don't always work. It is important not to go to far *below* the guidelines or you are at risk for being deficient in nutrients for your pup.
I recommend evaluating the Purina BCS chart and then comparing your dog to that. A 5 is ideal with an easily defined waste and ribs not visible but easily felt when petting him. For the large dogs I tend to recommend staying on the light side of normal. Every pound adds 4lbs of force on the joints and since that is a major issue with big dogs every pound can make a huge difference. Even as a puppy he can be evaluated with this scale effectively.
Not seeing your dog and knowing how much you feed it is hard to say whether you are feeding appropriately for your pup. I hope these guidelines help.
here is the link to the BCS chart.
http://www.myk9kingdom.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/10.13.fatpets.BCS_Chart_dogs.jpg
I'm aware of basic guidelines for keeping my dog at a healthy weight and am more than capable of accomplishing that. I'm just curious to hear from other giant breed owners what they feed and how much because we are considering switching foods. But thanks.
O.M.G! Please. Just go away! You give awful advice.
They see us rollin'...they be hatin'.
I don't have a large breed, I have a greyhound mix though and I can never stick with what the bag says to feed him or he looks too thin. My vet explained to me that you don't want to be able to see his ribs, but feel them if you rub his sides. You also want the defined hips as another PP mentioned, kind of like an hourglass shape. It seems like it's gonna be up to y'all to figure out the best amount, and with him still being a puppy it's likely to change a lot in the coming months until he's full grown.
Good luck with your big boy!
At that age, duke was eating 3.5 to 4 cups of Canidae a day. He's a Dane mix though, and was only 75 lbs.
Lago ate 5 cups a day to maintain his weight, but he was BSC. And only 60 lbs.
Have you seen my monkey?
I currently have two (Just lost one in November due to health issues)
Eisenhower is the oldest at 5. He is 260lbs and has epilepsy. Ellie is my other, she is about 120lbs, and just over a year old. She was a rescue so I am unsure of her actual age. She may also be part Great Dane.We have a 125 American Bulldog. We feed TOTW Southwest Canyon (red bag, wild boar protein). He gets 2 cups in the morning and 2 cups at dinner. I have fed him this way for the last 2 years (we got him when he was 7ish). We learned with our lab, (who is 14 y/o & 90 lbs, gets 3 cups a day) it is better to keep them thin. We have had no issues, so I guess it worked.
I have an 18mo. old Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. He's currently about 95 pounds. Right now we're feeding Nutrisca. He gets 4 cups a day, plus half a can of Tripette. He's unneutered, though, so his metabolism is probably a bit faster than a neutered dog. He's also really lean.
When I switch foods, I generally decide what to feed based on how many calories per cup. I just compare to what I'm already feeding and adjust accordingly. It's worked for me.