What is best diet for large breed puppy?

jkoch

By Dr. John Koch

Question: I just bought a new lab puppy. I want him to grow to be as big as possible. What vitamins, minerals, and foods do you recommend?

Answer: I hate to burst your bubble, but what you want to do is absolutely wrong. By pushing your large breed puppy with maximum nutrition in the form of high protein, larger numbers of calories, high amounts of fat, large amounts of calcium, phosphorus, and other minerals you are predisposing your dog to tendon, ligament, cartilage and bone problems.

Studies have shown that puppies that are pushed nutritionally have a much greater incidence of hip dysplasia, torn ligaments, slipped tendons and cartilage damage. All of these problems usually require corrective surgery. Surgical correction is often expensive. As they grow older, these animals have a high incidence of osteoarthritis.

What is needed is a diet balanced with controlled quantities of the nutritional building blocks of growth. There are foods available that are specifically designed for the large breed canines. Use them. If you cannot afford them, use regular dog chow. Even puppy chow may lead to problems in this special group of animals.

Whatever you do, do not load these dogs with various concoctions of extra calcium, proteins and other supplements erroneously recommended by some breeders, breed clubs or Internet gurus. Years ago veterinarians were also a part of the group encouraging hyped up nutrition for large breeds. Research has proven these old ideas to not only be wrong, but to actually be harmful. In the large breeds, slower controlled growth is in your pet's best interest.

Dr. Koch is a Cape Girardeau area veterinarian.