Dogs that weigh any where from 45 to 99 pounds when they are mature are known as large breed dogs. Feeding a puppy that is of a large breed is very important to its development. It is also very important not to over feed these puppies but they should not be too lean. Having a balance between optimal weight and a balanced nutritious diet thorough out a puppy’s beginning stages adds to proper growth and reduces the amount of health problems that are typically associated with large breed dogs. It is also very important that these large breed puppy’s get an adequate amount of daily exercise which will contribute to a lean body and proper bone development.
Proper Nutrition
A puppy that consumes too much protein, dietary fat, and calcium may develop abnormalities of the skeleton. The amount of protein that should be consumed should be between the 15 to 27 % range and having to much will contribute to extra pounds. A puppy that consumes to much dietary fiber can result in too much muscle mass for their delicate skeletal structure to hold up. This can result in chronic pain, malformations of the joint and fractured bones. A puppy should not consume calcium that is over 3% because it could be harmful to their development, according to most animal nutrition experts. In addition, adding to much vitamin D can even make the problem worse because it enhances absorption of calcium. Puppies should not be overweight because it can lead to a host of health problems. Puppies that are 6 months old need to consume food 3 times a day, while dogs that are older than 6 months should only eat twice daily.