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Apparently 110 pounds of kibble. That’s what George the Great Dane, and current holder of the Guinness World Record for world’s tallest dog eats, every month! That’s the equivalent of 4 (13kg)/28 pound bags of Orijen which is over $300 CDN, per month, and you thought feeding your Pomeranian was expensive!
An average Great Dane is between 28 and 36 inches in height, George stands 42 inches tall on all fours. He’s over 7 feet long from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail. That’s a lot “O” dawg!
Great Danes, one of the “Giant Breeds” (a blatantly obvious statement looking at George), generally live to be between 8 and 10 years old. Because they are capable of explosive growth from birth through their first 18 months of life, they are, as are other large breed dogs (Mastiffs, Rottweilers etc), susceptible to hip dysplasia and other joint problems. For this reason, it is very important to “grow them slow”.
Too Much Too Soon
There are obvious physiological differences when comparing Danes and wolves, what both have in common however, is that in order to maintain optimal skeletal health, they both need to grow slowly.
Wolf Pups? Weren’t Talking About Great Danes?
There is a connection here, bear with me.
Wolf pups, once weaned (3-4 weeks of age) have to fight for every last scrap of food, and scraps (bits of leftover meat/organ meats, bone and offal) are about all they get. Some days they may not eat at all. They’re hunger is probably rarely satisfied.
Have you ever seen a fat wild wolf? Doesn’t happen!
Wolf pups eat lean in terms of how much and how often they eat and so, they grow slowly, never reaching their maximum growth rate. Wolves that have to run down and catch prey much bigger and faster than themselves, cannot afford to have joint problems, growing slowly helps prevent these problems.
From All About Great Danes;
“Most knowledgeable Dane owners will agree, feeding Great Danes a premium dog food with protein levels no greater than 24%, and fat levels between 12% to 14%, is key to proper development.“
As with most Giant Breeds, Great Danes have a slower metabolism than smaller dogs, therefore they have lower energy needs, which means they need less food per pound of body weight than do the smaller breeds.
Slow and Steady Wins the Race
If you’re considering bringing home a Great Dane puppy, thoroughly research all diet options (including a raw meaty bones diet). He’s going to eat ALOT, so don’t skimp out on quality food. Grow him slow to prevent potential skeletal problems and keep your horse Great Dane healthy, happy and in your life for as long as possible.
I'm a dog guardian to Sweety, my 15 year old Border Collie & Zeus a stray American Pit Bull Terrier that I rescued in October of 2009. I write about canine health and nutrition focusing mainly on topics relating to feeding a raw meaty bones diet.
