Have a few ??????s on about my mastiff

kt19840 · 11-15-2009, 04:24 PM

Hey guys i am new to this site and a new mastiff owner i have a few questions about his diet i dont feel like he is getting enough food but am afraid to overfeed him. he also does a lot of sleeping not very active at all. i know that is common for this breed but if anyone out there with mastiff experience can help that would be awsome.

Keechak · 11-15-2009, 04:54 PM

How Old is he, What food are you feeding, and can we see a picture?

Cracker · 11-15-2009, 05:15 PM

Welcome to DF...yes we NEED pictures..lol.

I have the same questions as Keechak. Age, health, current weight, exercise needs etc all have a lot to do with how much food to feed..the quality of food also makes a difference as higher quality foods tend to be more calorie dense and don't require the same amount daily as a food with fillers etc.

kt19840 · 11-15-2009, 07:25 PM

yeah i am letting my camera charge rite now. he is 4 days shy of 6 months i just had him to the vet in september and the vet siad he was a perfect size for his age but i have been reading these fourms and you can def see more than the last 2 ribs so ima little concerned

Keechak · 11-15-2009, 07:28 PM

Growing puppies tend to be better off on the skinnier side of the weight scale, But we'll wait for the picture.

what food are you feeding and how much?

kt19840 · 11-15-2009, 07:38 PM

here are a few

kt19840 · 11-15-2009, 07:40 PM

i fed him purina one large breed puppy formula until hew was 3 months now he is on purina but i think i am goin to change that and put him on something with less fillers in it

Willowy · 11-15-2009, 07:42 PM

My, he does look too skinny. You can see his hip bones and everything. How much are you feeding him? Are you giving him Purina Puppy Chow or regular Dog Chow?

kt19840 · 11-15-2009, 07:45 PM

purina puppy until he was 3 months then i switched to purina im giving him 4 cups a day wich was fine until recently and he started looking skinny ive never had experience with a large breed and my breeder siad he would look skinny until about a year and then start fillin out but i think this is too skinny

he seems to have lost some enegry over the last few weeks too he has never really been that active but if this is an issue i want to get it taken care of my breeder lives 3 states away so all my questions are over the phone

railNtrailcowgrl · 11-15-2009, 08:00 PM

I think he looks way too skiny. Large breed pups should be kept thin but I think that they still need a good covering of flesh. You shouldn't see his hip bones like that. Here is an example of another 6 mo mastiff pup and this is a female so theoretically she should be smaller than him.

FYI the caption under the pup says she weighs 100lbs at 6 months old (Scroll down to "Thumbalina").

I think a trip to the vet is in order to rule out any health problems (due to the decreased energy) and I would definatly increase his daily intake of food.

kt19840 · 11-15-2009, 08:05 PM

i just had him to the vet in september and he checked out all good i am not opposed to takin him back though if i increase his intake in food in theory he should pick up the size he needs right?

how much food should he be eating at 6 months the breeder siad he was projected to be around 200 and 220 lbs full grown and i want to see him get there healthy all the way

Willowy · 11-15-2009, 08:11 PM

There are many kinds of "Purina". Are you giving him regular Dog Chow?

I think 4 cups a day is way too little. I think on the bag it recommends about 8 cups for a dog that size. And you do have to increase his food as he grows. If you switch to a food with a higher calorie count, you won't have to feed as much. But with large breeds you have to be careful with the calcium content and all that.

How much does he weigh right now?

kt19840 · 11-15-2009, 08:13 PM

when he was weighed in september he was at 40 lbs im guessing 60 lbs right now but like i siad i didnt see a concern because the vet siad he was perfect size for his age but i have been looking at some pictures and i dont think he is fillin out the way he should

what is a good food to put him on

Willowy · 11-15-2009, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kt19840

what is a good food to put him on

There are LOTS of really great foods out there. What's your preferred price range?

Here's some interesting reading:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/

But until you find a good brand, I'd suggest at least getting some Purina large-breed puppy food, and follow the feeding instructions on the bag. According to the Purina website, a 6-month-old pup that will be up to 130 pounds at maturity should be eating between 5 3/4 - 10 cups of Purina Large Breed Puppy formula a day. So if he's going to be 200 pounds when full-grown he's going to need a lot more food. If he was doing well on the Purina ONE Large Breed Puppy, probably you should go back to that. http://www.purinaone.com/Products/Pr...A-74972693E946

Cracker · 11-15-2009, 08:26 PM

Wellness, Orijen, Taste of the Wild, etc...go to your local feed store (not Petsmart, they don't carry much of anything of premium foods at least ours don't). Check out the food forum here too....lots of info. Purina is not a good food AND your pup should likely be on a large breed specific food at the very least.

Now, he IS too skinny. But if he's been low energy etc you MUST have him vetted. Have them check for worms too (take a fresh fecal sample). Just because they said don't bring him back THEN when he was doing fine..does not mean he's fine til his next visit.

kt19840 · 11-15-2009, 08:28 PM

price isnt an issue i just want him to be healthy i read that the puppy food had a lot of protien and the bag recomended not to use after 3 months and i think i am going to find another vet lol

Cracker · 11-15-2009, 08:31 PM

The issue with large breeds is based on protein and fat BALANCE, you don't want the dog to grow too fast..so in the old days, before large breed specific foods, puppy food was recommended to be weaned off earlier than in smaller dogs.
Vets are not nutrition experts, nor are they behaviour experts..they get only a small segment of their education on these subjects..this doesn't mean they are a bad veterinarian necessarily...just not the authority on these things.

Willowy · 11-15-2009, 08:39 PM

Personally I'd go with Innova Large Breed Puppy ( http://www.innovapet.com/product_line.asp?id=1259 ) if price were no object. Here's a link to their store locator: http://www.naturapet.com/where-to-buy/. But of course there are other very good foods and you need to decide which one will work for you and your dog.

Labsnothers · 11-15-2009, 08:52 PM

He is definitely too thin. If he will eat more of the Purina, I would stick to it. You are correct, you do want to keep him on the lean side. If he won't eat more, changing to a meat based food should help. Out of 20 dogs, I have only had to change food twice. The other 18 did quite well on the common brand I started on. The one Lab we had refused to eat enough of adult Purina when we changed him over to it. We switched to a meat based food, and he ate enough of it that his ribs didn't show so bad he wasn't fit to take out in public.

Contrary to 99% of what you read, regular Purina is as good for the dog as anything else. It has enough of all the nutrients dogs need available. Since is isn't as efficient, you do have to feed more and do have larger, softer stools to clean up. that has no effect on the dog's health. Carefully search all you read about dog food for a factual base. Most of it is based on speculation about ingredients.

If you do change, consider an adult or an ALS food. Just watch the calcium level. It should be less than 1.5% of the dogs diet. An early switch to adult food slows growth and gives the joints more time to develop under less stress. the larger the dog, the more important that is. http://www.bullmastiffinfo.melkevbul....com/food.html