Feedkng a great Dane adivice?

[cshenk]

Hi folks,

Josh (Joe) was buried today. COVID-19 related. He was in his 30's.

I now have a Great Dane that I have been watching for him. I know a
good bit about dog feeding, but if an have any *specifics* for an elder
Great Dane, I would appreciate them. He's 10, maybe 11 soon from what
I was told but I have no dates for that other than average is about 9
for them.

He's slightly thin per the vet for his size but not by more than 10lbs.
Mostly Josh fed him a baseline purina dog chow. Other than age, no
medical issues known and none the vet records as odd in bloodwork.

I am currently adding bits of things (1/3cup per serving) to make the
food more interesting such as: shrimp, chopped carrots, cubed steamed
sweet potatos, green beans.

I also planted more lettuce types. I don't know how the heck he
figured out it was better than grass like my last 2 dogs, but he did
and I can't raise a container garden set above his reach (grin).

[cshenk]

cshenk wrote:

> Hi folks,
>
> Josh (Joe) was buried today. COVID-19 related. He was in his 30's.
>
> I now have a Great Dane that I have been watching for him. I know a

> good bit about dog feeding, but if an have any specifics for an elder

[Janet]

In article <yKqdnWcMdLPJgTjD...@giganews.com>, cshenk1
@cox.net says...

>
> Hi folks,
>
> Josh (Joe) was buried today. COVID-19 related. He was in his 30's.

Poor man. I am sorry.

You can buy dog foods with the protein/fat proportions specially
formulated for larger breeds and older dogs. Our 10 yr old large
greyhound does best with wheat-freee ones. On his commercial food he
particularly enjoys additions of left-over oat porridge, boiled rice,
cooked carrots, potatoes and brocolli; fish skin, raw eggs, cooked
chicken (no bones) and an occasional drink of milk. A couple of times a
week he gets a small tin of sardines in oil (the cheapest brand
available), good for joints and coat.


We put his dish in a raised feeder, as the breed and other very
tall dogs are prone to bloat and gastric torsion which is often fatal.
For the same reason, wait an hour after feeding before letting him
excercise hard.

Hope some of that is useful

Janet UK.

[Dave Smith]

On 2020-04-26 1:29 a.m., cshenk wrote:
> Hi folks,
>
> Josh (Joe) was buried today. COVID-19 related. He was in his 30's.
>
> I now have a Great Dane that I have been watching for him. I know a
> good bit about dog feeding, but if an have any *specifics* for an elder
> Great Dane, I would appreciate them. He's 10, maybe 11 soon from what
> I was told but I have no dates for that other than average is about 9
> for them.

A lot of dogs are happy with just plain old dry dog food. It might not
hurt to add a little olive oil. My old Malinois was quite happy with
his food unadorned, but he had a salmon based chow made for dogs with
skin and digestive issue. He worked for both. He stopped shedding and
his dermatitis cleared up and his stools were nice and firm, which i a
good sign for dogs.

If you do change dog goods do so gradually. Get the new stuff while
there are still a few days worth of the old food and gradually add more
and more of the new food.

Sorry to say that if he is 10 years old he is not likely to be around
much longer. Big dogs don't life as long and life expectancy is 8-10
years.

[col...@gmail.com]

My boxer lived to be 13.

[Jinx the Minx]

We have a 120# mastiff breed that is tall for his kind. He does much better
on dry dog foods specifically for large breeds; better yet one formulated
for hip and joint health. We always add extra things, because he rules the
house. Rice and eggs are a favorite, as well as meat scraps, fish skin, and
peas. He LOVES peas. And pizza. Watch your plate. Cheese is a daily treat.
We keep string cheese on hand. I’ll occasionally cook up big batches of
food to freeze in individual portions. I stick to a ratio of 50% grain, 25%
protein, 25% vegetable. I’ll buy the cheapest, fattiest hamburger for this
usually, with a 23-27% fat content. I know you are familiar with cooking
for dogs, however. I like to boil up a bunch of eggs, smash them up, and
keep in a container in the fridge so I can just add a quarter cup or so at
mealtime. It’s nice and easy. Raising his food and water bowls up to
prevent bloat is debatable. Some studies show it contributes to it, and
others prove it doesn’t. We raise ours simply to alleviate the strain on
joints from bending so much (our dog has a torn ACL). I’m not sure exactly
how high a GD would need, but at least a foot. You can google for height
recommendations based on dog height. You should also feed large dogs
smaller meals more frequently rather than 2 large meals a day to help
prevent bloat. And if he eats fast, absolutely buy a slow feeder for him.
Last but not least, feed him separate from all other dogs. Anxious feeding
increases the risk for bloat.

[U.S. Janet B.]

On Sun, 26 Apr 2020 09:49:40 +0100, Janet <nob...@home.org> wrote:

snip

>
>
> We put his dish in a raised feeder, as the breed and other very
>tall dogs are prone to bloat and gastric torsion which is often fatal.
>For the same reason, wait an hour after feeding before letting him
>excercise hard.
>
> Hope some of that is useful
>
> Janet UK.

The raised dish feeder is a must for taller dogs. The setup generally
has a side for water as well as food.
Janet US

[cshenk]

Janet wrote:

> In article <yKqdnWcMdLPJgTjD...@giganews.com>, cshenk1
> @cox.net says...
> >
> > Hi folks,
> >
> > Josh (Joe) was buried today. COVID-19 related. He was in his 30's.
>
> Poor man. I am sorry.
> >
> > I now have a Great Dane that I have been watching for him. I know a

> > good bit about dog feeding, but if an have any specifics for an

Thank you Janet. Prince is pending my regular vet now with a visit
(had to get a schedule). They are much better than the quick one I had
info from.

Agreed, I need more of a raised feeder than I have just now for him.

I have about 2 gallons of bone broth in the makings right now. At his
age, he has joint issues (arthritis likely). Bone broth eases that.

[itsjoan...@webtv.net]

On Sunday, April 26, 2020 at 12:30:05 AM UTC-5, cshenk wrote:
>
> Hi folks,
>
> Josh (Joe) was buried today. COVID-19 related. He was in his 30's.
>
> I now have a Great Dane that I have been watching for him. I know a
> good bit about dog feeding, but if an have any *specifics* for an elder
> Great Dane, I would appreciate them. He's 10, maybe 11 soon from what
> I was told but I have no dates for that other than average is about 9
> for them.
>

I'm sorry to hear about your friend's death; so young to die. I have
no experience with large older dogs but I see you've already gotten some
great advice here.

Good luck!

[cshenk]

Don made something very much like this for the frame but no hole to
drop the bowls in.

https://www.chewy.com/pawfect-pets-premium-elevated-dog-cat/dp/154576

16.5 inches tall, 12 wide. He made a little frame to hold food bowl on
one end and another for the water 'feeder' Cat food bowl underneath.

[cshenk]

Dave Smith wrote:

> On 2020-04-26 1:29 a.m., cshenk wrote:
> > Hi folks,
> >
> > Josh (Joe) was buried today. COVID-19 related. He was in his 30's.
> >
> > I now have a Great Dane that I have been watching for him. I know a

> > good bit about dog feeding, but if an have any specifics for an

> > elder Great Dane, I would appreciate them. He's 10, maybe 11 soon
> > from what I was told but I have no dates for that other than
> > average is about 9 for them.
>
>
> A lot of dogs are happy with just plain old dry dog food. It might
> not hurt to add a little olive oil. My old Malinois was quite happy
> with his food unadorned, but he had a salmon based chow made for
> dogs with skin and digestive issue. He worked for both. He stopped
> shedding and his dermatitis cleared up and his stools were nice and
> firm, which i a good sign for dogs.
>
> If you do change dog goods do so gradually. Get the new stuff while
> there are still a few days worth of the old food and gradually add
> more and more of the new food.
>
> Sorry to say that if he is 10 years old he is not likely to be around
> much longer. Big dogs don't life as long and life expectancy is 8-10
> years.

True, he's not got long but then again, my 17yo dog just passed a few
months ago among with a 14yo large dog. (simple old age).

He's had 3 different kibble types here and seems to enjoy the swap. No
digestive issues in his case with swapping.

[cshenk]

Jinx the Minx wrote:

> cshenk <csh...@cox.net> wrote:
> > Hi folks,
> >
> > Josh (Joe) was buried today. COVID-19 related. He was in his 30's.
> >
> > I now have a Great Dane that I have been watching for him. I know a

> > good bit about dog feeding, but if an have any specifics for an

Good info there. I generally did morning and night with a noon 'noshe'.

The height for the raised dish set we made was 16.5 for him. That may
be a bit short but it was better than the floor. The bowls are on top
instead of set in holes (framed to keep them in place) so the top of
the bowls is about 19 inches. He's 35-36 at the shoulders (my tape
measure and getting him to stand tall when measuring is problematic).

Sadly, my other 2 dogs passed away last year (old age pretty much) so
no feeding issues with that.

[Terry Coombs]

Check out Naturvet brand Senior Wellness Hip&Joint Advanced with
glucosamine , Chondroitin and MSM . When our Goldie was getting on in
years we gave this to her , it helped a lot to keep her mobile . Goldie
was a "German shepherd mix" on paper , but we're pretty sure she was
half coyote . She made it to 13 , got into it with a critter out in the
woods and was badly injured , we ended up putting her down .

--
Snag
Yes , I'm old
and crochety - and armed .
Get outta my woods !

[Bruce]

On Sun, 26 Apr 2020 19:59:29 -0500, Terry Coombs <snag...@msn.com>
wrote:

Recent research suggests that glucosamine not only doesn't help with
joint issues, but might make them worse. That's for people. I don't
know if it could be different for dogs.

[Hank Rogers]

Well, hell, if you don't know, we'll just have to ask Popeye.

[U.S. Janet B.]

don't know why but I couldn't access the site

[Bruce]

On Sun, 26 Apr 2020 20:46:23 -0600, U.S. Janet B. <J...@nospam.com>

No problem here. Was your computer on?

[Janet]

In article <dKmdnfbE4pHJjTvD...@giganews.com>, cshenk1
@cox.net says...

Our dog came with one like this in his luggage

https://preview.tinyurl.com/yd6vdcuk

I have another , kept at my sons house, which is improvised from a
tall plastic bucket turned upside down, and a hole cut out to fit the
dog dish.

Janet UK

[Sheldon Martin]

On Sun, 26 Apr 2020 19:59:29 -0500, Terry Coombs <snag...@msn.com>
wrote:

WTF was the old girl loose in the woods??? an imbecile dog keeper!

[Sheldon Martin]

One of the best diets for critters and people to protect from joint
issues are soups/stews high in gelatin.