hi there,Im sure someone will be able to help me.Im getting a great dane puppy on the 4th of December he will be 10 weeks old.Only when i asked the lady in question what to feed him she said just to give him the cheap and cheerful food from safeways.Now i know absolutely nothing about feeding them.I have a bloodhound also who was never fed on "cheap and cheerful".I know obviously that it isnt what he is supposed to be eating.I just wondered if anyone can tell me the best food for a great dane puppy to give him the very best start in life.Any info would be really appreciated.
Thanks a lot
Deb

ahem.

Cheap and cheerful with a dane is not good. Is he not coming with a diet sheet from the breeder?

He needs a good quality food four times a day. He also needs things like raw green tripe, Naturediet, scrambled eggs including the shells, table scraps, raw mince or tuna on top. He needs a vit C pill a day to help with his bones too. He needs feedling small meals at first but they need to be of good quality. A drink of goats milk is good too. You can also tip veg oil in his bowl at the end to encourage him to lick it clean :)

are you sure about the egg shells, thought this could cause choking?

Egg shells are very good for them - they are an excellent source of calcium. Why would they cause choking any more than anything else? :) Remember a puppy dane's mouth is the size of a lab!

<<< He needs a good quality food four times a day.>>>    Yes, he does and most of the good complete food manufacturers have a 'Large Breed Puppy' kibble specially made for your size breed.  Large breed puppies should not be fed too much protein, too soon, otherwise they will start suffering from 'growing pains'.  Good luck with your new baby!

Do you have Danes Lewie?

so could i feed egg shells to my adult dogs ?

I do.

Waste not want not.

I always give both my Mals the whole egg :)

My 7 month staffie has eggs and shells !

  thanks you learn something new every day!

I give my shih-tzu's whole quail eggs,chicken eggs are too big,alot of people grind the shell in a pestle&mortar until it's a fine powder and sprinkle on top of the dogs food,egg shells are a most excellent source of calcium.

Are you buying this pup from a reputable breeder?? As so many things can go wrong with danes regarding to growth plate problems etc. A great dane puppy should definately not be fed a cheap and cheerful food :(

Check out  www.greatdanelady.com  this site has tonns and tonns of info on danes as well as general info,and the food she feeds is available in the u.k-eaglepack- you can find it at www.postalpets.co.uk

Hi Debdane

Do you mean the breeder told you to feed cheap and cheerful = if so I think I might be inclined to look elsewhere as she might have cut corners elsewhere as well.

yep thats what i think too kerioak,what else is the breeder sacrificing to save a few bucks?????

Good Nutrition is one of the most important things to take care of when it comes to a growing pup,cheap foods and bad nutrition will end up costing you in the long run and not to mention the suffering this can cause the dog,growth plate problems etc.

Debdane I urge you to take a look at the site i posted. What food is the breeder currently feeding?Does she sell the pups with a health guarantee?

It is not only the pups that need good nutrition but the dam - at the very least for a good few months prior to and during pregnancy and when feeding the pups - preferably thoughout her life.

Was the dam hip scored - even if the breed don't have a severe problem (which I do not know) this shows a committment on the breeders behalf to doing her best for her breed and pups.

The breed is showing a problem in some areas - yes. I would not buy from a breeder that doesn't score.