FEEDING YOUR MASTIFF

We recommend you commercial food for puppies because it contains the suitable concentration of nutrients.  

How to feed your puppy?

The best thing is to follow nature’s advice. It is very important that the puppy is suckled with the colostrum from its mother as soon as it is born because this will enhance its defenses and will provide it with the nutrients it needs in the first weeks of its life. The weanings will take place when the puppy is over 2 months. If its mother dies or, for some reason, she stops producing milk, the puppy will be stressed and will tend to lose weight and be ill. In this case the puppy will need support and patience, and also a solution to finish the suckling stage: either to buy bitch milk powder or else, mix a glass of cow fat milk, a yolk of egg, a spoonful of honey and a bit of natural grenetine. After the first month and a half we can gradually replace the bitch powder milk or the alternative food by commercial food for puppies.

As all the puppies, ours will grow very rapidly during the first weeks: Can you imagine?, it must duplicate its weight in a little time and that is why its diet must be more concentrated and rich in nutrients. During the first weeks after the weaning you have to be very careful with its food and it must be fed at least four times a day.

As your puppy grows, its nutritional needs diminish in the same proportion to the quantity of food. Hence you will have to gradually reduce the number of meals up to one or two a day after it is over six months. Do not give it too much food, since it is possible to become obese. It is a good advice not to leave it the dish full of food; it is much better that you take it away 15 minutes later. This way you prevent it from choking and getting ill.

Feeding for life: the growing stage and the adult age.

As your dogs groes up it will start eating less. It does not mean that its diet is then unbalanced but it is altered in an important way. At this stage it is important that your does exercise to avoid becoming obese, strengthen its muscles and bones and develop to the top. Besides, it also becomes sexually mature at this stage so, if it is to fulfill reproductive functions it is extremely important to fill its nutritional requirements with the suitable nourishment before crossing it. A well fed dog is a beautiful dog.

It is important that you establish the meal timetable well and select the quantity and quality of food in relation to the activity it is going to carry out. To establish a meal timetable will help you anticipate the times when it will evacuate or urinate and get the habit of cleaning the affected area.

According to most researchs and following common uses in the handling and taking care of pets, commercial food is the most suitable one. Special food for this stage with the necessary nutrients and with different components for every kind of activity is also marketed.

To get to a happy old age.

On reaching this stage –when your dog is over 8 years- you must take special considerations: your pet will not be able to do the same things, at least to the same pace. It is also possible that it starts having trouble when taking advantage of the dairy food. Conclusion? You must vary its diet.

With lower physical activity your dog may become obese. It is then advisable to increase the quantity of fiber in its diet, adding more vegetables and cereals and removing junk food and sweets. This will probably avoid constipation.

Provide your dog with softer food, as teeth are also much weaker at this stage.

Once more, the easiest and advisable thing is to buy any commercial food for old dogs you can buy or to consult a veterinary doctor to elaborate a soft domestic diet that is adapted to your dog.