need opinions...feeding my dane

[Simon Says]

we as ya'll know I adopted a dane, she came to the foster home wiegh in at 75 LBS, now she is about 90 LBS, I have her on IAMS lamb meal and rice and a tablespoon of wet IAMS lame meal and rice. Now the back of the bag says I should giver her daily 3 cups to 3 - 3/4 cups, now shouild I up that since I wouls like to put some weight on her, and I really don't think she is going t grow anymore, so if previous owners did right by her and fed her right, HOPFULLY, we won't have joint problems later, but what do ya'll think, should I up her a bit?

[tessa_s212]

Iams...ew..not a very good food.

How old is she?

I'd suggest Innova large breed..maybe solid gold wolf king?
Eagle Pack, Wellness, Canidae, and Nutro are also some other good ones.

[tessa_s212]

http://www.chromadane.com/chlinx.htm

[Simon Says]

i don't like IAMS either, but it is what she has been eating so I didn't want to change her to fast, I plan on weening her off of it, I am a NUTRO girl, so in time we will be eating NUTRO, I just didn't want to change to much too fast.

She is about 2 to 2 1/2, we aren't exactly sure, so I am hopeing that she is full grown, but that you very much for the website!!!!

[tessa_s212]

Goodluck with your Dane and I want to see pics! Lots and lots of them!

[GretaJack]

SimonSays, when I had my dane, I fed her 9-10 cups of food a day to get weight on her and then about 8 after she filled out. My friend that has two danes fed about the same (10 cups a day/dog) and she feeds IAMS large breed adult.

Is she free fed or given meals?

If she is given meals, i would defintely feed more than what the bag recommends because those recommendations are based on a dog that is currently at idea weight.

Oh, and my labs get 4 cups of food a day (2 cups twice daily), so I would think a dane would need more than that.

Good luck. She looks beautiful

[Simon Says]

thank you so much!!! she is feed meals twice a day!!! they told me she was a picky eater, but when i feed her, she goobles it down like there is now tommorrow, so at least she has a very healthy appitite!!!

[Country-Side Br]

Many times, when a dog is time fed, they will gobble it all down at once...they learn to do that because they don't know when the next meal will be so they take in all that they can. You could try adding 1 or 2 raw eggs and 1 Tbl. of safflower oil daily, or some scrambled eggs. It's not so much the quanity of food you need to add some weight, but the calories/carbs. that will do the trick. Try bulking her up too...excercising her will also help. You can start changing her food over now, too. Just do it gradually...75% old/25% new for a few days, then 50/50 for a few days, then 25/75 for a few more and finally 100% new food. It should talk 7-10 days to change her over without any problems.

I'm still waiting for pictures, you know. I love Danes! They're so BIG!!

[Simon Says]

thank you all, I have some more pictures that I took, they aren't vet good, but she is too cute to me

[tessa_s212]

Awww! So cute! And such big paws!