Why "Overgrowing" Your Large Breed Puppy is Dangerous
By Dr. Becker
Today I want to discuss slow growth diets for growing puppies – especially large and giant breed pups.
Contrary to what many people continue to believe, a roly poly puppy is not a healthy puppy.
Optimal growth in a large or giant breed puppy is very different from maximum growth.
The goal of breeders and owners of big dogs should not be to help their puppies grow as big as possible, as fast as possible.
Somehow, we've gotten the idea a large, fast growing puppy is a positive thing for the health of the dog.
Actually, the opposite is true.
And until everyone understands that, sadly, we as dog owners will continue to contribute to the development of orthopedic diseases in large and giant breed dogs.
The definition of a large breed dog, by the way, is a dog that will be over 55 pounds when he's full grown, which usually occurs between 10 and 24 months of age, depending on the breed.
Serious Health Problems Often Develop in Puppies Who Grow Too Fast
There are several factors that contribute to the skeletal development of puppies, including genetics, exercise, trauma and nutrition. One of the most important factors is nutrition.
The good news is that nutrition is something you, as a pet owner, have complete control over.
A number of orthopedic diseases, which are problems with a dog's bones, joints, tendons, muscles and nerves, take root in poor feeding practices during the puppy's growth period. These diseases include osteochondrosis, some forms of hip dysplasia, hypertrophic osteodystrophy and Wobbler's syndrome.
Many large and giant breed dogs are genetically predisposed to grow too fast. Unfortunately, humans continue to help the process along by feeding inappropriate, high-growth pet food formulas to these puppies.
When a puppy's body gets too big, too fast and gains a lot of weight, it puts stress on the developing skeleton. Rapid bone growth can result in structural defects of the bones, which makes the skeleton even less able to bear the increasing body weight.
Sometimes developing cartilage can't keep up with rapid bone growth, and cartilage defects can occur. Also, big dogs have less bone density than smaller breeds, meaning their bones are more fragile and prone to injury.
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