If you're the proud owner of a Great Dane, then you know just how big and lovable they can be. As with all dogs, proper feeding is essential to keeping them healthy and happy. In this guide, we will discuss everything you need to know about Great Dane nutrition and diet.

We'll provide a comprehensive Great Dane feeding chart, and offer tips on how to choose the right food for your Great Dane. So whether you're a first-time Great Dane owner or just looking for some helpful information, read on for the most up-to-date advice on how to feed a Great Dane. In this post, we'll dive into the world of Great Dane feeding and nutrition to help you make the best decision for your Great Dane. PS. I've also included a Great Dane feeding chart which you can see lower down the page to print off and keep on your fridge.

So, what should I feed my Great Dane? As many pet parents are learning these days, not all dog foods are made equal. Since we all want to give our Great Dane the best quality food, you're going to want to take some time to figure out just what it is. As a dog owner, you should be aware of the different types of food available on the market, as well as their pros and cons. Great Dane and giant breed lovers have long debated the pros and cons of commercial dog food, home-cooked meals, and raw. Below, you'll learn how much to feed a Great Dane through his various life stages, how to make sure he's eating the right food, and general tips for your gentle giants eating habits! Tip: Don't forget to print our Great Dane feeding chart ;) 

How much does a Great Dane eat?

A Great Dane can eat about 30 to 40 pounds of food a week. But how much your dog eats will depend on their activity level, age, and weight. As a general rule of thumb, adult Great Danes will eat 6 to 10 cups of food daily, with Great Dane puppies eating 3 to 8 cups of food each day. It will change depending on dog's gender, so continue reading to how it splits for males and females.

How much to feed a Great Dane Puppy? For Great Dane puppies, in particular, it is essential not to overfeed them or free feed. Great Dane feeding is a delicate matter. What your Great Dane eats is more important than one would think. If you provide your puppy with too much food, they will eat too many calories and grow too quickly. This will cause joint and bone development problems, leading to painful and disatrious health conditions down the road. The Great Dane feeding chart in this post is a helpful tool.

A week old Great Dane puppy needs to be fed by its mother frequently. At this age, they are still very small and their bodies are not yet able to handle large meals. Puppies this age also have a very high metabolism and need frequent meals to fuel their growth. When a week old Great Dane puppy is nursing it is receiving specific nutritional needs from its mother, formulated for their stage of life. A Great Dane puppy feeding sure is a sight to see! Many breeders will create and chart a Great Dane puppy feeding sheet so they can monitor how much each Great Dane eats. Charting the puppy's mealtimes is only a small part of how a breeder monitors your puppy's health. You can read more about breeding in our latest Great Dane breeding blog article 

Great Dane puppy food recommendations: What should a 10 week old Great Dane eat?

There's an art and a science to feeding a Great Dane puppy. A Great Dane's skeleton keeps growing until she's about 18 months old, and a diet too high in calcium, phosphorus or protein could result in major orthopedic problems which has a direct influence on the health of your Great Dane puppy. Raising issues like; disturbing the growth pattern inducting rapid growth latent bone disorders in your Great Dane puppy. Make sure that your Great Dane pup is getting her dietary requirements met. When selecting a Great Dane puppy food, you need to ensure that the food is designed for giant breed puppies. Puppies that grow to huge adults, like Great Danes, grow more rapidly than other dogs. For this reason, your Great Dane puppy needs specialized nutrition. Not all puppy food will be suitable for a Great Dane puppy. The most crucial time for the development of diseases in Great Dane pup is from 2 months-6 months. 

Great Dane Feeding Chart

When a male Great Dane puppy is about to reach 12 weeks, then three to five cups is enough according to the Great Dane feeding chart. In the case of a female Great Dane puppy, a twelve-week-old Great Dane puppy, then about three to four cups are enough for her. The female pups are usually at the lower level of each range and the male puppies would be at the higher range. This chart is generalized. Remember that your cups per day will always be dependent on the caloric information found on your feed bag. Helpful tip! Print or screenshot our Great Dane feeding chart. 

To avoid gastric problems with your Great Dane pup, always consider putting 1-hour pauses between rigorous playtime and feeding time with your Great Dane puppy. This is especially if your Great Dane puppy is always a sporty runner outside of your house.

Large breed puppy food is specially formulated to help large breed puppies grow at a slow and steady pace. This is important because if your Great Dane puppy grows too quickly, it can put a strain on its developing bones and joints. Appropriate puppy food for giant breeds will have controlled levels of calcium and phosphorus to promote proper bone development. It will also contain higher levels of fat and calories to support your dane pup. This is why what you feed a Great Dane puppy is so important. Your Great Dane breeder will probably recommend an appropriate food for you to purchase before bringing your Great Dane puppy home. 

You should ALWAYS look at the calcium to phosphorus ratio on the nutritional label. This is important for large breed dogs because they are susceptible to joint problems. The ideal ratio is about 1 to 1. Meaning 1.2% calcium to 1.2% phosphorous, or as close as possible to those numbers. This is extra important for your growing Great Dane puppy!

Never supplement a Great Dane puppy with calcium, phosphorus or magnesium. This can disrupt the balance of these nutrients and cause serious developmental diseases. These include HOD (Hypertrophic osteodystrophy) and Pano(Panosteitis). If you choose to vitamin and mineral supplement your Great Dane, only do so after they are fully grown.

The best way to determine how much to feed your Dane is by using a feeding chart specific to Great Danes. Although you don't need to feed your grown Great Dane as often as you did when he was a puppy, he'll still eat more than a lot of other dog breeds. 

How much should I feed my ADULT Great Dane? What should I feed a Great Dane?

Great Danes are big dogs. Their food should consist of a minimum of 23% protein and 12% fat.

What about male Great Danes vs. female Great Danes?

In terms of quantity, adult male Great Danes should receive 8 to 10 cups daily and female Great Danes, 6 to 8 cups.

Examine the contents of quality food carefully before buying it for your big dogs. You may want to go with premium adult food designed specifically for large breeds. Because Great Danes often experience joint problems, Great Dane dog food usually includes ingredients offering joint support.

One great option is Nutri Source Large Breed Adult Dry Dog Food, specifically designed for large breed dogs. As with any dog, the amount of food that your Great Dane will need depends on their age, activity level and the quality of the dog food that you offer.

Don't be conned into buying inferior quality dog food, thinking that this will save you money. Not only will you likely need to feed your dog more food to get the necessary calories and nutrition, but it can also be detrimental to their health. 

And FINALLY the answer you all came here for ;) What do I feed my Great Danes?!

What I use: Earthborn Holistic Large Breed AND Nutri Source Large Breed Adult Dry Dog Food

Other great Giant Breed kibble options HERE  

Let's talk Great Dane calories!

How much do adult Great Danes eat? How much should you feed your Great Dane?

Whether you are feeding your Great Dane raw or kibble, a female Great Dane needs about 2400 to 3000 calories a day, a male Great Dane eats about 2800 to 3500 calories a day.

Can my Great Dane eat raw?

Raw feeding aka the raw food diet is the act of feeding your dog unprocessed, fresh foods such as meat, bones, organs, vegetables, and fruit. This is the way that dogs would eat in the wild and is often seen as a more 'natural' way of feeding. It is the most natural source of animal protein but it is also the most expensive route if you are trying to keep a budget on your Great Danes food bill. Particularly the Great Dane dogs who are allergic to kibble do well on Great Dane food diet. Dog owners who feed a raw diet to their Great Dane often report seeing an improvement in energy levels, coat condition, and stool quality.

A lot of Great Dane owners swear by raw and your Great Dane can receive the proper nutrition through a raw diet, but you need to know what you are doing. Again, a Great Dane puppy feeding plan should not be part of the raw food diet unless you are an EXPERT in this feeding method.

*please note that we do not recommend feeding Great Dane puppies a raw diet

What's in my dog's food?

When you're looking at the ingredients list on a bag of dog food, the first thing you should see is a protein. It should be named, like "chicken" or "lamb." The second ingredient on the list is usually a carbohydrate. It might be something like "rice" or "barley." After that, you'll see fats, vitamins, and minerals listed in smaller amounts. 

Ingredients lists are important, but they don't tell the whole story. The order of the ingredients is also important. For example, if the first ingredient on the list is "corn," that means there's more corn in the food than anything else. If the first ingredient is "chicken," there's more chicken than anything else. But remember, even if an ingredient is listed first, it might not be the most important ingredient in the food.

Is my dog food good enough?

The best way to know if your dog food is high quality is to look at the guaranteed analysis. The guaranteed analysis must list the minimum percentages of crude protein and fat, and the maximum percentages of fiber and moisture. The crude protein and fat levels give you a good idea of the food's calorie content. The fiber and moisture levels tell you about the food's density.

When it comes to protein, look for a food that has at least 23% protein on a dry matter basis. This means that if the food contains 50% moisture (like most canned foods do), the food actually has 46% protein (23% x .50 = 11)

Crude fat should be at least 12% on a dry matter basis. This means that if the food contains 50% moisture, the food actually has 24% fat (12% x .50 = .06)

You should also look at the calcium to phosphorus ratio. This is important for large breed dogs because they are susceptible to joint problems. The ideal ratio is about 1 to 1. Meaning 1.2% calcium to 1.2% phosphorous, or as close as possible to those numbers. This is extra important for your growing Great Dane puppy!

Never supplement a Great Dane puppy with calcium, phosphorus or magnesium. This can disrupt the balance of these nutrients and cause serious developmental diseases. If you choose to vitamin and mineral supplement your Great Dane, only do so after they are fully grown.

As far as vitamins and minerals go, most high-quality commercial kibble, wet food, and raw food contain all the essential nutrients your Great Dane needs. However, it's always a good idea to talk to your vet about whether or not you should supplement your adult Great Danes diet with any additional vitamins or minerals.

Types of feeders for your Great Dane:

1. Raised food bowls: Since the Great Dane is prone to digestive problems, having a higher-designed food bowl will create a better feeding position, resulting in less likelihood of bloat. This also helps them to digest their food (or water) properly. This is similar to what I use to feed my Great Danes

2. Slow-feeder: By having a Great Dane feed from a slow-feeder bowl, they will have to work harder to get the food that they want. It not only limits them from being bloated but also lessens their likelihood of obesity by slowing down their food intake. You can add about a half cup of wet food to the kibble (same amount as shown in the Great Dane feeding chart) in the feeder, this food mixture will help the kibble stick to the walls of the feeder. When you feed a Great Dane with a slow feeder, always supervise them. Some will quickly figure out how to remove the food from the feeder in one gulp and then swallow it all down. Here are some slow feeders we like for Great Danes

Switching your Great Danes diet:

All pet owners, at some point will want to switch dog foods. When it comes to switching foods, always do so gradually. This will help prevent any stomach upsets. Start your new Great Dane feeding plan by mixing the new food in with what they are already eating, slowly adding more of the new food each day, until they are eating only the new food. Both combinations of old and new should still be within our Great Dane feeding chart amounts. This will ensure a smooth transition for your Great Dane and avoid tummy troubles.

There are a few things to keep in mind when switching your Great Dane's food:

1. Always do so gradually to avoid stomach upsets
2. Mix the new food in with what they are already eating
3. Slowly add more of the new food daily until they are only eating the new food

By following these simple tips, you can ensure that your Great Dane stays healthy and happy!

Why Won't My Great Dane Puppy Eat?

Great Dane puppies can stop eating for a variety of reasons. The most problematic is a health problem. If your puppy's stomach is upset or in pain, they may not have much of an appetite. Even minor problems can make puppies stop eating, as some dogs are more sensitive to pain than others. If your puppy is acting abnormal in any way, it's always best to consult your veterinarian.

There are some other reasons why a Great Dane puppy may not be eating:

• Your pup may be going through a growth spurt and their appetite has not caught up yet
• They may be teething and their gums are bothering them
• They may not be liking their food. Just like people, some puppies are simply picky eaters
• They may have eaten too much too fast and need to take a break
• They may be nervous or scared in their new environment. It's not uncommon for puppies to go off their food when they first come home

Why won't my adult Great Dane eat?

We all know Great Danes eat! If your Great Dane suddenly stops eating, this could be a sign of something serious and you should consult your veterinarian. Some other reasons why Great Dane dogs may not eat are:

• They may be in pain from an injury or illness
• They may be stressed or anxious
• They might not like their food
• They may have an upset stomach
• They may be experiencing a loss of appetite due to old age

If you're ever concerned about your dog's eating habits, it's always best to consult your veterinarian. They will be able to help you determine if there is an underlying health issue or if your dog is just going through a phase.

My Great Dane Has Diarrhea

Many Great Danes experience occasional diarrhea due to their sensitive stomachs. Luckily not every instance will require a trip to the vet, which could get pricey very quickly! You can help to soothe your dog's stomach by ensuring that they:

• have plenty of fresh water

• prepare a small bowl of boiled white chicken meat and white rice for a meal or two

• adding some all-natural canned pumpkin puree WE LOVE this one (never use the ones for pie filling)

These three things added to their meal will help firm up the stool.

Extended bouts of diarrhea or occurrence with other symptoms such as vomiting, lethargy, or weight loss likely indicate something more serious. Contact your veterinarian to provide treatment for your Great Dane if the problem persists.

A proper diet for a Great Dane is an important part of keeping them healthy and happy. If you have any questions about what to feed your Great Dane or are unsure about the best food for your dog, please consult with your veterinarian. They will be able to provide you with specific recommendations based on your dog's individual needs. We hope that you have found our Great Dane feeding chart helpful!

Conclusion: Now you know how much a Great Dane eats each day, don't forget that a Great Dane will be at the perfect height to snatch food from your kitchen counter! Chalk that one up to an expensive learning experience and always keep food out of their reach.

Curious to see what the normal weight is for your 12 week old Great Dane? Check out this Great Dane GROWTH CHART