I am a great dane and I am one of the biggest dogs out there, but don’t worry, I’m as gentle as a puppy!
If you have a dog like me, then you’ll know that with big size comes a pretty big appetite! It will be important to know what you should feed me!
Right now you’re probably struggling to come up with the best food to keep my digestive system healthy, as well as how to promote a lustrous coat and keep tooth, gum and heart disease at bay.
You’ll also want to make sure that the food is delicious enough for me to eat.
We are a very energetic breed too, so you’ll want to make sure that my food contains plenty of energy, as well as natural ingredients that will promote my general health.
Having dog food that is free from harmful additives is also very important for keeping my energy and mood levels up.
But what is the best dog food for a great dane? What features and ingredients should great dan dog food have to give me the most energy for my day? How much does a dog food for great danes cost in terms of price?
Well, great dane lovers the world over won’t have the worry, because we’ve got a list of some of the best dog foods that you can get on the market.
I also have some super-duper doggy info on the differences are between the best and worst dogs foods, as well as some frequently asked questions from humans with dog-related anxieties.
Best Dog Food For Great Danes
1. Nutro Ultra Adult Large Breed Dry Dog Food
The first dog food that I have is definitely one of my favorites, stuffed full of whole chicken and brown rice, this will give me plenty of energy for those long walks that you like to take me on.
This recipe is perfectly adapted for great danes, giving them plenty of calories to get your day started – introducing the Nutro Ultra Adult Large Breed Dry Dog Food.
This dog food contains a very rich palette of ingredients that includes a lean protein that is perfect for helping my muscles to repair and grow. There are also plenty of fruits and vegetables in this food, both of which are full of antioxidants that will keep illness at bay.
The quality of the ingredients used in this dog food is second-to-none and not only is it very delicious, but it is also packed full of natural ingredients.
Great danes are animals that thrive on game meats back in the day, so having food that contains pasture-fed lamb, farm-raised chicken and salmon are great for maintaining healthy muscles and joints.
Pros:
- The quality of the ingredients – I can tell you from experience that we great danes simply love fresh ingredients and thick meat that we can wrap our gums around.
- Protein – this protein will help repair and build muscle but keep away the fat, perfect for keeping your canine pal nice and healthy.
- This is free from a lot of the empty additives that you can find in cheaper dog foods, such as wheat, corn, soy and peas.
- This dog food has plenty of healthy amino acids and oils that will keep your dog’s joints nice and healthy in the long term.
Cons:
- This dog food does contain some meal elements, which are basically just empty of all essential goodness and are used to make up the volume of the dog food itself.
2. Blue Buffalo Adult Dry Dog Food
This next dog food is another delicious one for me and my larger canine pals, with a nutrient-heavy recipe that is perfect designed to fill up the larger stature of beast.
This recipe will help you to keep the bones, muscles and teeth of your great dane nice and healthy – introducing the Blue Buffalo Adult Dry Dog Food.
The vitamins and minerals of this dog food are very superlative, leading to healthy teeth and joints, both of which are very important when it comes to feeding, playing and burning off fat.
This food contains chicken, brown rice and barley, all of which contain proteins, antioxidants and other ingredients that stave off illness and muscle pain.
This dog food is also very tasty, featuring fresh deboned chicken, we simply love the taste of this dog food.
Often we’ll be fed a lot of dog food that has a lot of meal ingredients to it, which not only isn’t that great for our longevity or health, it also tastes quite icky! No thanks!
Pros:
- The fresh chicken elements – chicken is absolutely packed with delicious protein, which is good for our muscle growth and repair.
- Big dogs have a lot more muscle area that they need to repair, being prone to a lot more injuries than your smaller dogs. So having a larger volume of dog food packed with as much protein as possible is very important.
- The taste of this dog food is amazing – me and my great dane pals have no trouble swallowing down this food by the pawful!
- This dog food is very reasonably-priced – you can get a lot of this for very little, which is perfect if you’re a family that is on a budget.
Cons:
- This is dry dog food, which can sometimes stick in our delicate doggy throats. If you do want to make it more appetizing, then I would suggest adding some water.
3. Royal Canin Large Breed Dry Dog Food
This next choice is perfect if you want that medical-grade quality for you and your great dane.
This recipe is perfect for larger dogs like great danes, with a crunchy kibble that both very appetizing and very good for your dog’s health – introducing the Royal Canin Large Breed Dry Dog Food.
This dog food goes very easy on a dog’s delicate stomach, so if you do have a pooch that is experiencing digestive problems, then we would certainly recommend this one.
It has a soft consistency, so it will be very easy to chew and start off the digestion process.
This has a protein formula that will give your great dane that extra boost of energy that they’ll need to run up and down the beach or across the park.
We are big, powerful dogs with a lot of zest in us, so we need dog food that will keep us fueled throughout the day without making us drowsy or causing us to get sick.
Pros:
- This dog food has plenty of fiber – this is great if you have a larger dog that is experiencing a lot of distress in the stomach or bowels and needs something that will not aggravate inflammation.
- There are plenty of elements in this dog food that promotes good health in the joints, teeth and bones. A large dog will experience a lot of stress in these areas during their life, so it’s important to keep them in optimum condition.
- This dog food is enriched with liver, which means that it contains a lot of increased protein, giving you everything that you need for healthy muscles and tissue.
- This dog food comes in a delicious flavor that will be irresistible to dogs like me – I can say with my paw on my heart that this is one of the tastiest dog foods I have ever tried.
Cons:
- This dog food is another dry one that might not appeal to a more fussy breed. If you want to make it very appealing to us, then mix it with some tap water.
4. Purina One Large Breed Dog Food
This next dogfood is another one that is full of nourishment, with a kibble that is combined with plenty of meaty chunks that will certainly remind a great dane of the days of his ancestors when he was eating fresh rabbits.
The manufacturer is very reliable and has made whole chicken the number one ingredient in this dish – introducing the Purina One Large Breed Dog Food.
This dog food will give your larger dog a much more improved immune system, with plenty of zinc, vitamin A and vitamin E, all of which will keep your dog free of sickness.
This will help you to support healthy joints and bones, perfect for keeping your dog on track for much longer.
This brand of dog food comes recommended by veterinarians, so what more of an endorsement do you need?
The real chicken elements are great for keeping your dog’s protein levels at their very highest. This is also a great dog food for having a lustrous coat, keeping it thick and glossy.
Pros:
- The chicken components of this dog food are great for boosting its health and giving it everything that it needs to repair any damaged muscles or ripped tendons.
- Having dog food that provides a larger animal with both fuel and enough to repair it is very important for maintaining your dog’s lifespan and general health.
- We great danes like to jump around and keep very active, and it is important to have dog food that is low on artificial preservatives and high on nutrient absorption.
- The flavor palette on this food is quite simply amazing – if you put it in a bowl in front of me, you simply won’t be able to stop me from devouring the whole thing!
Cons:
- The price – this is one of the more expensive dog foods on this list. The taste and health benefits are great for me, I guess it all depends on how much you’re willing to spend on your four-pawed pal! Woof!
5. Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Real Lamb Wet Canned Dog Food
Our final dog food is one that is packed full of omega acids, giving you that perfect level of natural oil that will aid joint growth.
This recipe is great for maintaining your dog’s balanced diet, giving you everything you need to keeps its coat looking healthy and its teeth sharp and strong – introducing the Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Real Lamb Wet Canned Dog Food.
The one major boon of this dog food is the omega-three fatty acids that it includes. It is a great option for dogs that have increased sensitivities with regards to digestion and chewing.
Luckily, this dog food is grain-free and uses a whole meat ingredient which will be great for easing your dog’s inflamed digestive system.
The composition of this dog food is very unique, coming with one vegetable and one protein-rich meat in one can.
This mimics the natural diet that great danes like us would have had in the wild millions of years ago. It is important not to go against an animal’s ideal digestive system.
Pros:
- The all-natural ingredients – if you want your favorite great dane to have as much nutrition as it can get from a meal, then we would certainly recommend that you opt for this wet dog food.
- The fact that this is a wet dog food is why it is amongst some of my favorites – getting a dog to ingest the healthiest meal is not always easy, but having something that smells just like the stuff we’d eat in the wild is one way of getting it inside us!
- The price – considering the number of health benefits that this one has to offer, this is very cheap.
- This has plenty of lamb and liver, giving you as much protein as you need to keep your joints, teeth, muscles and bones healthy for the long term.
Cons:
- Some users have complained that their dog takes one sniff of this food and then walks away! However, this might just be because your dog prefers a different flavor.
Buyer’s Guide
When it comes to feeding us great danes, there are a few dos and don’ts when it comes to our diet.
One of the main things for these larger dogs is that we have plenty of proteins and fats to keep our heftier and more energetic bodies fuelled.
Here are just a few things that you should be looking to fuel your canine pal:
Increased Levels Of High-Quality Protein And Fat
You should always make sure that any protein that you have in your dog food is sourced from natural animal sources, making sure that as much protein as possible enters your dog’s system.
If you choose ingredients such as chicken or beef meal, then your pooch simply won’t have the protein levels that it needs to stay healthy.
Pay attention to the macronutrient content of your dog food when shopping. These nutrients are essential for keeping your dog healthy and energetic for those long walks across the beach.
Fats are also very important for a great dane, so make sure you feed us plenty of chicken, beef, venison and lamb. Try and find these meats in their whole natural form, as this will mimic closely what we would have eaten in the wild.
Keep The Carbohydrate Fillers Low
Carbohydrates are very important for energy, but the carbohydrate fillers are what you should be looking out for.
If your dog food contains things like corn or wheat meal, then these should be avoided. They are simply included to pad out the volume of your dog food.
Also, if it says grain-free or gluten-free on the can, then this will be something that you’ll want for your dog. The grain-free filler will definitely result in me feeling a greater depletion of energy in the long run.
Make Sure It Contains Plenty Of Vegetables
Having plenty of veg is very important for maintaining a balanced diet for most mammals, including great danes.
Whole vegetables are a great way to get vitamins into your animal’s body, from vitamin A in carrots to vitamins K and C in spinach.
You’ll want to make sure that your dog food contains at least 5 different types of vegetables.
Having plenty of essential vitamins and minerals will make sure that your canine’s body is working in tip-top condition. This will help keep our animals joint and bone health in prime condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Better To Have A Grain-Free Dog food For Your Great Dane?
Us dogs will have a much harder time digesting grains, especially low-quality grain.
If you are looking for new dog food for your canine, then I would suggest that you avoid these as they do not have a high nutrient content.
However, you can include some grains in your dog’s diet to promote a healthy bowel movement. Although again too much of this will see your dog becoming a lot sicker.
What If Your Dog Has A Sensitive Digestive System?
You should certainly take a few things into consideration if you’ve noticed that your dog is constipated or has diarrhea. Obviously, food intake will affect a lot of how your dog’s bowels behave.
Make sure that your dog is getting the right level of calories. You should monitor your dog carefully, especially when changing dog food to see if it affects their digestion negatively.
You should also monitor your dog’s weight, ensuring that it is not carrying around any excess fat on its belly or thighs.