INFLUENCE OF VARIOUS LEVELS OF ENERGY-INTAKE ON DEVELOPMENT OF BODY-WEIGHT AND SKELETON IN GROWING GREAT DANES .1. GROWTH-RATE AND ENERGY REQUIREMENT

27 Great Danes (from 3 litters) were fed ad lib. (n = 9) or with an energy intake (n = 18) restricted to 80 and 70 % of the paired ad lib. group, respectively, and a nearly equalized protein and nutrient supply meeting the current recommendations (8 dogs of the restricted groups were bearing weight loaded [15 % of own BW] belts in the scapular region). Dogs were weighted weekly, shoulder height, approximate length of the forearm and foot were recorded in certain intervalls. In plasma protein, urea, Ca, P, Cu, Zn, and alkaline phosphatase were determined. Intake of digestible energy (according to the results of digestive trials) was recorded daily.