Pet foods for companion animals: III. The feeding of growing dogs of large breeds.

Actually the number of pet foods for growing dogs is increasing, so that the choice is becoming more and more difficult. The specific feeding of puppies of large and giant breeds is documented in many studies. The aim of the present paper is to summarise the main studies related to skeletal disorders in the growing dog in order to avoid feeding errors by the practitioner. The requirements of the growing dogs are reviewed along with the development of the main orthopaedic diseases. Then the nutrients to be taken into consideration in the feeding of the growing dogs are discussed. Finally a comparison between different pet foods for growing dog shows a largely variable composition. Practical applications are made to compare the nutrient supplies from different foods to dogs of medium and large breeds.