Vitamin supplements

Question
I have owned Danes when I was younger and love this breed very much.  I am now looking to buy another and am much more savy about the importance of joint and overall health and so I have a question,  my first Dane was purchased by a breeder/show family and they had me feed my dog twice a day a mixture of 6 cups of food, 2 tbls of oil,and 1 scoop of horse vitamins which they explained helped with the dogs joint health.  Is this done by anyone else because most people selling pups require a low protein diet to insure joint health. I want to give my new "baby" the best shot at joint and hip health!!!  Thanks

Answer
The majority of foods today are marketed to eliminate the need to supplement with vitamins as well. In most cases foods designed for XL Breed dogs such as the Great Dane, Mastiffs, Rottweilers ect...have Glucosamine and Chondroitin which is for joint care. Most quality breeds, specifically the ones that show in conformation and performance trails will tell you that they never feed puppy food because the protein content is too high.

If a breeder is feeding puppy food, the protein content should not be higher then 25%. You also want to avoid foods like Ol' Roy, Kibbles and Bits and even Eukanuba and Iams, as these foods have a lot of fillers and by-products for their meat source.

Some of the great foods on the market today are Blue Buffalo, Fromm, Nutro Natural Choice, Merrick, California Natural, Wysong, Royal Canin, Solid Gold and Wellness. Of course you would look for the Large Breed formulas and also what meat protein you want to feed, as there is many to choose from.

I would not supplement anything other then plain yogurt, one spoonful with every meal, this is a natural enzyme and helps them digest food better. Other then that, the food listed above have been formulated for XL Breed dogs and do not need to be supplemented with any type of vitamin.

Remember giving your dog/puppy too many vitamins can also be detrimental to their health. Hope this helps and good luck finding a great dog to add to your family!

I will also add, that if you get your dog from a good, responsible quality breeder, you should not have to worry about joint health with a breeding stock that is checked for Hip and Elbow Dysplasia through the OFA(Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) or PennHip.