DIET

The topic of what to feed your Bullmastiff is one that is often asked and questioned by people.

Breeders, Veterinarians and Owners may all have their own opinion on this topic, but what works best for one dog, may not necessarily be the best option for another.  Bullmastiffs are individuals, and although not usually fussy eaters, consideration must be given to a number of things in regard to your dogs diet including age, allergies and activity levels.

The information below should be considered as a guideline, please consult your breeder and/or Vet with any questions or concerns you have in regard to Nutritional requirements.

YOUR NEW PUPPY

You should have received with your new puppy, a diet sheet from the breeder.  This will have listed the ingredients your puppy has been raised on, along with some guidelines as to how much to feed and how often. You should try to stick to this diet, at least for the first few days while puppy is settling in, and then make any changes to his diet gradually and under your Breeder or Veterinarians guidance.


Your puppy may be finicky with food for the first few days, this is part of settling in.  If you are concerned at all, please contact your breeder or Vet.  The stress in change of environment - new home, new family, new surroundings, can cause your puppy to be a bit loose in its motions for a day or too as well.  It is important that your puppy does not become dehydrated. Please see your Vet immediately if you are concerned or puppy appears to be ill, lethargic or has foul smelling runny stools.

DRY FOOD / KIBBLE

Always purchase a good quality dry kibble, made from all Natural Ingredients, without food colourings or harmful preservatives.  Make sure it is a COMPLETE kibble, apposed to Working Dog formulas, which are much higher in protein. 


NEVER be tempted to add calcium to your puppies diet without advice.  If you feed a COMPLETE kibble, everything is in the food that your puppy will require in regard to additives, never be tempted to add more without speaking to your breeder or vet beforehand.  Overdosing on Calcium and other additives can be detrimental to your puppy's bones and growth.

Puppy formulas contain different ingredients to adult food, and are often higher in protein.  Some Breeders feed these formulas until the puppy is around 3 months of age, and then switch to an adult formula.  Others choose to mix half/half puppy formula to adult food, whilst others still, choose to raise their puppies on adult formula from the beginning.  Again, be guided by your Breeder and/or Vet if you have any questions or concerns.


The most important piece of advice, whatever you decide to do, is to ensure your Bullmastiff is not overweight, especially as a young, growing puppy. You should be able to see a slight tuck up in the stomach area when the dog is standing side on to you, not straight across or bulging down.

RAW MEAT

Along with their Kibble, you must remember that Dogs are carnivores, and therefore, require meat in their diets.  This can be in the form of beef, lamb or chicken, but the most important thing to remember is that it MUST BE RAW and it must contain some bone to balance out the calcium to meat ratio.

An all meat diet is very bad for dogs, and can create all sorts of problems.

Chicken necks and carcasses are great for dogs, but you must feed these with extreme care and under supervision, ensuring that the dogs chew them correctly, not swallowing them whole which may cause them to lodge in their throat and potentially choke them to death.  If your dog chews these too fast, then try giving them frozen, the dogs will have no choice but to chew them slower.

A SMALL amount of beef or lamb mince can be added to the Dogs Complete Kibble, but remember not to overfeed meat without bone inclusion.

ADDITIONAL FOODS THAT CAN BE ADDED TO KIBBLE

Raw vegetables and fruit (shredded or chopped into small portions)

Eggs (including the shell which has been crushed, to counteract the protein/calcium ratio)

Pasta and/or rice
 

FOODS NEVER TO BE GIVEN TO A DOG

Chocolate, Raw Salmon, Onions, Grapes and raisins are all toxic to dogs.

Corn Cobs and Apple Cores (can become lodged)

THE BARF DIET

I do not feel qualified enough to actually comment too much on this type of feeding.  Some breeders swear by this method, and would not have it any other way.  I did try my dogs on the Barf diet once for around 6 months, but I felt that the dogs needed more bulk, they were still quite hungry and a little too lean.  I now take some of the principals of this diet, and have added a quality kibble to it.  The dogs are a lot happier, they look great, and I don't have to worry about them getting the correct additives in the
correct amounts, as the Kibble provides that basis.


There are two very informative books written on the subject, and I have found them very useful in regard to nutrition in general.  The are written by Ian Billinghurst, one is called "Grow your pup With Bones", the other is "Give Your Dog A Bone".  Ian Billinghurst can be contacted at PO Box WO 64,
Bathurst, NSW 2795 Australia.  E-Mail: barfdiet@ix.net.au

These two books are essential reading should you wish to feed the BARF diet, to ensure you are
doing so correctly.

FOOD ALLERGIES

Like humans, dogs may develop allergies to certain foods or additives. There is an article regarding Food Allergies on Bullmastiffs Online, under Health Issues.


WATER

Clean, fresh water that is changed daily should be available to your dog at all times.  Ensure this is placed out of the sun, especially in warm weather.

BREEDER QUESTIONARRE
I asked a series of experienced Bullmastiff breeders to comment on this topic.  Below are their answers to the following questions.

1.  Your Name

Nikki Marshall ñ Opalguard Kennels
Kim Rogers ñ Kimbullad Kennels
Michele Edwards ñ Nightquest Kennels

2.  How long have you been breeding Bullmastiffs?

Nikki Marshall: 19 years

Kim Rogers: 13 Years

Michele Edwards: In the past 9 years I have had 5 litters


3.  Do you strictly feed the BARF diet?

Nikki Marshall: Not strictly, but the basic principals are applied to our dogs' diet. I did try them solely on BARF for a short time and found they needed more bulk in their food to keep them satisfied.

Kim Rogers: No

Michele Edwards: No but I do agree with the concept. I did try it and found it too time consuming vitamising all the fruit and veggies. So I now feed a balanced dry food for breakfast and a raw feed at night. This way I feel they are getting the balance out of the kibble and they also get the benefits of the raw. It gave me better piece of mind.


4.   If yes, what is your normal feeding regime?

5.   If no, what is your normal feeding regime? 

Nikki Marshall: A good quality kibble that has no artificial colourings or preservatives.  Raw vegetables, chicken carcasses or beef mince.  Their daily feed will vary so this is just a basis.

Kim Rogers: Fresh lean beef, lamb or pork mince and good quality kibble with some veggies, rice, pasta and some additives.

Michelle Edwards: I feed my adult dogs 2 meals a day. In the morning they get a complete dry food (Bonnie Complete). In the evening they get an all raw meal which can vary from raw meaty bones, mince, chicken carcasses or necks as well as any table scraps from the house i.e.. all vegetable peel and any plate left overs.  I do not mix processed food with natural food, they are always fed separately. I read that it is more easily digested by the dog this way.

6.   How do you determine the amount to feed your individual dogs? 

Nikki Marshall: I measure their food with cups.  Each dog has a different amount which I gauge by looking at them.  It depends on their metabolism, their age and their activity level as to what each one requires.  Their requirements often change as they get older.

Kim Rogers: After youíve bred for a while you get to know approximately how much to feed each dog.  Each one is an individual and will require more or less than others and some will require completely different types of food to others.  The basic rule of thumb is if they start to put on too much weight cut back on the food if they look lean and are looking for more, increase their food.

Michelle Edwards: I basically work on a cup system. Each dog gets a certain amount of cups of food and I regulate this by how they are looking. When feeding carcasses or raw food I just count how many I give each dog and as they are looking the right weight then I keep it at that ratio. 

You will find dogs are like people, some put on weight easily and others can be fed til your blue in the face and still look half starved. So getting to know your dog is important.

No dog I own gets the same amount of food. 

7.   How often do you feed your puppies?

Nikki Marshall: Small puppies up to the age of 3 months, they are fed three times a day, this is reduced to two meals a day until the age of 6 months, then once a day for the older dogs.

Kim Rogers: Once they are on solids and up to 3 months of age they get 3 meals a day, from 3 months to 6 months they get 2 and from 6 months onwards they get 1.
Michelle Edwards: Between 4 - 8 weeks I feed 5 times a day. 

8.   How often do you feed your adult dogs?

Nikki Marshall: Once a day for a complete meal, with treats in the mornings.
Kim Rogers: Once a day
Michelle Edwards: twice a day.

9.   Do you agree with the above article recommendations?

Nikki Marshall: yes
Kim Rogers: The basic principles seem sound
Michelle Edwards: Yes

10. Do you add anything other than the above to your dog's diet?

Nikki Marshall: Vitamin C, tuna on occasion.

Kim Rogers: Occasionally sardines, kelp, and some natural therapy remedies

Michelle Edwards: I add kelp, Cod Liver Oil, and Livermol to their daily meals.  Once a week I add some Apple Cider Vinegar as well.

11.   Would you eliminate anything from the above article from your dogs Diet?  

Nikki Marshall: Not unless necessary for individual needs.

Kim Rogers: I wonít feed bones anymore after loosing one by chocking on one.

Michelle Edwards: No, but I would stress that you listen to your breeder rather than your vet when it comes to diet. I have had too many puppy buyers so confused by which dry food to use as the vets tend to recommend high protein feeds. I feel these big dogs don't need a high protein feed, it is better that they grow slowly and surely rather than a feed that rushes bone development and can cause detrimental problems with the dog later on. 

10.  Do you recommend feeding raw bones? What type do you recommend and how often?  

Nikki Marshall: Yes, I think they are important for their health and teeth, plus they enjoy them.  I do however, strongly recommend supervision with bones and carcasses until they are completely eaten.  Remove any bones that are not eaten.  I do not recommend small bones that can be easily swollen and cause the dog to choke, a large bone such as marrowbones is much more suitable.  NEVER feed cooked bones of any type, whatsoever.

Kim Rogers: No, not unless you can stay with the dog for the entire time it is eating one and be able to rescue it from the dogs mouth if it gets small enough for it to swallow.  I use to feed raw brisket bone, but I guess the safest bone is the cannon bone or femur

Michelle Edwards: I feed mine Raw meaty bones at least 5 times a week. I feed mainly Chicken carcasses but they also get any other bones we have available to us. We often have friends drop over the off cuts of a cow they've had slaughtered and our dogs get all those bones too.  I suggest having a long nose pair of pliers wedged into your dog run incase of an emergency though.

We havenít had any major problems with bones being stuck but I am very aware of the dangers associated with feeding bones.  We feed puppies chicken necks to get them used to eating bones, but as soon as they start gulping them whole we stop feeding them the necks and put them onto carcasses

I suggest that the dogs are supervised the whole time they are eating bones and that the bones are removed when they have finished.

11.  Do you feed can food?    

Nikki Marshall: A Puppy Formula to weaning puppies and very occasionally as an addition to Kibble as a treat.

Kim Rogers: No

Michelle Edwards: Only to puppies when they are being weaned from their Mothers.

12.  Would you like to expand on these Questions regarding Diet?

Nikki Marshall: There are many dry foods available. Find what works best for your dog and stick with it.  All dogs are different, and what suits one may not be ideal for the next.

Michelle Edwards: Never feed COOKED bones. Don't give your dogs the left over roast bone, no matter how good or how much meat is left on it. Cooked bones shatter and splinter easily and can spear off inside your dogs stomach and cause huge problems.

I recommend feeding raw bones as the dogs have to use their paws and toes for holding the bone still which is great for the development of nice tight feet. It also gives the jaw allot of exercise that they wouldn't get by eating plain mushy food.

I always have my dogs feed and water bowls raised as I find this helps tighten their pasterns and toes. I have them hooked over a wire fence and raise it as the dog grows. The height should be so that the dog doesn't need to lean down to eat.