Bullmastiff Dry Food Feeding

[kim chi]

Hello I am trying to find out if any one feeds there Bullmastiff Cobber country dog complete feed. I want to get a Bullmastiff from a good breeder I know she feed her Dogs ARTEMIS and this is a Holistic approach fresh mix Dry it is about 8 kilo bag about $100 then there is Royal Canin she feeds some this is also about $137.95 per bag, then there is ADVANCED about the same price for 15 kilo. what I really want to know is can we be feeding Bullmastiffs a cheaper good dry food like 20 kilo bag for $30.

I really want to do a lot of home work on this before I do get a Bullmastiff late next year, the breeders say 2 cups in morning and 2 cups at night so I still cant work out how much dog food I will use , How long will 1 bag last in the 100 range , if any one can please give me some Infomation on what they feed there Bullmastiffs I would be gratefull to know and Im learning as much as I can before I do

get one. :)

[kelpiecuddles]

I've tried Cobber and I'm not a fan, you will need to feed twice as much I have found. I used to feed food about that price range and I've recently switched to black Hawk which is about $100 for a 20kg bag and the bag is lasting me A LOT longer than the cheaper bag would have so I'm very happy with it because it isn't actually costing me that much more in the long run. Plus we've gone from picking up heaps of poos in the yard to not too many.

[Pattycake]

Whilst it may seem cheaper to buy the crap cheap food it works out much better to buy the dearer food...as you feed a lot less of it than the cheaper stuff, for example we only have a medium sized dog but the 15kg bag of Royal canin at around $100-$120 last for about 14 weeks. With a large breed dog it is very important to feed a good quality food especially when they are growing so fast when pups. I'm sure the breeder knows what their dogs do best on and I would be taking their advice.

[Salukifan]

I would not be stinting on the quality of food I fed a giant breed pup.

EVERYTHING will cost more with such a dog - all part of ownership of a breed of this size.

I'd talk to your breeder about other foods he/she might recommend but theres no way I'd be feeding the really cheap brands. They are full of cereal which is simply going to end up in your back yard.

Any 20kg bag of food that costs $30 is going to be crap IMO.

Edited December 17, 2013 by Haredown Whippets

[persephone]

tend to agree . Giant breeds need careful feeding ..and good feeding .

Food, surgery, worming / any medicines, travel ...all these things will cost a lot more than smaller dogs - then there's fencing , strong ,good quality collars/leashes ...

[Dogsfevr]

Each dog is different so what you may want to feed may not even suit your dog ,4 cups may not be enough etc etc etc to be honest in a breed highly prone to bloat i wouldn't want to be feeding alot of dry.

Like mentioned already giant breeds come with with different costs but not feeding right for the first 12 months can also be a nightmare long term & many breeders guarantee there growth on the diet they recommend .

You may be able to discuss other options that fit into your budget but keep in mind the dog determines the "bill" & long term expenses .

Many also feed raw meat .

My 40 kg dog gets 2 cups of RC ,half kg of mutton ,occasional necks,fish or chicken mince

[kim chi]

:) :laugh: Thank you to evey one that has helped me with the food advise I think the best is to stick with the ARTEMIS or Royal Canin as the breeder sugested I just wanted to know the difference was there really a big difference and clearly there is, so Im happy to give my Bull mastiff the $130 bags of food as it will promote great health and well being, also I was told by the breeder to get medicare pet insurance as I am defantly doing that and Ill be getting the hight one, as I know the biger the dog the biger the problems I have also been told by vets when I have the dog desexed to have the operation PROFALACTIC GASTROPEXY so prevent Blote, so any one with Bull mastiffs that have had there dogs have this opp and had benifits I would appreciate any one telling me things I need to learn about. I go to KCC PARK VIC all the time to talk to people at the shows so I can learn. I have been learning now for one year and Im renovating the house so I have just had 6ft 6 fences and new gates lucky dads a builder and we are killing of all the wandering due plant before our family member comes along. so I still have a lot to learn I wont be showing but I will still take my dog to puppy school and on to obediance at KCC PARK as I feel the knowledge of the people there is a great help to and I need that as I have never had a Bull mastiff and such a strong willed dog and needs reguler socializing with dogs and kids people. so I really appreciate every one here telling me about the food as its important and thats why I wanted to ask other people. thnak you kindly and merry xmas and happy new year.

[goldenluv]

Edited December 17, 2013 by goldenluv

[Sagittarian]

Not sure where these prices are coming from? Artemis Medium/Large puppy in a 13.6kg bag is around $115 - 6.8kg is around $70. Royal Canin Maxi Junior for a 15kg bag is around $125. Those are rough retail prices so if you shop around you may get cheaper as well. A cup is about 100 grams so a 15kg bag has 150 cups - 4 cups per day will give you just over a month's food. Hope that helps as you have a gorgeous breed coming!

Sags

:)

Hello I am trying to find out if any one feeds there Bullmastiff Cobber country dog complete feed. I want to get a Bullmastiff from a good breeder I know she feed her Dogs ARTEMIS and this is a Holistic approach fresh mix Dry it is about 8 kilo bag about $100 then there is Royal Canin she feeds some this is also about $137.95 per bag, then there is ADVANCED about the same price for 15 kilo. what I really want to know is can we be feeding Bullmastiffs a cheaper good dry food like 20 kilo bag for $30.

I really want to do a lot of home work on this before I do get a Bullmastiff late next year, the breeders say 2 cups in morning and 2 cups at night so I still cant work out how much dog food I will use , How long will 1 bag last in the 100 range , if any one can please give me some Infomation on what they feed there Bullmastiffs I would be gratefull to know and Im learning as much as I can before I do

get one. :)

[cassie]

I would recommend sticking to the diet the breeder has advised for at least the first 18 months of your pup's life :) This is when s/he will do the bulk of their growing, and correct nutrition is of vital importance. After this time you can possibly look into a slightly cheaper food :)

Big dogs cost a lot of money to feed unfortunately! But they're so worth it :)

PS hi Sags, long time no speak!

[BlackJaq]

I would recommend sticking to the diet the breeder has advised for at least the first 18 months of your pup's life :) This is when s/he will do the bulk of their growing, and correct nutrition is of vital importance. After this time you can possibly look into a slightly cheaper food :)

Big dogs cost a lot of money to feed unfortunately! But they're so worth it :)

PS hi Sags, long time no speak!

Agree. Although I find feeding my dogs cheaper since changing to Advance kibble instead of using the cheaper brands. My Wei is not on Advance Active. She eats about 2 cups a day, as opposed to 4 or 5 cups of the cheaper food previously. She still gets some meat and bones on top of this but she also got them when she was on the other food. I have had an 8 kg bag here for her for over a month now and it will probably last a few more weeks (I think it was about $75 for the 8 kg bag).

I think you will probably do better on the high quality feeds than the cheaper ones. You can always add fresh meat and bones on top to stretch the kibble a little (depending on how cheaply you can come by meat, I buy fresh rabbits off local shooters in my area, they are pretty cheap because otherwise they would just leave the rabbits where they shot them)

[ravensmyst00]

Kim Chi, I would be extremely concerned about any vet suggesting unneccesary surgery such as this Prophalactic Gatropexy. There is no need for this to be done and I dont know of anyone with the breed who has had it done as a preventative measure.

Yes there is a possiblity of bloat as with any large/giant breed of dog but that is also why you take appropriate procautions with feeding and exercise. Yes the bigger the dog the bigger the problems but that is why you research your breeders extensively and their blood lines. If you are worried about bloat then you ask the breeder if any of the dogs they have bred have had bloat. You ask about allergies, thyroid issues. You ask about hip and elbow dysplasia. You ask about temperament.

I am more than happy for you to contact me should you have any questions.

:) :laugh: Thank you to evey one that has helped me with the food advise I think the best is to stick with the ARTEMIS or Royal Canin as the breeder sugested I just wanted to know the difference was there really a big difference and clearly there is, so Im happy to give my Bull mastiff the $130 bags of food as it will promote great health and well being, also I was told by the breeder to get medicare pet insurance as I am defantly doing that and Ill be getting the hight one, as I know the biger the dog the biger the problems I have also been told by vets when I have the dog desexed to have the operation PROFALACTIC GASTROPEXY so prevent Blote, so any one with Bull mastiffs that have had there dogs have this opp and had benifits I would appreciate any one telling me things I need to learn about. I go to KCC PARK VIC all the time to talk to people at the shows so I can learn. I have been learning now for one year and Im renovating the house so I have just had 6ft 6 fences and new gates lucky dads a builder and we are killing of all the wandering due plant before our family member comes along. so I still have a lot to learn I wont be showing but I will still take my dog to puppy school and on to obediance at KCC PARK as I feel the knowledge of the people there is a great help to and I need that as I have never had a Bull mastiff and such a strong willed dog and needs reguler socializing with dogs and kids people. so I really appreciate every one here telling me about the food as its important and thats why I wanted to ask other people. thnak you kindly and merry xmas and happy new year.

[Guest Ams]

The general consensus from reading up on the prophylactic gastropexy indicates it is highly successful in breeds prone to bloat. Statistics show it reduces repetition of bloat by up to 70% and death by torsion by 80%. I'd say those a pretty good odds for taking the change to do the procedure at the same time as spey/neuter.

It is also a hell of a lot more cost effective to do the prophylactic surgery then treat from bloat and/or torsion.

I won't list quotes but here is the link go google search. My link

Edited December 20, 2013 by Ams

[Danois]

Preventative pexys are not uncommon in Danes and there is nothing to be concerned about with a vet suggesting it. There is so many theories about what causes bloat but most people land in a position that if you have a dog that is going to bloat then it will bloat regardless of precautions with food and exercise. Lack of bloat in a bloodline does not mean it will not occur either. It is also thought that stress is a major factor in bloat.

A pexy will not stop a dog bloating. It will hopefully stop the torsion happening as it is this torsion that kills them if not caught in time. Of course, the spleen could still torsion or the force of the torsion could tear the pexy tacks. For me it was something I did as a time buyer i.e. It will give me some precious extra time to get to a vets.

[D & D]

The general consensus from reading up on the prophylactic gastropexy indicates it is highly successful in breeds prone to bloat. Statistics show it reduces repetition of bloat by up to 70% and death by torsion by 80%. I'd say those a pretty good odds for taking the change to do the procedure at the same time as spey/neuter.

It is also a hell of a lot more cost effective to do the prophylactic surgery then treat from bloat and/or torsion.

So much more cost effective and worlds apart in recovery.

I have a boy who bloated, of course it was in the middle of the night

He was pexied during his emergency surgery, which cost a bit over $4000. His initial recovery included three days at the vets with a couple of plasma transfusions and a few messy weeks at home. It took another three months for him to regain the weight he lost, start eating normally and regain his pre bloat condition.

Even so, I feel extremely lucky that he's still with me, too many are lost

I also have a girl here whose dam was lost to bloat not long ago. I chose to have her prophylactically pexied. The same vet did both. He allowed me to come in for her surgery to take photos to share with anyone interested, and to stay until she was awake enough to bring home.

She was woosy for the next 24 hours, but she always is after a GA. The following afternoon, she was a bit miffed that I wouldn't let her off lead to play I took her stitches out 10 days later and she hasn't looked back. All up, it cost just under $1300.