My 1-year-old St. Bernard isn't growing. Are supplements safe?

Saint bernards, as will all large and especially giant breed puppies have very specific nutritional needs as they are growing and developing and a well formulated diet can help to minimise the risk of developing growth and joint issues such as hip dysplasia - I would recommend royal canin giant range up to 18-24months of age, feeding strictly to maintain a healthy body condition score (lean but with adequate muscle development) in order to optimise healthy growth. A cheaper alternative would be a greyhound puppy food but this is not as specific for giant breeds. A saint bernard is not an 'economy' breed of dog and remember that all routine treatments, insurance policies and medical/surgical care are going to be significantly greater than a medium sized dog throughout their life

Hello. Good care is all you can do for Kyra. At 2 months of age, she still has the potential to reach her potential maximum growth. Feed her the best large breed puppy food you can purchase. Do not supplement her with any vitamins or minerals. Deworm her based on a veterinarian's analysis of her stool & make sure she receives all appropriate vaccinations at the appropriate times. Treat her well & she will mature into a healthy, beautiful dog. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

A diet consisting of primarily boiled chicken is not balanced and is lacking in vitamins, fatty acids, fiber and minerals. Proper nutrition, prevention of parasites and disease and genetics are what affects the over-all adult size. She may not get much bigger due to her age (the window of growth closes). I recommend to feed her Royal Canin German Shepherd Puppy until 15 months of age and then switch her to the adult version. German Shepherds can have some unique dietary needs and the diet is formulated specifically for them to address these needs. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi and thank you for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It could be her genetics if her mother or father were not as tall or the height issue could be related to a dysfunction of the pituitary gland which controls growth. A blood test at your veterinarian's office can determine if the reason behind the short stature is pituitary related. I hope this helps!

This is a common question we get from people who want their dog to be very big. The answer is that you should not be trying to make her grow too much too fast. Labradors vary in size depending on their genetics, so I can't give you an exact height that she should be, but she appears at a normal height for five months old. I know that my answer is very different than what you are expecting and it requires some further explanation. Below is a link to an article that does a great job of explaining how you should feed a large breed dog and why giving them too much nutrition can cause health problems later on. https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/04/09/slow-growth-diets-for-giant-breed-puppy.aspx I hope that helps and all is well with Olie.

I would recommend feeding a high quality large breed puppy food such as Purian Pro Plan large breed puppy or Royal Canin Large Breed Puppy or Royal Canin German Sheperd Puppy. These foods will have to correct balance of protein, calcium and phosphorus to allow the correct growth of muscle and bones in a large breed dog. The rest is up to genetics, as you cannot make a dog grow larger than their genetics have determined them to grow. Female dogs are often smaller than males, and there isn't really anything you can do to increase their height other than provide good nutrition.

Trusty is a beautiful boy! The best thing you can for Trusty which is feeding a high quality dog food. Trusty does need to eat a large breed puppy formula. Stick with ProPlan or Royal Canin. I'm not sure the diet you are feeding is the correct one. It will say on the bag if it is intended for large breed puppies. He should eat this until he is 12 months old. Growth is genetic. A dog will not be any bigger than it's genes allow for. Growth in large breed dogs also needs to be slow to help prevent orthopedic conditions like dysplasia. Additionally, he will continue to grow (in height) until he is 12 months old. He will begin to fill out from 12-18 months of age (roughly). I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.