My Great Dane puppy has early rickets. What's the cure and treatment?

What a gorgeous pup! Great Dane puppies have a massive requirement for nutrients so I recommend investing in feeding a really good quality food for giant breed puppies. Royal canin does a really good puppy food which I trust for my own dogs. Don't listen to things like not feeding puppy food, there is no evidence for that. It is actually really important to feed puppy food because a puppy has different needs to an adult. Energy level has more to do with the carbohydrate in the feed rather than protein.

There is no strict consensus on the best food for giant breed puppies. I suggest either large breed puppy or a Maintenance dog food that says it is formulated for all life stages. We do not recommend giving any supplements at this age. HOD is definitely a very painful and scary disease process, but not real common. I have only had 1 case in the last 10 years. Slow steady growth is the goal, Avoid rapid growth and over feeding. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

In my personal opinion, I would prefer to feed a complete puppy food for giant breeds by a petfood company like Hills, Royal Canin or Purina. These companies do extensive research and testing and their foods have the proper nutrient amount and combination. I think this will better provide for Ivan than your present puppy food.

I would recommend using a large breed puppy food. This type of diet will have the specific balance of minerals and vitamins needed for young, growing puppies. Since Danes are a giant breed, their nutrional needs are different than your typical puppy. Some of the brands I usually recommend include Hills, Purina, Royal Canin, Eukanuba, and Iams. Good luck with your pups!

I actually prefer commercial dog food as it includes the proper balance of nutrition that they need. A lot of raw food diets don’t have the proper studies to back it up and they don’t have the proper nutrients in them. Also, dogs who eat raw food diet are st higher risk for bacterial infections like salmonella. I think as long a syou are giving a high quality large breed or giant breed puppy food like science diet, Iams, or royal canin then he should grown normally. I hope this helps!

Hello! I would recommend feeding her a large breed puppy food for the first 1.5 to 2 years of life. I like the brands Purina, Royal Canin, and Hill's. A diet specifically made for large breeds will be the best for her bone growth. You can try to make kibble more enticing by adding warm water or low sodium chicken broth. I do not recommend any grain free or raw diets as they are clinically associated with nutritional problems in dogs. I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I'm not very familiar with Drools food, but Purina is probably a better food since it meets WSAVA guidelines (see link below for more information). For a Great Dane puppy choosing a food that is intended for large breed puppies would be best - these foods have an adjusted calcium and phosphorus content to help with bone and joint development. https://www.wsava.org/WSAVA/media/Arpita-and-Emma-editorial/Selecting-the-Best-Food-for-your-Pet.pdf