I don’t know about you, but I’m personally grossed out that people let their dogs drink from the toilet. It turns out though, that this is pretty common! Especially with Great Danes, because they drink a lot of water and the toilet is essentially a never-ending source of it. If you let your dog drink from the toilet, you might want to read this post.
Here are a few topics I’d like to flush out…
If toilet water is safe for dogs
How to keep a dog from drinking out of the toilet
How to clean toilets properly and safety for dogs that DO partake in the liquid of the throne…
Putting my personal feelings on this matter aside, let’s dig into this toilet-water drinking habit and see if it’s dangerous or not. Here is a simple fact (and no, it doesn’t matter how much vinegar and baking soda you dump in there):
Toilet bowls can contain millions of germs and microbes, including e-coli and other bacteria which can cause digestive upset or even severe medical problems for your dog.
Humans who are on medications or chemotherapy and use the toilet contribute to this landscape of bacteria and microbes swimming around in what appears to be clean, clear, fresh water.
I hate to tell you, but letting a pet guzzle H20 from the toilet can be a pretty nasty habit.
Where does toilet water come from?
Toilet water in most homes comes from a fresh, clean water supply. However, it enters the toilet and is stored in a tank, waiting for the next flush to refill the bowl.
That tank sits on the back of the toilet and it’s rarely if ever cleaned out. If you’ve ever had to fix something in that tank, you’ve probably seen how gross they can get over time! THIS is the water coming into the bowl of your toilet, that your pet is happily slurping away at.
Dogs do have a different gut microbiome than humans, so in general, it’s safer for them to drink toilet water than it is for humans to drink toilet water.
But, that doesn’t make it ideal, or even good, for your dog to do this.
Not only do we have the aforementioned dirty tank water + microbes situation at play, but toilet cleaners can hang out in the bowl and yes, those can be toxic to your pet.
Of course, dogs do all sorts of nasty things. They sniff butts, roll around on dead things in the grass, eat out of the trash can, drink slimy lake water, and may even eat poop from other dogs or wildlife.
All of those dirty dog habits can lead to gastrointestinal upset, parasites, disease (such as Leptospirosis), or blockages.
In other words, just because they do those gross things, doesn’t mean that we should allow or encourage it. This includes drinking out of the toilet.
Don’t forget that when dogs finish drinking (especially those with big jowls like Great Danes), the dog will drip toilet water out all over the bathroom and your hallway. This is before they come over and rub their face on your couch or your knee.
If you aren’t willing to drink the water, why would you allow your dog to do it? Sorry folks, this is one nasty habit we just cannot get behind.
I noticed (in online discussions about this topic) that people who intentionally allow their dog to drink from the toilet claim to use ‘non-toxic cleaners’. The belief here is that toilet cleaners without chemicals will sanitize the bowl and be safe for the pet to drink.
Of course, chlorine-based cleaners (which work to kill bacteria) could be harmful to your pet. They do stick around in the toilet bowl and may take more than one flush to fully dilute.
Not to mention the problems that could arise if you forget to flush the toilet after cleaning it (and the dog goes in for a drink).
But what about “natural” cleaners, are they safe?
A quick search online turned up several “pet safe” toilet cleaners and ideas, including products to purchase, and the popular “baking soda and vinegar” trick.
Does Baking Soda and Vinegar Clean Toilets?
Nope. Get this. If you speak to a chemist, they will tell you that when you mix vinegar with baking soda, you create SALT WATER.
Saltwater folks. You are cleaning your toilets with…water.
Don’t believe us? Read this fantastic article here, or take a look at this one. Both of these articles use science to dispel many common myths about using baking soda + vinegar to clean toilets. We’ve all been scammed. Baking soda and vinegar is NOT getting your home, or your potty clean.
Here is a fun TikTok on the topic, too. Please like and follow this amazing creator:
Many well-formulated ‘natural’ toilet cleaners may bridge the gap here, but I would personally reach out to the company to confirm that they’ve done a study proving that their product is safe for pets to ingest, and also effective against bacteria.
Most toilet cleaners that are safe for dogs do not disinfect, they only clean the surface stains.
Those ‘non-toxic’ and ‘pet safe’ cleaners may make your home smell good, but you can bet that in most cases, E-coli and other little bugs and microbes deposited in there from human puke, spit, pee, poop, and period blood are still having a party in the toilet water!
Not to mention the goodies floating around in the standing tank on the back of the toilet.
Keep in mind that many essential oils are extremely toxic, especially to pets! Adding “Thieves” or whatever essential oil (that seems safe and natural) to try and disinfect things may do more harm than good.
How Do I Stop My Dog From Drinking From the Toilet
Now that you know how a shiny toilet bowl can still actually be very disgusting and dirty, even if you use “non-toxic” toilet cleaners, it’s time to stop your dog from drinking the toilet water in there.
Just because your dog has always been fine, doesn’t mean that they always will be. There is no reason in the world to allow or encourage this behavior.
When your dog is drinking clean, fresh, safe water, they are much cleaner and nicer to snuggle with, too. I don’t know about you, but knowing that many people let their dogs drink from the toilet at will has completely stopped me from EVER accepting snuggles and kisses from dogs I don’t know.
The AVMA, AKC, VCA Pet hospitals, and many manufacturers of toilet bowl cleaners discourage pet owners from allowing their pets to drink from the toilet.
It can be hard to know exactly how to help your dog lose weight.
It can also be disheartening and concerning to realize that your beloved pup is overweight, but the good news is that there are steps you can take to help them lose weight. Here are five easy steps to do just that:
Feed High Quality Food – Invest in food that serves the dog in front of you. Marketing scams and deceit in the dog food industry might be leading you to believe you are feeding the right food when you are not.
Monitor and Limit Treats – Treats should only make up 10% of your dog’s diet and should be kept to healthy options like raw fruits or vegetables.
Increase Exercise – Ensure that your pup gets plenty of exercise every day! Take them on regular walks or play games with them to get their heart rate up.
Monitor Portion Sizes – Even if you’re feeding high quality food, it’s still important to monitor portion sizes when reducing weight. Instead of one large meal once a day, try breaking meals into two smaller servings throughout the day.
Feed For the Ideal Weight, NOT the Current Weight- While your pup is trying to lose weight, you should be feeding for their ideal weight. This will ensure they are getting the necessary nutrition and calories needed for a healthy lifestyle.
Provide Meals in Puzzles or Toys- If your pup is a bit of an overeater, try giving them their meals in puzzle or food toys. This will slow down their eating and help them better utilize their energy throughout the day.
Exercise– Include exercise in your pup’s daily routine. Something as simple as a game of fetch can help the pup lose weight and burn some extra energy.
Visit Your Vet – It’s always best to consult your vet before making any changes in your pet’s diet or exercise routine to ensure that what you’re doing is best for your pup’s health needs!
Excess weight and obese dogs can cause an abundance of health problems. An overweight dog is prone to arthritis and joint pain, cardiovascular issues, fatigue, diabetes, breathing problems, and even a shortened life expectancy.
Dog owners all strive for a healthy and happy, active dog. However, they often fail to realize that their pet’s weight could be the difference between just that and a shortened life.
Your dog’s weight matters. So, knowing how to help your dog lose weight and maintain an ideal body weight is one of the most important things dog owners can learn and practice.
What Is a Dog’s Ideal Body Weight?
A healthy weight means something a bit different for each dog. Your dog’s health, however, always depends on them maintaining a lean body mass.
Veterinary medicine is very clear about the fact that it is crucial to help your dog maintain their ideal weight and NOT hold excess weight.
As a matter of fact, “Obesity shortens a dog’s life and makes them more likely to develop disease. It was always accepted that heavy dogs lived a shorter lifespan than lean dogs, usually by 6-12 months”, VCA Hospitals.
So, we can agree that your dog’s weight matters. But, how do you know if your dog is in need of losing weight in the first place?
A Dog’s Ideal Body Weight
Your dog’s ideal weight can typically be calculated based off of their body size. Unfortunately, it can be hard to determine if a dog is overweight simply by looking at them.
This is why the best gauge for understanding whether or not your pup is within an ideal weight range is to use something known as a Body Condition Score (BCS).
Use The Body Condition Score to Help Your Dog Stay at The Right Body Weight
A BCS ranges from 1-9, with 5-7 being the ideal range. Dogs that are close to a 5 are considered too skinny, and dogs on either side of 7 (6 or 8) have an unhealthy amount of fat covering their frame.
Any score above 8 is obese, and requires immediate attention in order to help your pup lose weight as soon as possible.
The BCS can be used by a veterinarian to assess your dog’s body condition. It can also be used by an educated pet owner, who is familiar with the anatomy of their pup and knows what a healthy weight for that specific breed looks like.
Let’s talk about how to use the BCS to determine the difference between overweight dogs, normal dogs, and underweight dogs.
Using your knuckles, you can compare your pup’s body to a scale, which ranges from 1-9.
For Dogs That Are Too Skinny:
If all of the ribs are visible and easily felt, then they have a BCS of 1 or 2. If your dog is in this range, it means that their diet needs to be adjusted and their weight should be monitored closely to make sure that they maintain a target weight.
These dogs are normally active dogs who are eating the right amount of food intake, but burning excess calories.
Typically, it is very hard to be ‘too skinny’ as a dog, unless of course you are facing a case of malnourishment. On that hand, you can feel relieved knowing as long as you are feeding the proper calorie intake, your dog is likely not underweight.
For Dogs That Are At A Normal Weight:
Knowing your pup’s rib coverage is an essential part of understanding their overall health and well-being. With a simple palm down knuckle test, you can get accurate measurements right in the comfort of your own home – no professional weigh-in necessary!
Plus, tracking this information regularly enables you to easily follow their progress over time for optimal weight loss results.
If you hold one of your own hands with your palm outward and feel the knuckles with the flats of your other hand, this is the ideal feel for a healthy weight. The ribs should be easily felt with a slight layer of fat covering them. Dogs that have a BCS in between 5-7 are considered to be at their ideal body weight.
It is important to note that these health problems can be prevented with proper diet and exercise.
Step 1: Examining The Diet You Feed Your Dog
You might be surprised to see that the diet you are feeding your dog is actually not the best diet for them.
If you’d like to help your dog lose weight, you should start by examining the quality and type of food you are providing.
Have a look at how many calories are in the dry food you are feeding your dog. If your dog consumes an extra cup of food per day and that food is 400-500 calories per day, that could be making a huge difference in them gaining weight.
It is easy to give our dog’s people food or high calorie treats without even realizing it.
Figure Out Your Dog’s Calories
Speak to your veterinarian about how many calories your dog needs. Then, if you want to give your dog empty calories in the form of treats, you should subtract those extra calories from the total you are giving them of normal food.
That way, you are still sticking to the feeding guidelines and not going overboard with too many calories.
Depending on how much weight your dog is meant to lose, you might opt for treats with lower calories.
Vegetables
Vegetables like baby carrots and green beans can make wonderful treats that won’t put on extra weight for your dog.
Fun Treats with Fewer Calories
You can still give your dog fun dog treats.
Just look for some with fewer calories.
These are my all time favorite and each treat only has 1 calorie!
Monitor Portion Size
If you aren’t measuring out how much food you give your dog each day- you’re making a mistake.
Use a measuring cup and determine exactly how much your dog needs to eat per day.
Then, don’t feed more!
Spread it out throughout the day in small meals so that your dog doesn’t get hungry later in the day.
You can also fill up some portions of the meals with veggies to keep them full.
Feed For the Ideal Weight, NOT the Current Weight
If you follow the feeding guidelines on the bag of kibble, you’re going to want to follow it for the ideal weight and not the current weight.
That means, if your dog is obese at the moment, you should feed them for the ideal weight.
If your dog weighs 110 lbs, but your veterinarian suggests that their ideal weight is 100, you should feed them what the recommendation on the bag is for 100 lbs.
If you feed them for their current size, they will never have the opportunity to lose that weight.
Make Mealtime Fun
Your dog will use their brain any time they are given the opportunity.
So, make meal time fun by scattering their food around the yard or giving them brain games like a slow feeder bowl that makes them work for their dinner.
Puzzle Feeders: A Fun Food Bowl
Puzzle Feeders can help to make a dog slow down significantly while eating.
Instead of gulping their food down in one sitting, your dog will have to figure out how to get the food out of the puzzle feeders.
This can help make meal time last longer, which in turn will make them feel more full even when they are eating less.
Freezing Food
Opt to freeze a portion of the dog food into a Kong toy or food bowl. Again, this will make your dog work for their food, and it will take them longer to eat as the food thaws.
You can also stuff fun things like green beans or carrots in the Kong toy to make it a fun challenge and get your dog eating more items that will keep them full without the calories.
Most dogs love to be active, so a weight loss program full of exercise is one that they will love.
Set a Weight Loss Goal
Just like with a human weight loss program, it is important to set a weight loss goal for your dog’s weight.
Then, create an exercise plan that can help you achieve this goal with your dog.
Various Terrains
Take your dog outside to exercise on as many varieties of terrain as possible.
Running, walking, and playing on a variety of surfaces can help aid in them losing weight because they will be using different muscles than they are used to.
Swimming
Swimming is one of the best ways to help your with their weight loss.
Swimming is a great low-impact exercise that can help target larger muscle groups.
It is also a good way to keep your dog cool during the warmer months when exercising outdoors may be too hot for them.
If your dog doesn’t love to swim, consider signing them up for a water treadmill class at your local rehab center.
Weight loss is something that is worth the investment with your dog.
It is often said that Great Danes have a short lifespan. Those of you who (like us) have Great Danes, know all too well how often people come up and say things like “I could never own one, they just don’t live long”.
How many times have you heard this from your veterinarian, too? They see dogs daily and know the statistics; large and giant breed dogs don’t live as long as smaller ones.
The average life span of a Great Dane is between 8 and 10 years old. We’ve seen some live as long as 12 or 13, while others cross the Rainbow Bridge long before their time.
Any dog’s life is fragile and, unfortunately, shorter than a human’s life.
But, perhaps giant breed dogs’ lives do not need to be labeled as short.
Why Do Great Danes Have a ‘Short’ Lifespan?
We wrote an article on how to extend Great Dane’s life span, and that article is one of our most popular to date.
People love their big dogs and want them to live forever!
However, big dogs face many BIG health issues that shave time off their lives.
Joint problems
Brittle bones
Poor structural health
Higher risk of osteosarcoma cancer
Bad hearts
Bloat/GDV/Torsion
A Jack Russel Terrier, for example, has a life span of anywhere from 16 to 20 years. My vet tech the other day told me about her JRT Dog that lived to age 22, running around like crazy to the last day. Their little bodies were built to live.
This is not true for the big dogs, and that stinks.
Great Dane Puppies are Cursed From the Beginning
Great Danes are a popular giant breed of dog. That popularity comes with a price! Thousands of unethically bred dogs are poured into the system to meet demand.
When breeders are focused more on profits than on health, the dogs suffer.
When you bring home any puppy, but especially large dogs, it is crucial that you source them from an ethical place. A key place we can begin to tackle this problem is by never buying puppies from breeders who don’t have a truly educated, thorough, caring dedication to the breed.
What happens when you buy your Great Dane puppy from a backyard breeder or pet shop?
Puppies from pet stores and unethical breeders are more likely to suffer from painful and deadly health conditions. That’s an unfortunate fact of life. Heart disease, bone disease, hip and elbow dysplasia/joint and bone diseases, other joint problems and musculoskeletal diseases, bloat (stomach twisting), or other health problems are just a few that plague the breed.
This business has, consequently, damaged the Great Dane’s lifespan. People who have absolutely no business breeding a Great Dane are now qualifying themselves as Great Dane experts in Facebook groups, online websites, and other forums. (We call these people backyard breeders, even if you don’t view them as backyard breeders- they are sneaky!)
This means that, if you are not careful in your research, you may unknowingly buy a puppy from a backyard breeder or pet shop that has no ethical standards and is only interested in making money off of puppies.
Surround yourself with EDUCATED Great Dane owners. Keep in mind that many groups on Facebook are spreading a lot of outdated or dangerous information. Tread cautiously.
Choose a veterinarian who is educated on Great Danes and other giant breeds
Practice and promote good health by living out the truths that your Veterinarian and other studied/data-driven resources provide for your Great Dane.
Let’s dive in.
How Diet & Nutrition Affects Great Dane Health
Do not fall prey to a breeder who shares MLM / Scammy dietary fads for their dog food of choice. A quality Great Dane breeder will know the current science and data in regards to a healthy diet, and begin the puppies on a healthy diet as soon as they are transitioned to real food.
Puppies should eat a large or giant breed puppy food with 1.2% or less calcium AND the AAFCO Large Breed Growth Statement. (Read more here). This advice mirrors the most current, updated practices and opinions offered by Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionists.
Never feed food with more than 1.2% calcium. This is damaging to the bones, particularly during growth.
Keep your Great Dane lean! Excess weight contributes to a shorter lifespan, shaving off an average of 2 years!
Surround Yourself With An Educated Village
Now, if you already brought home a Great Dane, and you’re just now realizing that your Great Dane is from a backyard breeder, don’t sweat.
I did too. Many of us have!
You may face more health problems down the line but it does not mean your Great Dane will be ‘destined’ for a short life span. You can still help to create a longer and healthier life for your Great Dane.
But, not if you fall victim to the Great Dane ‘experts’ who share false and damaging information on Facebook groups, Instagram, and YouTube.
Find an educated village to surround yourself with which consists of Vets, Scientists, Researchers, Breeders who are transparent about their health testing and dieting, and experienced Great Dane Owners.
Tread cautiously with keyboard warriors and people who don’t have the credentials to speak with authority on certain topics.
For example:
Anybody with a “nutritionist” title, such as a “Canine Nutritionist”, or “Holistic Pet Nutritionist”, etc. is likely spreading misinformation.
These people are carrying certificates from random online non-accredited courses. The only nutritionist with a legitimate title will have a Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition and/or carry a board certification in Veterinary Nutrition (DACVN).
Trusting your Veterinarian with Your Great Dane
Find a veterinarian who is knowledgeable and informed about Great Danes and other large dog breeds. Keep in mind that just because they give you information that may contradict what you’ve come to believe from other sources, doesn’t mean they are wrong.
If you find yourself doubting your vet- ask yourself why.
Is it because of you, or is it because of them? Can you have an open, honest conversation with your veterinarian about your Great Dane’s health, or are you resistant because you are concerned about “chemicals and toxins” in their recommendations?
Can your veterinarian be honest with you about your pet’s weight and diet, or do they avoid those conversations because you are resistant to them?
This topic is a big one that I could write another entire blog on, but the key point is this. It’s up to you to ask more questions. In doing so, allow your veterinarian to explain their side of things, and give their recommendations.
What they say may surprise you! Find a veterinarian that you trust, and run with it.
Facebook Groups
Facebook groups are a GREAT way to connect with other Great Dane owners, learn new things about Great Danes, and get tips on how to take care of them.
But, don’t just join any group. Find a group that is full of experts and has an active mod team to make sure all information shared is backed by research and facts.
If you want your Great Dane to live longer, steer clear of the outdated and often dangerous misinformation spread around in online social groups.
You don’t want to risk the health and safety of your Great Dane by relying on uneducated advice.
Many owners of Great Danes, for example, share outdated information that could HARM your dog.
On this website, we make every effort to share ONLY up-to-date and scientifically backed information about Great Danes.
The Great Dane life is fragile and a blessing- don’t waste it with myths and old wives’ tales!
Be Aware
Be aware of things that, statistically, lower a Great Dane’s lifespan.
Comparing insurance quotes to make sure you have the best coverage for your Great Dane and are always able to provide them the healthcare that they need
Frequently (at least yearly) do bloodwork for your Great Dane to avoid unexpected health problems
Provide your Great Dane with the socialization and interactions they need to avoid anxiety and temperament issues
From the time you bring your Great Danes home, you find yourself feeling as though they are made of glass.
Sort of funny, since they’re so huge.
Great Danes come across (and are) a strong, regal, loyal, protective, and beautiful breed. But, once you become an avid owner and lover of Great Danes, you realize the beauty resembles a porcelain antique. The value that a Great Dane life holds is something you may not ever experience again. It should be cherished, protected, and held close to the heart.
The life of a Great Dane is precious and fragile; with the right care, diet, socialization, medical experience, and an educated village to guide them- you can ensure your pup lives a long and healthy life.
Great Danes have the potential to live a long, happy, and healthy life if we break the narrative of following myths that have been proved wrong by science decades ago, follow our veterinarian’s advice, and do what is truly in the best interest of our beloved canine companions.
Our Great Danes only have one life- let’s make sure it is happy, long, and healthy.
Unfortunately, Great Danes, like many larger dog breeds, have shorter lifespans compared to smaller breeds. In this blog, we’re going to explore the key factors that can contribute to helping your Great Dane live longer and have a healthier and more fulfilling life.
From nutrition and exercise to healthcare and lifestyle choices, we’ll delve into the strategies and insights that can make a meaningful difference in prolonging your Great Dane’s life and ensuring you have many more years of joy and companionship together.
How to Make a Great Dane Live Longer
Why Do Great Danes Have Short Life Spans?
Before we can understand how to help our Great Dane dogs live longer, healthier lives we have to understand why Great Danes have short life spans in the first place.
There are 6 main reasons that Danes lives tend to be cut short:
Orthopedic issues, including hip dysplasia
Being overweight
Bloat
Heart Disease (DCM)
Cancer
Genetics
I placed genetics last on the list, because every single reason in the list before it can also be caused by genetics. That’s a big one, and speaks to the reasons why choosing an ethical breeder is so important.
The good news here is that there are many things you can do to extend your Great Danes lifespan!
Observations about Great Danes that Live a Long Time
A quick glance around social media and at dog shows, there are a few key things seen among Great Danes who live long, healthy lives.
When we see an older (8 years +) Great Dane that is still going strong, we most often see some combination of the following:
A dog with good genetics, from proven pedigrees
Excellent body condition score; not overweight (this is really important)
Sound, stable temperament, free of fear, stress, and aggression
Excellent structure, feet, and angulation (which is genetic but also can be related to early puppy nutrition)
Trimmed nails & clean teeth
Well tempered dogs that received training and enrichment throughout life
Pet parents who trust their veterinarian, keep their dog active, and feed an appropriate diet
Genetics play a huge role in temperament, overall structure, cancer risk, bloat risk, and heart disease. Of course, not all Great Danes are given exceptional genetics. Knowing that, there are still things that can be done to help your Great Dane live longer!
Great Dane puppies should be fed a well-researched large or giant breed puppy food from a company who employs veterinary nutritionists, until age 2. This is the most current, science-backed recommendation available, which promotes proper bone growth, joint development, and structure.
If you aren’t sure what brands or formulas to choose, our popular Great Dane Puppy Food post will get you started.
For adult dogs over the age of 2, continue onto a grain-inclusive adult formula that contains a meat meal, and add balanced canned or fresh toppers. The addition of carefully selected wet foods can decrease the risk of bloat! If the toppers are unbalanced, do not allow them to exceed more than 10% of the daily intake of food.
Here is our list of Great Dane foods that promote health, wellness, and longevity. These brands are commonly fed by veterinarians and to the top show and sport dogs, for a reason:
Check out THE GIANT DOG FOOD PROJECT to compare brands and values.
Heart Disease in Great Danes
DCM (Dilated Cardiomyopathy), AKA Heart Disease or congestive heart failure is one of the top reasons why Great Danes don’t live long. Many Danes with DCM will show very little signs and may suddenly collapse one day, or die while undergoing surgery.
This horrible disease is primarily genetic. It is passed down through the pedigree.
When purchasing a puppy from a breeder, verify that both parents received OFA heart echocardiograms. The results of those tests will be available at www.ofa.org and if it isn’t? Run. Your breeder is unethical and may be passing heart disease onto the puppies.
DCM can also be caused by unbalanced dog food. This is commonly a problem with kibbles that contain a lot of peas, lentils, potatoes, chickpeas, and garbanzo beans, as well as any diet that is not correctly formulated in some way.
Because Great Danes are already genetically prone to DCM, feeding a low-quality (commonly grain-free) diet effectively increases their risk of dying suddenly from heart disease.
Great Danes should have a defined waist and may even show a few ribs. They should be graceful, powerful, and athletic. Not stocky, droopy, slow, or heavy.
Excess weight on your Great Dane increases their risk of joint disorders and pain, heart disease, diabetes, and complications during anesthesia and surgery. An overweight dog that experiences a health emergency (such as bloat) is less likely to survive, too.
Talk to your veterinarian about helping your dog lose weight and gain muscle!
Bloat (also known as GDV or Gastric dilatation and volvulus, aka ‘bloat and torsion’) is an emergency that will affect 1-in-4 Great Danes on average. When bloat occurs, the stomach fills up with gas, fluid, or air and then may twist over itself (torsion). Torsion is both painful and deadly.
Fixing this requires expensive emergency surgical treatment and many dogs (especially those with heart disease, obesity, blood clotting disorders, or other serious health issues) do not make it out alive.
Don’t let these statistics scare you, however! There are things you can do to reduce the risk of bloat and torsion so that your Great Dane can live longer.
FACT: Studies have shown that moderate exercise after meals might decrease the risk of bloat by as much as 50%! This goes against everything we’ve been taught. Read more HERE.
Bloat is, as most things, primarily genetic. When choosing a breeder, verify that there is no history of bloat, poor gut health, or bad temperaments in the last several generations.
Consider a gastropexy; this life-saving and simple procedure results in better outcomes for Danes that bloat.
Feed a quality kibble that contains meat meal, and offer 2-3 small meals each day topped with some kind of balanced canned, fresh, or raw food. Encourage slow, stress free eating.
Orthopedic Disorders in Great Danes
Another reason why Great Danes have short lifespans is because they suffer, unfortunately, from orthopedic disorders.
Nutrition, especially in puppies, plays a huge role here but so do genetics and exercise.
Great Danes nails should be trimmed at least twice each month. We recommend a Dremel tool. Overgrown nails lead to pain and joint damage.
Wobblers disease is an unfortunately common disorder in Great Danes that leads to painful and debilitating mobility issues. Read more about wobblers HERE.
IMGD, hip dysplasia, flat feet, and poor overall conformation also have genetic roots that must be addressed by thoughtful, careful breeding practices as well as appropriate movement and strength building.
For dogs with structural and orthopedic issues, working with a canine physical therapist and a veterinarian is a must.
Do not purchase puppies from breeders who are breeding dogs that don’t meet the written structural standard for Great Danes. These breeders are genetically perpetuating structural problems that debilitate Great Danes and shorten their life span.
Cancer in Great Danes
Unfortunately, Great Danes are susceptible to certain types of cancer, including osteosarcoma.
Osteosarcoma is a bone cancer that often appears suddenly and often requires amputation and treatment or euthanasia.
There are many theories about what causes cancer in dogs (such as dog food or vaccines), however, these theories have never been proven or founded.
It is understood, however, that cancer is primarily a genetic disorder.
Some dogs are at higher risk than others; for example, early spay and neutering has been correlated in studies with an increased risk of osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, lymphoma, and mast cell tumors.
Some researchers have also theorized, but not yet fully studied, that there may be a link between excess calcium intake and overfeeding in puppyhood to dogs that develop brittle bones and bone cancers later in life.
We recommend keeping Great Danes intact until 18-24 months, if possible, and feeding an appropriate large or giant breed puppy food with well-controlled calcium levels to dogs under the age of 2. Never feed any food with more than 1.2% calcium.
Excess calcium is damaging to bones during growth, and damaged bones are more prone to disorders such as arthritis, bone cancer, and wobblers disease.
Cost of Great Dane Ear Crop
Help Your Great Dane Live Longer by Reducing Stress
Stress and anxiety are not healthy for humans or dogs.
Studies show that increased levels of cortisol and adrenaline can contribute to a shorter life span by weakening the immune system and causing problems with the heart, gastrointestinal, and endocrine systems.
Dogs that are chronically stressed are going to be more susceptible to health problems of all kinds.
Here are some signs that your dog is stressed or anxious:
Pacing, whining, crying
Destructive behavior
Drooling, panting
Ears pinned, hunched body language
Timid or fearful behaviors
Growling, nipping, and aggression
Depression
Reduce your dogs stress by making sure you offer plenty of exercise and enrichment. This may mean changing your routine and habits to alleviate boredom and get your dog doing more.
Our E-Collar training guide is a popular resource for helping anxious Great Danes get safely off-leash and exploring the world.
You can also reduce stress by using enrichment toys such as the West Paw Toppl Toy. Stuff it with soaked kibble or canned food and freeze before serving.
Talk to your veterinarian about supplements and calming care for dogs that are stressed by fireworks and loud noises, too. This calming probiotic may be an excellent choice for your dog.
Work with a modern, positive balanced dog trainer on confidence building and socialization. A scent work class may be just the ticket!
Avoid outdated training techniques (alpha/dominance, Cesar Milan, ‘police dog training’, etc.) which use a lot of intimidation and stress to shut behaviors down.
Final Tips to Extend a Great Danes Lifespan
Here are a few final tips.
See your veterinarian, regularly. Complete a full blood panel every year so that developing health problems (such as thyroid disease, liver and kidney problems, or diabetes) can be addressed early.
Before surgery, pay the extra money for a full exam, blood work, and health screening.
Keep your dog up to date on flea and tick prevention. Reactions to preventatives are typically minor and happen much less often than the rate at which dogs catch nasty diseases from parasites; you do not want to put a Dane through heartworm treatment!
Bloat in Great Danes is deadly. It’s painful, dangerous, and as many as 1-in-4 Great Danes are likely to experience it in their lifetime.
For decades now, people have cited that resting after meals would prevent bloat from happening.
The occurrence of bloat in large and giant breed dogs has increased dramatically in the last decades, despite ‘resting after meals’ being cited as the most common preventative.
I mean, I hate to say this…but it’s pretty clear here that resting after meals is not working.
Not only that, but research has emerged which indicates that moderate movement after meals may actually help prevent Great Danes from developing bloat!
In other words, have people had this all wrong? Have we actually been increasing our dogs risk of bloat by diligently resting them after meals?
Does Resting After Meals Prevent Dog Stomach Bloat?
We’ve been reading journals and publications for a while, and it’s actually fascinating to learn that there is absolutely NO research or science (that we’ve found) proving that resting after meals prevents bloat.
As a matter of fact, I have yet to find anything that shows that it could even reduce the risk of bloat.
Of course, if you google this, there are 100’s of blogs and social media posts, even from veterinarians, who say that large and giant breed dogs should always rest after meals.
But none of it is backed by science, research, or data.
It’s all anecdotal. Speculation.
The Great Dane community has eaten this up, too. Some people are so dedicated to resting their dogs that they do so for an entire hour before meals and two hours after.
Imagine the heartbreak when their dog experiences deadly bloat and torsion despite the caution that had been taken.
It happens more often than you might think…
Should Great Danes Rest After Meals?
We’re going to take a scientific, although controversial approach to this and make a statement that may rattle everything you think you know about keeping Great Danes safe from GDV bloat and torsion.
The practice of resting dogs after meals to prevent bloat is hopelessly outdated and may actually contribute to higher bloat risk.
A 2013 study, done as part of ongoing bloat research, found something alarming and interesting.
Dogs that received moderate exercise (for example a walk or playtime) after eating were less likely to suffer from bloat!
This is the exact opposite of what we’ve all been told for decades.
Combing through the 2,551 questionnaire responses, what the researchers found is that moderate physical activity after eating, including playing with other dogs or “running the fence,” appears to reduce the chance for developing bloat by almost half.
Moderate exercise, including running the fence and playing, may reduce the chances of bloat by 50%!!!
Does Exercise Cause Bloat in Dogs?
It’s been said for years that dogs who exercise on a full tummy can get bloat and end up at the veterinarian in dire straits. As we can see from the research, this issue isn’t quite so cut and dry.
To further back up our claim that resting after meals is outdated and even wildly inaccurate advice, I’m looking towards another study that was done by Tufts University. (Remember, we like science here, not anecdotes).
Several popular theories regarding bloat were not substantiated during the study. There was no correlation of bloat risk to exercise before or after eating, as most dogs bloated in the middle of the night with an empty, gas-filled stomach.
In other words, not only have they found that moderate exercise after eating can potentially cut bloat risk in half, they found that movement has no correlation to bloat occurring.
Food and movement are not the enemythat they’ve been made out to be!
Common Sense for Bloat in Great Danes Prevention
This is not to say that you should feed your Great Dane a big fat meal and send them off-leash on a wild adventure.
Humans don’t like hard exercise on a super full stomach, either. Doing this can also stretch the hepatogastric ligament, which over time might increase bloat risk as a whole.
Great Danes should never be fed single large meals. Smaller, more frequent meals are healthier.
So let’s use some common sense here when it comes to bloat prevention in Great Danes and other large or giant breed dogs.
Feed a normal sized meal (we recommend 2-3 meals each day) and then let your dog be a dog.
Because bloat risk is affected by many factors, I’ll outline some other (science-backed) risk reduction techniques below.
How to Prevent Bloat in Great Danes
Prevention is a misnomer. You cannot prevent it from occurring. You can, however, drastically reduce the chance that your Great Dane has bloat or dies from it.
Bloat in Great Danes are influenced by three major factors: genetics, temperament, and gut health.
All Great Danes are at risk. However, Great Danes with the highest risk of getting (and dying from) bloat include Danes that:
Have a 1st degree relative that got bloat
Are timid, unsure, flighty, aggressive, nippy, anxious, or unstable
Have poor gut health, including chronic loose stools or IBD
Are fed only a dry-kibble diet and no fresh or canned foods
If you want to reduce the chance that your dog bloats, go down the high-risk check list above and remove as many factors as possible. We’ll outline more of this below.
Bloat GDV Risk Reduction
Let’s dig into this a little further!
It’s critically important when purchasing a Great Dane puppy from a breeder that your breeder can prove that the pedigree is free of bloat, DCM, and unstable temperaments.
Talk to your veterinarian to address issues with gut health. There are many things that cause chronic loose stools in Great Danes including poor quality food, unbalanced nutrition, low fiber diets, adult foods fed to puppies, overfeeding, health problems, and parasites.
Add balanced canned, fresh, or raw food toppers to the kibble, and feed 2-3 small, stress-free meals each day.
Remember to keep toppers balanced. If they cannot be served as a fully nutritious meal, they are considered treats and should be less than 5% of overall intake.
Lastly, consider a preventative Gastropexy for your Great Dane. This simple procedure can help keep the stomach from flipping (also called torsion) and save your dogs life if bloat were to occur. Statistics show much better outcomes for dogs who have had a Gastropexy.
Does your Great Dane look so skinny that you are concerned he’s not eating enough? Were you expecting a giant, robust, beefy dog and ended up with a walking skeleton instead? A lot of people are concerned about their Great Danes’ weight and we’re here to clear up any myths and misconceptions.
There are so many reasons for a Great Dane to appear skinny, and I’m going to cover them all. To get you started, here is a short list. I will go into more depth on this below:
Reasons that your Great Dane may look underweight:
Genetics
Age
Nutrition
Lack of exercise
Early spay or neuter
Medical problems
Chances are your Great Dane is not actually too thin!
Skinny Great Danes & Genetics
Like humans, Great Danes can come in different body shapes.
It’s entirely possible that your Great Dane appears skinny to you because you were expecting a more stocky, mastiff-like dog, and that’s not the genetics your dog has.
The Great Dane written standard in both the U.S. and Europe say that Danes should be balanced, powerful, muscular, and smooth. They should never be stocky or heavy.
Some Great Danes are built like tanks, with a short stocky build.
Other Great Danes are built more like greyhounds, and have a lean wirey build.
Here is an illustration of the correct Great Dane body type. These dogs below are not stocky, nor are they greyhound like.
If your Great Dane seems thin and lacks substance, it could just be genetics at play. Those genetics may also result in slow maturity; some Danes take years to reach their full potential, and patience is key.
Age and Weight in Great Danes
Some Great Danes appear skinny because of their age.
Puppies, especially intact males under the age of 2, are notoriously lean and lanky (read more about this in the nutrition section). Seeing a few ribs is normal and healthy.
Older adult dogs may also begin to appear thin, as they lose muscle mass with age.
One of the most common concerns we see from Great Dane owners is that their growing puppy looks too skinny.
One of the worst things you can do in this case is to start adding fatty foods, toppers, and supplements. Do not “give your dog more groceries” in order to bulk them up or fill them out. This dangerous practice can lead to pancreatitis or obesity; neither are things that you want.
For puppies, make sure you are feeding a correct diet and getting your pup moving freely on soft, varied terrain as much as possible so they can build muscle and tendon strength. For older dogs, the same thing applies.
As always, talk to your veterinarian if you are worried that your dog is too thin. 99% of the time, you’ll learn that your dog is actually just fine!
A very lean, healthy intact male Dane around 14 months of age
Nutrition for Great Danes
Another reason you may find that your Great Dane is too skinny has to to with nutrition!
Some formulas simply do not have the correct recipe that will allow your Great Dane to thrive. The information I’m about to share may surprise you!
Great Dane puppies will be starved of certain nutrients if they are fed adult formulas that were not created to support large & giant breed Growth.
It is not uncommon for us to see 6-12 month old Great Dane puppies, who were fed adult foods, that are incredibly lanky and unstable looking.
These dogs will benefit from a properly formulated puppy food that will have the correct protein, fat, and carb ratio to promote muscle development, skin, heart, brain, eye, and bone health.
For adult dogs (24 months +) who seem to be struggling with muscle development, energy levels, skin and coat health, or structural stability, talk to your veterinarian.
We recommend sticking to dog food brands that have board-certified veterinary nutritionists on staff, and that do a lot of peer-reviewed nutritional research.
Here is our list of top-tier foods for Great Danes. Feed the puppy formulas until 18-24 months.
However, the most natural thing for a Great Dane is to be able to freely move on soft, varied terrain as often as possible. Off-leash activities such as exploring fields and trails are ideal for physical and mental health.
Many Great Danes who appear thin and unstable simply lack muscle.
If you are not able to get your dog moving safely (and legally) off-leash, we recommend a long biothane line clipped to an escape-proof martingale collar, and spending time together in an empty field!
You can also look into swimming. Many canine therapy and training, boarding, or sporting facilities have pools for dog swimming that can be rented by private users.
Contrary to popular belief, Great Danes are not lazy dogs. They have an excellent off-switch and love the couch at home, but they should be robust and athletic otherwise.
If your Dane is excessively lazy or docile, talk to your vet. They may be in pain, have a medical issue (see below), are depressed, are overweight, need better nutrition, require a nail trim, or have unstable structure that makes it difficult or even painful to move normally.
Early Spay & Neuter in Great Danes
This is a big one. Many people are understandably confused about when to spay or neuter their Great Dane.
Research on this topic is ongoing, and many veterinarians now believe that delayed spay and neuter is beneficial for joint development and stability.
We believe that most Great Danes should remain intact until at least 18, if not 24 months.
For starters, it’s not ideal to perform a gastropexy prior to 18 months of age (after the time when the dog is less likely to experience any more explosive growth spurts), and you generally want to perform the spay/neuter and gastropexy in the same surgery. So waiting has its benefits here, too.
Second, studies have shown that large and giant breed dogs skeletal development could benefit from being kept intact through maturity. The benefits may include:
Lower risk of ACL / CCL tears and ruptures
Lower risk of developing hip dysplasia
Lower risk of developing certain cancers, including osteosarcoma
More stable structure overall
If your Great Dane appears to lack bone, muscle, and substance, and seems unusually thin, lanky, and even a little too tall, early spay/neuter may have been a contributing factor.
Of course, owning an intact giant-breed dog is a huge responsibility. Training, socialization, and management are key.
If you cannot keep your Great Dane under control and on your property at all times, spay/neuter is recommended to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a disease of the heart muscle which results in an over-enlarged heart. This is what you need to learn to diagnose cardiomyopathy in dogs.
Dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs is caused by a weakening of the heart muscle, which can lead to an increase in size of the left ventricle. This is manifested as an enlargement or dilatation of the entire heart structure.
In other words, dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs can lead to congestive heart failure. Clinical signs of congestive heart failure, decreased blood flow, irregular heart rhythm or fluid accumulation in the heart muscle should be treated as an emergency as heart disease is often progressive and has no cure.
Dilated cardiomyopathy (CDM) is the most widespread progressive and almost irreversible heart condition affecting humans1. Dilated cardiovascular disease has been reported in the U.K. for the past 15 years in relation to cardiac failure.
Dilated cardiomyopathy is caused by genetic as well as environmental influences. Genetic mutation contributes to DCM in humans though a large percentage of people who suffer from familially related DCM do so in the same family, which reveals surprisingly poor understanding of the causes behind DCM.
Signs that may be seen in dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy include decreased energy, listlessness, exercise intolerance, coughing, difficulty breathing, increased heart rate or arrhythmias. Diagnosis is usually made through physical examination and chest x-rays. Your veterinarian will also likely perform an echocardiogram to get a detailed view of the heart and its structures.
Symptoms of The Early Stages of Congestive Heart Failure
The early stages may show no clinical symptoms, or the animal may display decreased exercise tolerance. The onset of a heart disorder may indicate an abnormal heart beat and irregular heart rhythm.The patient may be diagnosed at the start and after the diagnosis has progressed.
As heart pumpability decreases, blood pressure begins to increase at the back of either side of the heart. A congested and fluidy edema often develops in the ventricular and left ventricles.
Occasionally fluids can accumulate around the abdomen or around the lungs, when the right ventricular side has also become affected or damaged. Symptoms of a cardiac failure can appear more magnified as canine dilated cardiomyopathy progresses.
Red Flags for Heart Failure in Dogs / Clinical Signs to be Aware of
In dogs undergoing heart failure caused by dilated cardiomyopathy, the signs of left-sided recurrent heart failure can include reduced fitness ability and rapid fatigue of muscles.
Sometimes the cough looks soft like the dog has cleared his throat.
Poor blood pumping and rhythms are common symptoms. Several dogs who suffer dilated cardiomyopathy suffer abdominal swelling or heavy breathing due to a leaking stomach.
Clinical signs of dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs include:
Labored breathing
Coughing
Decreased appetite
Pale gums
Arrhythmia or irregular heart rate
Abdominal swelling due to fluid accumulation (ascites)
Exercise intolerance and sudden collapse.
Lethargy Anorexia
By knowing the signs of dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs and performing regular check-ups with a veterinarian, you can help ensure that your pup stays as healthy as possible. Knowing the early signs could be the difference in getting DCM diagnosed early before the disease has taken over the heart chambers.
In addition to a comprehensive physical exam, some medical tests are needed to determine DCM in the dog as a potential cause or exclude other maladies.
Physical Examination
Your veterinarian will want to check for dilated cardiomyopathy with a physical examination. Here they can check for an irregular heart rhythm, heart murmur, and listen for signs of heart enlargement.
A thorough physical examination is important so that you and your veterinarian can monitor the disease progression.
Additional Diagnostic Tests
Veterinary medicine has progressed and there are diagnostic tests that can be done to achieve a more accurate. diagnosis.
Blood tests
These are typically done to help rule out other diseases as the cause of the symptoms.
Echocardiogram
An ultrasound of your dog’s heart can be used to evaluate chamber sizes, valve function and blood flow through the heart chambers.
An electrocardiogram can reveal arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat), and cardiac tachycardias (a normal rapid heartbeat). Sometimes it is necessary to undergo an EKG to assess abnormal heart rate for 24hr to determine if there is an underlying abnormal heart rate. An echocardiograph can also be performed for definitive diagnosis of cardiac dysrhythmia.
Radiographic Imaging / Chest Radiographs (xrays)
Radiographic (X-ray) imaging can reveal that dogs can have an enlarged heart.
Chest radiographs will also show any fluid accumulation in the lungs and give a better overview of the heart size. Chest radiographs are very useful in evaluating the progression of canine dilated cardiomyopathy and will be conducted by a board certified veterinary cardiologist.
Causes of DCM in Dogs
DCM is an inherited disease and is most prevalent among dogs aged four to ten years old.
Although it is unclear whether DCM causes dog disease, it is believed to have several factors, including food, infectious disease, and genetic factors.
Nutritional deficiency in taurine and carnitine has been shown to help to cause DCM in many breeds, including cocker Spaniels and Boxer Spaniel.
More regarding diet and this disease in relation to heart function later.
Genetic Mutations can cause Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)
Dilated cardiomyopathy (Dcm) is linked, in some cases, to genetics. When choosing your adorable new puppy , it is important to be aware that there are genetic predispositions towards certain types of serious conditions.
Therefore, you should always speak with your breeder regarding whether their dogs have been diagnosed with or experienced clinical signs of dilated cardiomyopathy.
OFA Health Testing and Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Dogs
OFA Health Testing allows for early detection of genetic mutations
The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) offers health testing to identify any genetic mutations that may be present in a breed’s DNA. This health testing is important to help breeders make sure they are not breeding dogs with higher risks of developing DCM or other serious conditions.
Some dog breeds are more prone to heart failure and dilated cardiomyopathy than others.
This does not, however, mean that you cannot get a breed that is prone to DCM. It just means that you should be aware of the risks and talk to your veterinarian about screening for early detection if possible. Additionally, DCM in dogs is a serious disease, so again, checking and verifying health testing prior to bringing a puppy home is crucial.
Breeds that are Prone to Heart Disease
Dogs predisposed to DCM include the Doberman Pinscher, boxer dogs, doberman Pinschers, Golden Retrievers, Portuguese Water Dogs, Great Dane, Boxer, Cocker Spaniels, and English Setter. It is important to speak with a qualified professional before getting a pet from any of these breeds.
Cocker Spaniels, in particular, have been identified as a breed at high risk for the development of DCM.
Giant breeds seem to be more impacted by dilated cardiomyopathy than most dogs of normal size.
What causes dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs?
The causes of dilated cardiomyopathies are often unreachable however inherited predisposition appears in certain breeds. The largest breed is affected most but also occurs in smaller breeds like the Cocker Spaniels. The condition may develop after the toxin or infection is identified in the blood. Compared with humans heart muscle dysfunction is most often triggered by coronary heart disease or heart attack.
Treatment
The goal of treatment for dogs with an enlarged heart is to reduce symptoms, improve quality of life, and extend life expectancy.
Medication
Medications such as ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, anticoagulants, and diuretics can be used to help manage the symptoms of DCM.
Surgery
In some cases surgery may be recommended for certain dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy. Surgical options include heart valve repair or replacement as well as transaortic valvuloplasty.
Diet
Finally, it is important to pay attention to your dog’s diet and provide adequate nutrition, as this can have a tremendous impact on their health outcomes. Your veterinarian may recommend specific dietary adjustments for your pup and monitor their progress over time.
Although not a definitive cause, the data is becoming louder and louder that feeding a grain free diet will cause dcm in dogs.
However, it isn’t the lack of grain that is the problem.
Grain free kibble’s are formulated with an abundance of legumes such as lentils, peas, chickpeas etc. These ingredients contain a type of carbohydrate called lectins that can bind to heart muscle and disrupt its normal function.
These grains free diets may also be low in the essential amino acid Taurine which is important for keeping the heart healthy.
DCM in dogs has very recently been linked even closer to a grain free diet in a study released in December of 2022. DCM in dogs is a serious disease. If you are feeding your dog a grain free diet with the filler/binder being a legume/pea/chickpea etc, you should speak with your veterinarian to discuss other nutrition options.
How long can a dog live with Dilated Cardiomyopathy?
The prognosis for dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy varies based on the severity of the condition and how well it is managed. While some dogs may live only a few months after diagnosis, others can manage their condition with medication and nutritional support to extend their life expectancy by years or even decades.
It is important to work with your veterinarian to monitor your dog’s condition and adjust treatment when necessary. With appropriate care, many dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy can live happy, healthy lives despite their diagnosis.
Can dogs recover from dilated cardiomyopathy?
DCM in dogs is a scary diagnosis. Heart failure is never something that any pet parent wants to hear in relation to their dog.
Without being treated, small clinical signs like labored breathing can quickly turn into sudden death from heart failure.
But, with the appropriate changes in diet, lifestyle and medication, it is possible for dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy to recover. While recovery is not guaranteed, following your veterinarian’s recommendations will give your pup the best chance for a full recovery and a healthier life.
DCM in Dogs is a Lifetime Disease Process
It is also important to remember that dilated cardiomyopathy cannot be cured; treatment is focused on managing the condition and helping your pup live a longer, healthier life.
Your veterinarian will likely recommend regular check-ups to monitor your pup’s condition and adjust treatment as needed. Your dog may also require medical interventions such as medications, supplements, and occasionally even surgeries such as pacemaker placements or transaortic valve replacements.
It is possible for dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy to live long, happy lives with appropriate management and care. With the right diet and lifestyle changes, you can help your pup manage their condition and improve their quality of life.
Those of you heavily invested in dogs (as we are) have probably heard about the FDA and DCM as it relates to grain-free dog foods and boutique (BEG) diets causing heart disease. You may also have heard a lot about Dr. Judy Morgan and want to know if she is a legitimate, trustworthy source of information.
This topic is a HOT one and we’re coming in with all the tea. What prompted this post?
Oh, just Dr. Judy Morgan (an influencer) posting something that was blatantly anti-science and having thousands of followers blindly follow her without any critical thinking.
Dr. Morgan is a controversial figure in the world of veterinary medicine, and if you follow her, or want to know if she’s a reliable source of information, this post is for you.
Is Dr. Judy Morgan a Legitimate Veterinarian?
Dr. Judy Morgan is a licensed veterinarian in at least one state. From what we understand she no longer practices medicine the traditional way.
U.S. law prohibits her from diagnosing and treating disease via telehealth or online consultations in most cases, so she generally sticks to ‘nutritional consultations’.
On her website, Dr. Morgan highlights her certifications of unknown origin in chiropractic care, acupuncture, and food therapy, which are all offered with a “holistic” mindset.
Dr. Morgan makes her money through affiliate links and speaking engagements, as well as by selling “holistic” supplements, food, recipes, books, and online nutrition courses.
Despite claiming to be a nutrition expert, Dr. Morgan is NOT actually boarded in nutrition. That title is reserved for a select few veterinarians who complete a nutrition residency, pass rigorous exams and present legitimate nutrition research. She has done none of these things.
This wouldn’t normally be an issue, except that she promotes herself as a nutrition expert and goes on to actively denounce the opinions, studies, research, and mentoring provided by veterinary professionals with much more advanced credentials in nutrition than she has.
Dr. Morgan, Dr. Becker, and Holistic Pet Care
You may have heard a few big names in the “holistic pet care” community. Dr. Morgan, Dr. Karen Becker, and Dr. Marty come to mind.
What does the word “holistic” mean?
“It is characterized by the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of an illness.”
Holistic pet care, an approach that evaluates the animal’s whole body health, absolutely has a place. Most people use many “holistic” and whole-food approaches in their own home!
For example, we address exhaustion by eating a healthier diet and nailing down the reasons for the anxiety that keeps us up at night. Or we might choose ibuprofen to tackle a severe headache, and chase it with lemon water to aid in digestive upset.
We give our dogs Olewo carrots to help with loose stools and fish oil to help with coat and skin health.
The idea of holistic pet care is a good one, actually a great one. The word “holistic”, however, has been bastardized.
Through marketing, people have come to believe that something labeled as “holistic” is higher quality, better, healthier, and more natural.
Where “holistic” fails is that it’s become associated with a lot of pseudoscience and misinformation.
Being more “natural” isn’t necessarily a good thing. Arsenic is perfectly natural, for example.
Unfortunately, “holistic” is an unregulated term. There is no legal definition and therefore, any food brand, veterinarian, practice, or supplement can claim to be “holistic”, no matter what. This term is being abused.
Pseudoscience & Cherry Picking in Holistic Pet Care
Here is where my concerns with celebrity Veterinarians such as Dr. Judy Morgan (and her “holistic” colleagues) come into play:
They often denounce evidence-based medicine and nutrition information, discredit their peers, and re-frame official statements from the FDA.
Doing so is VERY profitable for celebrity veterinarians! Click-bait style headlines drive engagement, traffic, and sales.
Keep in mind that Dr. Judy Morgan’s end goal is profits: she wants followers to purchase her supplements, books, and recipes.
That’s completely fair. We all want to make money by sharing our talents with the world. It is not to say that Dr. Morgan has never contributed valuable information and content. She has! I’m sure many people have learned valuable things that helped them with their pets.
I believe it’s essential for us to scrutinize prominent influencers, however. When their views are perceived as controversial or deviate from the mainstream, it’s crucial to dig deeper and ask additional questions. Especially if their platform relies heavily on discrediting peers who hold a more popular, or science-backed opinion on something.
How are Pseudoscience and the FDA Reports on DCM Connected?
To put this simply, Judy Morgan is a master at interpreting and presenting research, science, and official statements to suit her needs and the desires of her followers. This is a great talent to have, but also, a really good thing to keep in mind when assessing how media and content can be used to engage, mislead, inspire, or even manipulate us.
Let’s explore this further. Grain-free diets and their potential link to Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) have become a contentious issue, sparking a debate between scientists and researchers on one side and the ‘holistic’ pet community on the other.
In December 2022 the FDA released an updated statement on its page about dietary DCM in dogs.
Because researchers have yet to pin down the reasons why it happens, many people in the holistic pet community have promoted that it’s a hoax made up by big pet food companies.
“FDA does not intend to release further public updates until there is meaningful new scientific information to share. A count of reports of DCM in dogs submitted to FDA as of November 1, 2022, has been added to Questions & Answers: FDA’s Work on Potential Causes of Non-Hereditary DCM in Dogs. FDA has followed up on a subset of these reports, but is unable to investigate every report to verify or confirm the reported information. While adverse event numbers can be a potential signal of an issue with an FDA regulated product, by themselves, they do not supply sufficient data to establish a causal relationship with reported product(s). FDA continues to encourage research and collaboration by academia, veterinarians, and industry.“
Let’s dig in, shall we?
The scientific and critically curated summary of the FDA statement on DCM is as follows:
The FDA was unable to thoroughly investigate every report (of which there were many) submitted to them
Adverse event numbers such as the reports submitted above could signal a problem, however, that factor alone isn’t enough to definitively create a correlation between grain-free foods and DCM
The research related to this topic has been passed off to researchers to continue investigating (they are more qualified than the FDA)
Finally, the FDA will withhold further public updates until additional scientific information is available (further updates may be incoming in the future)
On the flip side, Dr. Judy Morgan has interpreted the statement to say (paraphrased) that “the FDA called bullshit on the DCM/Grain-Free link, it doesn’t exist, it’s made up by “big dog food” to generate profits, and the discussion is over”.
These deliberate wording choices are made to trigger emotions that breed suspicion, anxiety, conspiracy theories, and distrust. The resulting emotions and beliefs can be used to manipulate and leverage entire groups of people into believing something that has absolutely no scientific backing.
She even goes on to say that “millions of pets were switched to poor quality pet food brands because big pet food companies used their influence on the FDA to make more money!“, a statement that has absolutely no proof behind it.
Now, if you aren’t up-and-up on the whole grain-free heart disease thing, this entire conversation may be a little confusing to you. So here is a summary:
Around 2014, board-certified veterinary cardiologists (heart doctors) noticed an alarming trend. Dogs with no genetic link to DCM were turning up with heart disease. Since then, 100’s more reports have been filed, with new ones coming weekly.
When they looked into this, most of the dogs with this disease (confirmed) had been eating boutique grain-free foods (which at the time were trending alongside boutique and “holistic” food options that were marketed as higher quality).
In 2019 the FDA released a statement citing that a handful of brands were highly associated with this correlation. Those brands included foods by Fromm, Acana, Zignature, and 4Health.
None of the implicated brands have a qualified person on staff to formulate the food they are selling.
Despite this, multiple studies continued to show a correlation between nutrition and heart disease. However, the correlation, as it turns out, had little to do with a lack of grains or low taurine.
It appeared to be related to pulse ingredients (peas, potatoes, legumes, chickpeas) and their use in formulation as a whole.
In other words, it’s NOT grain-free that is the issue. Just as the FDA has said.
If a dog food brand uses a lot of peas, potatoes, beans, and chickpeas in their food, whether the food has grain or not, they often effectively replace a lot of actual meat (and certain amino acids, which are necessary for heart health) with plants.
Anybody who doesn’t think that’s a problem is fooling themselves.
Holistic Veterinarians and Ignoring the Science
To date, multiple studies have shown that there is a link between poorly formulated foods and dogs developing heart disease. Veterinary Cardiologists also report positive outcomes for dogs with nutritional DCM, when they are switched to a properly formulated (and often grain-inclusive) diet.
The most recent study (December, 2022), indicated that every single one of 23 dogs who were fed non-traditional diets (foods with a lot of peas, potatoes, or legumes) had changes to their heart muscle.
Why is the holistic community, and influencers like Dr. Morgan ignoring the published research on this topic?
We have questions about how the “holistic” community reconciles their deep concern about a potential conspiracy within “big dog food” while overlooking the fact that many of their favored “holistic” foods lack formulation oversight from individuals with veterinary or nutrition credentials.
Those “better foods” are often co-packed in factories handling multiple brands. They aren’t better.
What leads her to dismiss the existence or significance of the nutrition-DCM link, despite numerous confirmed diagnoses, while concurrently promoting the view that veterinary flea and tick preventatives are harmful and always toxic because a handful of dogs had a negative reaction?
It’s confusing and alarming.
One Simple Answer – Marketing Rules
Dr. Judy Morgan operates by keeping people suspicious and full of anxiety about anything mainstream or evidence-based. Vaccines, flea and tick prevention, and pet food are all targets.
It’s another to cherry pick science and studies to intentionally drive mistrust for veterinary medicine and pet foods that are backed by dedicated teams of highly educated and experienced researchers and boarded nutritionists.
If only Dr. Morgan could stick to selling science-backed supplements (including sea kelp) and balanced home dog food recipes.
More Information on DCM, Nutrition & Science-Backed Research
Are you with us? Would you like to get away from pseudoscience? I will add to this list as more information becomes available:
It makes no sense to feed dogs a diet that is comprised mostly of peas, potatoes, and legumes in place of meat.
Unfortunately, most grain-free foods are loaded with those ingredients. If they aren’t loaded, they are also often from companies that don’t employ qualified staff to formulate the diet.
We recommend feeding a large or giant breed dry diet from an established brand with a large market share such as Purina, Royal Canin, Hill’s, Iams, or Eukanuba and thoughtfully supplementing the diet with balanced fresh or canned foods to reduce the risk of bloat.
Some extremely dedicated, educated owners who are working with veterinary nutritionists may also be interested in looking into fully home-cooked diets.
Dr. Judy Morgan and the Purina Panic
This paragraph is a new update to this post, as of January 2024.
A now-debunked viral post on Facebook (December 2023) speculating that “toxic levels of metal” in Purina Pro Plan killed a dog became the kindling for what I call the “Purina Panic”.
People who read that viral post shared it with commentary such as “See, I keep telling you Purina is bad, when will you listen?”
The fire grew. As people read it, they began to be concerned that their pet’s health problems were caused by Purina, so they shared their story.
Vomiting? Purina.
Diarrhea? Purina.
Bad dreams? Purina
Weakness? Purina
You get the idea. A Facebook group, with Dr. Judy Morgan as an administrator and “veterinary expert” became a hub for this activity. The group exploded almost overnight, with thousands of people joining to blame their pet’s random health problems on Purina.
Some dogs had died of Parvo. Their deaths were blamed on Purina, and Dr. Morgan and her loyal advocates were there to swoop in and provide the solution. Seizures are a common genetic disorder, but Purina is taking the blame.
Conveniently, all members need to do is visit Dr. Morgans’s website for courses and supplements to detox their pets.
The group is convinced that a “recall is coming” and claims that thousands of dogs have definitively been harmed or killed by Purina pet foods. Meanwhile, the group leadership is discouraging people from sharing their pet’s medical records with the FDA or with Purina and has told them not to get the food tested, either.
I’m going to make a controversial statement here. This anti-Purina rhetoric is nothing more than profit-driven fear-mongering, and the activity of the group promoting the panic is scarily suspicious of cult behavior.
I suppose I haven’t truly summarized why Dr. Morgan is so concerning to the pet community, but if you’ve made it this far into my post, please leave a comment! We’d love to hear from you, no matter which side of the fence you stand on. Unlike the Purina Panic group, we don’t shut down our critics. All we ask is that you bring critical thinking and an open mind to the table.
Embarking on the journey of preparing homemade dog food for Great Danes can be a well-intentioned endeavor, driven by the desire to offer these magnificent animals a nutritious whole-foods diet tailored to their specific needs.
While the idea of creating wholesome meals at home may seem appealing, it’s crucial to approach it with caution. I cannot state this enough; homemade food for dogs has it’s benefits but it’s very easy to get wrong.
Great Danes, due to their large size and rapid growth, have specific nutritional requirements that can be challenging to meet consistently through homemade recipes. Achieving the right balance of essential nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, and protein in the correct proportions is crucial for their bone and muscle development and health.
We’re going to deep-dive into giant breed nutrition and homemade dog food! Here is a summary of what to expect in this article:
The benefits of fresh food for Great Danes
Homemade dog food recipes
How to balance homemade dog food
The problems with making your own dog food at home
How to choose a nutritious kibble
The Benefits of Fresh Food for Dogs
There are many bloggers and influencers who claim incredible benefits associated with fresh home cooked food for Great Danes and other dogs. Yes, there are some fresh food benefits that are backed by clinical research!
Unfortunately, however, many of these benefits are overstated. Some people who promote them might encourage you to ignore veterinary advice including recommended medications, treatments, and foods (uh, yikes).
They might even tell you that fresh foods can:
Reduce, cure, or even prevent cancer
Cure allergies and skin conditions
Extend lifespan
Provide a shiny coat and more energy
Reduce or eliminate the need for medications and treatments
Prevent or even treat parasites and worms without the need for veterinary preventatives
Of course, some of these things all sound amazing. But tread cautiously: extreme claims tend to be based on anecdotes or pseudoscience, and are often presented as a means to drive clicks and revenue.
Be smart about it.
That caveat out of the way, of course there are some legitimate benefits to feeding a home cooked diet to your Great Dane, especially if they suffer from food allergies or certain health conditions!
Knowing exactly what goes into your dogs food is one of the key benefits of cooking your pet’s food.
One study found that fresh foods, added to a dry kibble diet, helped reduce the risk of bloat in Great Danes. That is a huge benefit and the main reason for this article today!
But, you have to do this right. Let’s head to the kitchen….
Home Cooked Diets for Dogs Study
Before you start cooking up some ground beef, rice, and veggies, you should be aware of a major study that was done at U.C. Davis.
They tested 200 homemade dog food recipes from bloggers, Pinterest, veterinarians, and board certified veterinary nutritionists.
The study found that 191 out of the 200 homemade dog food recipes tested were deficient or in excess of at least one nutrient.
What does this mean for you as a well-meaning pet parent? It means that you should be very, very cautious about making dog food up in your home kitchen, especially when using recipes from dog owners, influencers, bloggers, books, and Pinterest.
Nutritional deficiencies are dangerous for a number of reasons! Without the correct balance of amino acids and nutrition, you’d basically be starving your pup to death without knowing it.
Excess nutrients can actually be toxic, too. Vitamin D and copper are commonly seen in high amounts in poorly balanced homemade dog food recipes.
To put this simply: a crock pot full of meat, rice, and veggies is not a balanced diet. In feeding something like that, you may actually be doing more harm than good.
How to Balance Home-Cooked Dog Food
This doesn’t mean that all homemade dog foods are bad!
As a matter of fact, Board-Certified Veterinary Nutritionists have responded to this by creating an incredibly useful tool called BALANCE IT.
You simply plug in the ingredients that you wish to include, and it tells you how much of each to add to your recipe as well as what supplements are needed to make it nutritionally complete.
For fun, I plugged a popular Great Dane dog food recipe of meat, veggies, and rice.
Balance It replaced the rice with millet and also told me it still had 15 nutrient deficiencies, unless I added a recommended supplement powder. This is because it’s incredibly difficult to reliably get all of the necessary nutrients into the recipe.
Nutrient Deficiencies in Homemade Dog Food
15 nutrient deficiencies is not something to mess around with. If your dog food is not correctly balanced, it can lead to some serious health problems.
Most, if not all popular recipes online are deficient without supplementation; and you can’t just throw a random multivitamin at the problem.
A tool such as Balance It can help resolve this issue. They will move ingredients around and then recommend the exact portion of specific vitamin and mineral supplement to add.
Dr. Judy Morgan’s homemade “Pup Loaf” is a popular and common dog food recipe. However, Balance IT was unable to resolve the deficiencies in the formula without significant changes. The system even said that some ingredients could result in dangerously high levels of certain nutrients and even…toxicity.
How to Create a Dog Food Recipe From Scratch
If you are still interested in moving forward with home cooking for your dog, the Balance It tool and/or working with a board-certified Veterinary Nutritionist is the only way to do this safely.
Tread cautiously with self-made “nutritionists” and Canine or Pet “food and nutrition experts”. Unless they have a veterinary degree and are boarded in nutrition, they aren’t qualified.
Here are a few additional tips:
Visit www.petdiets.com and find a veterinary nutrition expert to help you
Work with ingredients that are readily available to you
Once you have a recipe dialed in, be careful with substitutes as they can throw off the entire balance of the food
Run your recipe through Balance It on occasion, as updates in nutrition science may change the algorithm that is used by their system
Use one of the pre-made recipes on Balance It to get started
Follow the directions given to you by Balance It for your recipe regarding how much homemade dog food to feed: every recipe you make will be different!
See your veterinarian regularly; they spent nearly a decade in school learning how to keep your pet as healthy as possible
NOTE: what BALANCE IT does not do is differentiate between puppies, adults, and large or giant breed dogs. For this reason, we recommend speaking with your veterinarian or a DACVN as well as diligently reading the nutrient analysis of the recipe you create.
Especially if you are feeding a Great Dane puppy (more on this below)!
Homemade Food For a Great Dane 101
I would not recommend feeding a home cooked diet to a Great Dane under the age of 12-18 months, especially if you are not being diligent about formulation.
Giant breed puppies have very particular nutritional needs, and unless you are working directly with a Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist, I would steer clear.
This is where making your own dog food will shine.
I recommend topping your dog’s kibble with fresh, canned, or raw food IF that food is completely balanced according to the BALANCE IT tool.
Make sure that you reduce your kibble to account for the extra calories from the topper. Use calories to calculate the reduction, as cup-for-cup the values may be very different.
Kibble vs. Fresh Food for Great Danes
Formulating your own dog food at home can be rewarding and incredibly helpful for dogs that just don’t do well on commercial foods.
However, as you may have noticed, it’s not exactly a cake walk. A misstep could cost your dog its life and health.
It’s important to note that kibble-fed dogs are living long, healthy lives. Properly formulated kibble is safe and healthy. Switching entirely to fresh foods may provide some minor benefits, but for most dog owners, the risk of formulation issues isn’t worth the reward.
They thrive on a 90/10 ratio, which is recommended by Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionists:
90% complete and balanced kibble
10% balanced fresh or canned including unbalanced treats, toppers, and dental chews
Sometimes I offer up to 40% balanced fresh foods in lieu of kibble.
The key here is BALANCE. Balanced nutrients and educated feeding.
Homemade Food for Great Dane Puppies
I have mentioned this above, but felt that this topic was worth it’s own heading.
Homemade food for Great Dane puppies is rarely if ever recommended. This is because they need exact levels of calcium and phosphorus, plus the correct balance of amino acids, proteins, carbs, and fats.
Lacking this balance, Dane pups can suffer from knuckling, painful inflammation, hip dysplasia, flat feet, poor conformation, and poor development of brain, eyes, tendons, and muscle.
Here is our list of quality, approved Great Dane puppy foods. Feed these until 18-24 months of age. If you want to add fresh foods, remember to keep it balanced and reduce kibble intake accordingly, beginning no sooner than 6-8 months of age.
Happy New Year, Dane lovers! It’s time to make our list of 2023 Resolutions and this year I’m calling it “Do Better for Danes”. Here are 10 dog-inspired resolutions for all of us!
Pick one or pick them all, what resolutions do you have in 2023 to do better for your Dane?
#1 – Sparkly, Healthy Gnashers!
Did you know that dental problems in dogs are not only incredibly painful, but they can lead to tooth loss, heart disease and infections, too?
Resolve to keep your pups teeth in top shape this year. Daily brushing can go a long ways towards keeping gunk and bacteria at bay.
With lots of positive reinforcement and yummy toothpaste, even the most resistant dog can learn to tolerate teeth brushing!
Read here to learn more about veterinary dental cleanings, which are the gold standard for dogs and a great place to get started if your dental maintenance is a little behind.
Overgrown nails on Great Dane Dogs lead to pain, arthritis, joint damage, breakage, and changes to the way the dog moves and walks.
If the nails touch the ground, it’s time for a pawdicure!
Of course, some dogs are incredibly resistant to this process. For those dogs, veterinary advice is a must. Daily positive interactions with nail trims (even if just seeing the nail tool in exchange for a treat) is a step in the right direction, too!
We prefer to keep our Danes nails short and round, the same style seen on show dogs. Short nails are written into the breed standard because they are best for orthopedic health.
Allow your dog to get dirty and play in the mud, too! Exposure to the environment helps build the immune system and allows their coat to do the job it was made to do.
If your dog has a dull coat and chronically itchy or problematic skin, it’s time to see a veterinarian. They may be able to refer you to a veterinary nutritionist, internest, allergist, or dermatologist so you can get to the root of the issue.
Cost of Great Dane Ear Crop
#4 – Healthy Weight
Of course, in humans “diet culture” and “weight loss resolutions” have become a toxic and dangerous space. For dogs, however, it’s a different story.
Humans can be a size 18 or a size 2 and still be incredibly healthy either way. We are not dogs; we have different needs and a much different build. We also have much more control over the food we are fed.
Dogs unfortunately cannot control their diet.
Great Danes that carry extra weight will, on average, shorten their lifespan by around 2 years.
It is never good to bulk up a Great Dane in the interest of making them heftier, bigger, or more robust. Great Danes are actually a lean, athletic breed and seeing a rib or two is not only normal, but desirable.
If your Great Dane needs to lose weight, talk to your veterinarian about a balanced weight-loss diet and appropriate exercise.
#5 – Boredom Busters
Did you know that many behavioral problems, including separation anxiety, are a direct result of boredom?
Destruction, whining, pacing, barking, laziness, and even reactivity can be brought on by, or worsened in dogs that are well…bored. Resolve this year to alleviate boredom in your dog. Give them the best life possible with natural enrichment opportunities.
Most dogs do not receive enough exercise or enrichment. In most cases, a walk on pavement, toys, a yard, and another dog are not nearly enough.
Here is a list of things you can do to bust boredom in your dog (and better their social, obedience, and separation skills in the process!)
Feed meals from puzzle feeders, such as the Kong Wobbler
Fill your pocket with kibble or small treats (like these Ziwi Peak bites) and use them throughout the day to teach new skills and tricks such as stay, heel, spin, and look.
Visit a cafe or pet-friendly store and work on your obedience skills and positive socialization
With proper exercise and socialization, many people are surprised to find that a lot of nuisance behaviors are greatly minimized, if not eliminated. Enrichment is fun and a great opportunity to bond with your dog, too!
#6 – Get Off-Leash, Finally!
We believe that Danes should be off-leash as much as possible.
Their giant bodies and joints are susceptible to damage which can be made worse by the restrictions and pressure from harnesses, head collars, and collars…especially if they lunge or pull a lot!
Of course, teaching a solid loose-leash walk is 100% necessary. However, when possible, Danes should be allowed to move as naturally and freely as much as they can.
Enter the modern E-Collar. This is the only tool on the market that is more gentle than a Gentle Leader, and allows complete, unrestricted freedom of movement.
If your Great Dane will come when called from 10-20 feet away in a low distraction environment, your Dane can be E-Collar trained and reliably off-leash within weeks.
Interested in learning more? We have a ton of resources on this topic.
Did you know that some of the best dog foods available for your Great Dane are not actually the most expensive or fancy ones?
Marketing has taught us to equate fancy, unregulated terms such as “holistic” and “super-premium” with better nutrition. These things are often nothing more than marketing schemes meant to separate your money from your wallet.
This year, we encourage the Dane community to ditch food shaming.
If you want the best nutrition for your Great Dane, skip the boutique foods and look towards science and research, instead. There are proven options available at all price points, and because they are fully complete and balanced, no expensive unbalanced toppers are needed.
I recommend a large or giant breed food from tried and true brands such as Purina, Royal Canin, or Eukanuba for Great Danes. Hill’s or Iam’s are great, too. Purina One Large Breed is a solid, budget-friendly option, for example.
Minced or blended fruits and vegetables from your kitchen (less than 5% of the diet)
Raw turkey necks or chicken paws (for dogs that know how to crunch them up properly, 1 each week)
Still unsure about what to feed your Great Dane and why? Check out Tufts University Petfoodology blog for science-backed nutrition information that is not motivated by affiliate links or sales.
Above All, in 2023…
Let’s all do better for Danes.
We’re going to support ethical breeders and ethical rescues…and make it socially irresponsible for breeders and rescues to be anything less.
We’re going to talk to our veterinarians, and learn to trust them. After all, they want our dogs to thrive.
We want to get our dogs out more. Moving, living their lives, being spoiled rotten. Snuggled up with us, running beside us, and being our faithful, healthy companion for as many days on Earth as we are given with them.
What resolutions do you have for your Danes in 2023? Share them below!
