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Why Large-Breed Puppy Formulas Are Different

If you’ve got a big love for big dogs, IAMS™ has a large-breed puppy formula specially made for their nutritional needs.

Nutritional Objectives

Many large-breed puppies have a tendency to grow very quickly. Unfortunately, if this tendency is encouraged by overfeeding, developmental bone problems can occur. To avoid these problems, careful feeding management is necessary. This should include

• Consideration of optimal protein quantity and quality
• Restriction of the energy-containing fat
• Careful control of the calcium and phosphorus levels

Our specially formulated large-breed puppy formulas make feeding management easier because they are designed for fast-growing, large-breed puppies (those with an expected adult weight of more than 50 pounds).

Protein in Puppy Food

A protein level approximating 26% in these formulas promotes healthy body condition and balances the protein with the reduced number of calories in the food. Research has shown that

• Dietary protein levels from 15 to 32% have no adverse effect on skeletal development.¹
• Body condition decreases as protein gets too low.

The protein in our large-breed puppy formulas supports normal skeletal and muscular growth.

Calories and Fat in Puppy Food

Fat contributes more than twice as many calories in a diet as proteins or carbohydrates do. As the fat level increases, the energy content of the diet also increases, making feeding management more difficult for large-breed puppies. Several studies have shown increases in developmental bone problems when a diet was overfed.^2, 3
 

By reducing the fat content of large-breed puppy formulas to about 14%, the metabolizable energy (ME) of the diets can be kept to a low level of about 1,800 kilocalories per pound.

Calcium and Phosphorus in Puppy Food

Fat contributes more than twice as many calories in a diet as proteins or carbohydrates

Comparing with Our Other Puppy Foods

Our large-breed puppy formulas, such as IAMS ProActive Health™ Smart Puppy Large Breed, are made specifically for growing puppies with expected adult weights of 50 pounds or more. These puppy foods are unique because they are formulated with:

• Less fat for fewer calories to optimally reduce growth rate of large-breed puppies and help safeguard against overconsumption of energy
• A lower level of protein to ensure a proper balance of protein with energy content

Reduced calcium and phosphorus levels with a normal calcium-to-phosphorus ratio to promote proper bone development in rapidly growing large breed puppies.
 

¹ Nap, et al. Growth and skeletal development in Great Dane pups fed different levels of protein intake. J Nutr 1991; 121:S107-S113.
 

² Hedhammer, et al. Over nutrition and skeletal disease: an experimental study in growing Great Dane dogs. Cornell Vet 1974; 64:1-159.
 

³ Lavelle. The effect of overfeeding of a balanced complete commercial diet to a group of growing Great Danes. In: Nutrition of the dog and cat. Burger and Rivers (eds). Cambridge Univ Press, 1989:303-316.
 

⁴ Hazewinkel, et al. Influences of chronic calcium excess on the skeletal development of growing Great Danes, J Am Anim Hosp Assoc 1985; 21:377-391.
 

⁵ Goedegebuure, Hazewinkel. Morphological findings in young dogs chronically fed a diet containing excess calcium. Vet Pathol 1986; 23:594-605.
 

⁶ Hazewinkel, et al. Calcium metabolism in Great Dane dogs fed diets with various calcium and phosphorus levels. J Nutr 1991; 121:S99-S106.