The best dry dog for Great Danes is the first step to having a warm and loving cuddle buddy. Great Danes may be the largest dog breed, but they are big softies that just want to curl up on your lap.

A proper diet will help keep your dog in the best possible health and shape, allowing them to be their best selves. There are several possible dry food options that are suitable for Great Danes, so we take a look at some of our favourites.

Best Dry Dog Food For Great Dane Puppies

Great Danes aren’t the epitome of health and need all the help they can to have a healthy life, and that starts as puppies. The right dry dog food can help prevent certain health problems later on, and even determine how active your Great Dane will be.

There are many dry dog foods for Great Dane Puppies to choose from but we have selected our favourites.

Holistic Select Natural Dry Dog Food, Large & Giant Breed Puppy Recipe

Holistic Select produces a great dry food recipe for large and giant breeds like Great Danes. With the right combination of nutrients to help guide your Great Dane to adulthood, it is the perfect dry food choice for puppies.

From building healthy muscles to meeting dietary requirements, this product has got it all and may be the best choice a dog owner can make. 

Features

• Free of artificial preservatives, colours and flavours
• Free of wheat, corn and soy
• Designed to provide a balanced diet in every serving

Pros

• Omega-3 fatty acids help improve skin and coat texture
• Antioxidants, probiotics and taurine all contribute to improving heart health
• Ingredients are globally sourced but the product is made in the USA
• Prebiotics, probiotics and digestive fibre help make digestion easier

Cons

• It may be too dry for puppies

Main Ingredients: Lamb Meal, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Brown Rice, and Barley.

Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Giant Puppy Dry Dog Food

Royal Canin provides the ideal dry dog food for large-breed puppies. Formulated to prevent excessive weight gain and promote lean muscle formation, your Great Dane Puppy will get the right start for a healthy life.

Your Great Dane Puppy will have no problems with this dry dog food, especially during the transition from mother’s milk. Between the ages of 2 to 12 months, this is the only dry dog food your Great Dane will need.

Features

• Formulated for large breed dogs
• It is designed to help avoid excessive weight gain
• It is easily digestible

Pros

• It helps improve bone and joint health
• Antioxidants help to improve the immune system
• It promotes a balanced microbiome
• It improves digestive health and promotes optimal stool quality

Cons

• It is an expensive product
• It contains poultry by-product meal

Main Ingredients: Chicken By-Product Meal, Brewers Rice, Wheat Gluten, Brewers Rice Flour, and Corn.

Best Dry Dog Food For Adult Great Danes

Great Dane Adults may be in their prime, but they still need a lot of help to stay healthy. Large breed dogs typically are prone to several health conditions, and the right diet can help prevent that for your Great Dane. We take a look at our selections for the best dry dog food for adult Great Danes.

NUTRO ULTRA Adult Large Breed High Protein Natural Dry Dog Food

NUTRO ULTRA isn’t the biggest dog food maker in the world, but certainly qualifies as one of the best. With dog food recipes that are crafted to nourish and satisfy dogs, it’s easy to see why the brand is special.

This dry food recipe is crafted for large breed dogs, with Great Danes being one of the main targets. It is formulated to meet all the nutritional requirements of an adult Great Dane, thus keeping them healthy.

Features

• It has multiple protein sources
• Free of chicken by-product meal, soy and wheat
• Free of artificial preservatives, colours and flavours

Pros

• It contains as many as 15 superfoods like blueberries
• Only the finest quality ingredients are used
• Only non-GMO ingredients are used 
• It is designed to meet an adult dog’s nutritional needs

Cons

• The product may be too expensive

Main Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Brown Rice, Brewers Rice, and Rice Bran.

Holistic Select Natural Dry Dog Food, Large & Giant Breed Adult Recipe

Holistic Select makes another appearance on our list, this time with a product for large-breed adults. Users can transition from the puppy recipe to adults seamlessly and maintain the same level of quality in their diet. With optimal nutrients from carefully chosen quality ingredients, your Great Dane will get the best possible meal every time.

Features

• There are no additives, by-products or fillers in this product
• Ingredients are carefully selected for their nutritional benefits
• Free of artificial flavours, colours, and wheat or wheat gluten

Pros

• It is designed to improve heart health
• It is made using high-quality fruits, proteins and vegetables
• Prebiotics, probiotics, digestive fibres and enzymes all improve digestive health
• Ingredients are globally sourced but the product is made in the USA

Cons

• The carbohydrate content may be too high

Main Ingredients: Chicken Meal, Rice, Oatmeal, Oats, and Chicken Fat.

Best Dry Dog Food For Senior Great Danes

Great Danes have one of the shortest lifespans of all dog breeds and are typically considered seniors early. Where others only become seniors around seven years old, a Great Dane is a senior by 5 years.

You need to transition to the right senior diet to help them stay as healthy as possible and possibly be active. Here are our picks for the best dry dog food for Great Dane seniors. 

IAMS Healthy Aging Adult Large Breed Dry Dog Food

IAMS is a popular dog food producer with several excellent products, including this one. A product designed specifically for large dog seniors, your ageing Great Dane can get the best possible nutrition.

With IAMS Healthy Aging Adult Large Breed Dry Dog Food, your Great Dane can be at its very best even in its old age.  

Features

• It provides complete and balanced nutrition in every serving
• It features wholesome grains to provide the dog with healthy energy
• It contains Real Chicken as the first ingredient

Pros

• The product is designed specially to meet the needs of senior dogs
• It contains a blend of fibre and antioxidants which improve digestive system health
• The product is recommended by veterinarians worldwide
• Only high-quality proteins are present

Cons

• Artificial food dyes are present in this product

Main Ingredients: Chicken, Ground Whole Grain Barley, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, and Ground Whole Grain Sorghum.

ORIJEN Senior Dry Dog Food, Grain Free

ORIJEN produces great dry food for large senior dogs, and this option is the perfect choice for Great Danes. A grain-free dry food option, this product is ideal for Great Danes as they tend to have grain sensitivities.

Most dog owners, including those with Great Danes, have found this product to be ideal for senior dogs. With Great Danes particularly susceptible to health problems in their senior years, a healthy diet like this is necessary. 

Features

• It features multiple protein sources
• Animal ingredients make up about 85% of the product
• A nutrient-dense, grain-free dry dog food

Pros

• Ingredients are sourced from around the world and the product is made in the USA
• Dog owners have a lot of positive comments about this product
• It is freeze-dried, allowing it to have a bit of flavour
• Protein sources make up the first five ingredients

Cons

• It is an expensive product

Main Ingredients: Chicken, turkey, salmon, whole herring, and chicken liver. 

Best Dry Dog Food For Great Danes With Sensitivities

Some Great Danes are born with sensitivities or special conditions which make regular dry food unsuitable. While they may be able to eat it, they will need special help managing their conditions.

The right diet will have everything your dog needs to manage its condition and maybe even solve the problem in the long run. Here are our selections for the best dry dog food for dogs with sensitivities.

Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog Food, Adult, Sensitive Stomach & Skin

Hill’s Science uses science-based nutrition, providing your dog with the perfect diet. This recipe is designed for dogs with skin and stomach sensitivities. The product is easily digestible and doesn’t contain common allergies.

Your sensitive Great Dane deserves the best nutrition regardless of its sensitivities and can get it in every meal. The product is only suitable for adults with sensitivities and is especially toxic to pregnant or nursing dogs. 

Features

• Free of artificial flavours, colour or preservatives
• It is an adult-specific product
• Made specifically for dogs with sensitive skin and stomachs 

Pros

• It helps improve the gut microbiome
• It is easily digestible
• Made in the USA with the best globally sourced ingredients
• It helps improve skin and coat health

Cons

• The product is unsuitable for puppies or nursing mothers 
• A few dogs may still be sensitive to this product

Main Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Yellow Peas, Cracked Pearled Barley, and Brown Rice.

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Hydrolyzed Protein HP Dry Dog Food

Royal Canin is one of the most renowned dog food manufacturers, often designing products that are breed specific. This particular product is designed for dogs with allergies and food intolerances.

A veterinary-exclusive product, not everyone has access to it, but when it is recommended, it is sure to provide your Great Dane with obvious results. 

Features

• Designed especially for dogs with sensitivities and food intolerance
• This product can only be recommended by a vet
• It contains hydrolysed non-animal proteins

Pros

• It is an excellent product for dogs with itchy skin
• It helps with skin allergies
• It also helps improve skin health and lowers inflammation
• Skin and GI reactions brought on by proteins are greatly reduced

Cons

• The product is very expensive
• You can only buy it with a vet’s authorization

Main Ingredients: Brewers Rice, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavors, and Dried Plain Beet Pulp.

What Can I Feed My Great Dane To Gain Weight?

Dog food containing sweet potato and pumpkin is an excellent option if you are looking to bulk up your Great Dane. Instead of feeding your dog too much protein or overfeeding them, they can gain healthy weight with a little sweet potato and pumpkin.

You can add some to your dog’s already established dry dog food, or switch recipes altogether. 

Great Danes aren’t a particularly bulky breed and can easily be mistaken for underweight. Ensure you consult a vet to determine if your Great Dane is underweight before taking the drastic step to bulk them up.

If your Great Dane is already at the appropriate weight, feeding it sweet potato and pumpkin will only lead to obesity and likely cause several health problems. 

Can Great Danes Eat Normal Dog Food?

Great Dane diets are specially formulated for them and are tailored to specific points in their lives. Anything outside the recommended diet is not advised for dogs as fragile as Great Danes. If you leave regular food out for them, they will eat it, but it may pose a problem, so keep regular food away from Great Danes. 

All three life stages of a Great Dane have different needs and must be met for them to be at their best. Never interchange food options to save cost or because of availability. While it isn’t harmful, feeding a puppy food to seniors, adults or vice versa can upset a delicate balance. Your Great Dane’s immune system can easily be compromised or worse, causing several problems.

How Many Times Should A Great Dane Eat?

A Great Dane should eat at least twice a day as adults and three to four times daily as puppies. One meal a day isn’t enough for an adult Great Dane despite their size and three meals is too much. Meals should be evenly spaced throughout the day to ensure they stay active for as long as possible.

Overfeeding is a major problem for Great Danes as it causes obesity. As Great Danes are already fragile and at risk of certain health issues like hip dysplasia, obesity needs to be avoided at all costs. You can also consult your vet to help set up the ideal feeding schedule for your Great Dane, ensuring they are in good health all the time. 

Conclusion

Choosing the best dry dog food for Great Danes is no easy task and is likely the most important thing for a dog owner.

The best dry food depends on the age of your Great Dane as nutritional requirements often change with time. Always select dry food according to your Great Dane’s current life stage to ensure maximum efficiency and avoid any health concerns.