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Adopting a Senior Great Dane... food?

12K views 24 replies 10 participants last post by  scpnme 
#1 ·
Hello everyone!!

My boyfriend and all my friends think I have gone insane, but I am adopting a 7 year old female great dane from a kill shelter about 30 miles from me. I went to meet her today and she is an absolute angel, so quiet and kind and just wants love love love! I have a small yard, and my corgi, Tegan... so I am hoping she can spend the last few years of her life with me, happy.
She is a little underweight, had a severe infection when they got her because her sitches from being spayed never got taken out before she became a stray and were in for over a year! She has been through a lot.
I am a 21 year old 5'4" 100 lb girl... everyone thinks I am CRAZY to want her... but I have always wanted a great dane since I was about 8 years old- and she is such a love. I want to help her live a good life in her senior years.

Ayway- I feed my corgi Artimis Maximal: Artemis - Holistic Approach to Pet Food

Which on dogfoodanalysis.com is a 6 star food. He only eats a cup a day cause he has a corgi metabolism... he could gain weight on a cracker a day lol... but I was wondering if this was alright for her. I have done a lot of reading on danes and I know their diet has to be modified slightly from a different breed.

So is this food okay for a senior dane?

If not, what is?

and how much can I expect to feed? 4 cups was what I was reading before...
 
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#2 ·
WOW Congrats! How does Tegan get along with the dane? I think I remember she wasn't great with other dogs?

Anyways on the food-feed whatever she has been on first-and switch over slowly. The food your giving has high protein so that should do well. Ask what the shelter feeds, and since you mentioned she's underweight-feed a bit more -say 20% more-and adjust from there :)
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the reply!

Tegan has gotten more used to other dogs since my two room mates have dogs. He is rude at first, but generally becomes more accepting over time. He and my one room mates' dog now cuddle and lick each other :)

He meet the dane (I think I will be naming her Iris) tomorrow, and we'll see how he acts. I know it will be different because he'll be sharing his mom, but hopefully he will respect his elder and understand she is no threat to him quickly.

I think the shelter feeds IAMS... YUCK! so I'm going to be sharing my roomies bag of it (she got a shelter dog a couple weeks ago) and getting her switched over a week or two. :) I love her, she's so sweet!! Can't wait to bring her home!
 
#4 ·
You MUST post pictures!! Do you have the shelter website so we can see her now?
 
#5 ·
Ooo I think it is great that you are going to give her a great home! And please post lots of pictures when you get her home.
 
#7 ·
I don't have any advice but congrats on the new addition! Can't wait to see pictures.
 
#8 ·
I agree with everyone that congrats and good job for giving an older sweetie a home :) And lots of pics are wanted from me too! :)

~MSE
 
#9 ·
Adopt a Great Dane: A031526: Petfinder

That's her petfinder link, which I found weeks ago and was just sort of like "haha I'd love a great dane one day" and left as a bookmark on my computer for days. and then, i got more serious about it... and then I met her... and now, I'm committed. lol
 
#12 ·
Yeah it's a very nice shelter! They have soooo many pitties, I feel sorry for them all. Cali is over run homeless with pits and chis :(

Now, I'm getting nervous cause Tegan isn't adjusting to the male dog my roomie brought home over a month ago. He just got in another fight with him. The dog, is newly neutered so I'm HOPING that's still the issue, but I'm getting scared to bring a 80lb dog into the mix- even if she is a low key female. They are all going to meet her in a few hours- if there is even a growl I can't do it cause I just don't want our only roomie without a dog to complain about how our dogs always fight (she always does now.. even most of it is food aggression/territory between males)
 
#15 ·
She is beautiful! Keeping my fingers crossed that everything goes well!!!
 
#17 ·
update,

They are both laying on opposite sides of the living room. The meeting was good, she trampled him trying to play and so he took to barking like a CRAZY dog for a while but then calmed down. In the car he sulked in my room mates lap with her small dog, both of them looked like "Oh my god what have the humans done?!"

then toward the end of the ride we had to pull over so I could get in the back with her, she was either car sick or just anxious causeh she tried to jump up in our laps in the front TWICE... lol so I went in the back and she layed on top of me the rest of the way. Tegan sniffed noses with her for the last 20 minutes of the ride. He's pretty much fine with her as long as they aren't near food or he feels like she is pushing him out of the way for love. Hence why I am ignoring both of them right now. I feel like when I first got her I was sort of gushing on her and he was getting annoyed.

She will be in my room from 2 - 4 and then from 6 - 10 tonight, which I am nervous about. Tegan will be lose cause I know he is potty trained and my roomies dont mind him. The roomies like her, but they are kind of put off by her giant size- afraid to shove her around and tell her no.

Its calm right now though, they are both just dozing, and the cat is hiding on top of the couch. She got growled at, which she in turned hissed at, and it got kinda sketchy. Another reason miss Dane is going in my room until everyone is more in harmony :)

Any ideas on names? I like Iris, Reese, and Lily so far.. but nothing seems to really grab me, like Tegan's name did.

PICS:



I wish I had gotten some of the two of them on the bed, they were cute. :)
 
#18 ·
Awww CONGRATULATIONS!!!

I would watch them all very closely for at least the first few weeks. I swear it took about a month for Kimber and Kelsey to get used to each other but I think it was probably me being paranoid. Make sure you praise them when they are interacting nicely with each other.

I am so happy for you.

I like Lily but I don't think it suits her. I'm going to try and think of something. She is beautiful by the way!
 
#20 ·
What do you think of Mucca (sounds mouka) ...I don't like the translation tho :( It means cow but nobody would know (except italians) :D

I like Isis as well! Or Arlecchina like her color :)
What about Reina(=queen), Moreen(=great (great dane)),
 
#21 ·
I'm trying to not let either of them on the bed right now because if I just give attention to one not the other, or they think one is getting better treatment, they break out in fights...

we have two weeks to try this, I hope they settle down.
 
#23 ·
looks like Tegan is giving her a tour :) Maybe something that means heart (cus she is a harlequin and that is a romance novel publisher) I do like Isis and Lily though. Anyhow hope the good relationship continues between them :)

~MSE
 
#24 ·
Is it normal that is hasn't sat still A MINUTE since getting here?

I took her for a run, and she isn't even just laying down. of course there are three other dogs and people in and out of the house... and a cat she is scared senseless of yet growls and barks at non-stop when she sees her.

our one room mate that wasn't supposed to move until end of april is leaving tonight, she is pissed I got a dog this big. Oops? oh well... she wasn't a dog person anyways.

Isis is the name of about 4 dogs I walk, so I don't like that name. I was thinking Denver, cause I'm from there but it's not too catchy. The shelter called her Jessica and thats what I have been calling her, which is stupid but she comes to it.... I introduced her to our neighbor has jessica cause I didn't want to say she didn't have a name.

tonight will be interesting trying to sleep with the two dogs and a cat in my room. I pray they dont break out in wars all night.

Anything to help them all sleep?

Ooo kitty is behind the chair hissing now... I've traumatized her.
 
#25 ·
I am the owner of an 11 1/2 year old Great Dane and I would strongly encourage you to visit www.greatdanelady.com. She has a complete holistic approach to caring for your new baby. First and foremost, you are going to need to feed anywhere from 3-4 cups of dry food twice a day. Some senior danes don't handle higher protein well and with that, you should look for a lower protein food. Look for foods under 25% but don't go too low as that can decrease muscle mass...which she will definitely need. Danes are much different than many breeds they age much quicker and can take more care to keep them going once they hit their older years. I just started mine on a new regimine and am anxious to see how it works. He is the oldest dane I have ever had and I am so blessed to have him still with me and fairly healthy!!! :)

Good luck to you and congratulations on becoming mommy to one of the most awesome breeds ever!!! I commend you for taking her on and no doubt she will give you incredible joy!!!
 
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