How much should I expect to pay to feed a Great Dane?
I do research on random things and I was reading about Great Dames a while ago. The article said that Great Dames expend a lot of energy when they walk and run because of their large size and because of that they require multiple meals a day to keep them from bloating. I can’t give you an estimated cost but I hope this bit of information helped you to shape an idea of food cost in some way. Also here is a link that talks about bloating in this breed that I think you should check out. It says that bloating is the second cause of death in certain breeds to cancer which makes it a very important issue. http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.
My 8 month dane eats 8 cups per day of Chicken Soup/ Adult food. A 35 lb bag lasts me about 3 weeks for him. Check out www.GreatDaneLady.com. She’s got a table in there of how much EP a growing dane puppy needs, although I think her amounts are a bit high. EP Natural costs about $1/ pound at most stores around us. I have seen it much higher, so shop around before you buy. Feeding a food with a low amount of corn/ wheat fillers etc will decrease the amount you need to feed, and the amount you clean up in the yard. I switched off EP because it had a lot of corn, and I didn’t want my pup on a lamb based diet. It can sku the phosphorus/ calcium ratio in the food (which needs to be between 1.0 – 1.
Congrats Bean!! You have the best answer! Sorry, If you are worried about the price of food for a Great Dane, a Great Dane is probably not for you. If getting a puppy, you will need to factor in a crate, possibly two as they will out grow a small one, at least one couch, possibly a remote control or two, dog collars, as they will out grow several, leashes, toys, and hopefully, they will not be really bad chewers, if so, double or even triple all. Some club members claim from puppy to death, expect your Great Dane to cost minimum $10,000, not including his/her original purchase. We have 5 of them. I think that amount is about right. I would recommend the book: ‘The Great Dane, Model of Nobility’ by Jill Swedlow. Jill offers her book as a free download from her website. If you are lucky enough to find a hard copy, I would grab it.
It does depend on where you live, or where you can purchase the food. I get Eagle Pack Holistic at a local feed store and I pay $45 (plus tax) for a 33lb bag. My dane is 10 months old and eats around 8 cups of kibble a day, but we do feed a few spoonfuls of Eagle Pack Select Canned as well. If this is your only dog in the household, then you can estimate about 3-4 bags a month…but that truly depends on how much your Dane is eating, and how large he will become. But as they age, the amount of food they require will decrease or slow down vs. how steadily the rations increase when they are a puppy. I spend around $250 a month but I have 2 other dogs as well. The other two barely eat 3-4 cups a day so the above is truly just an estimation for you. 🙂 And EP Holistic does not have corn. The EP (regular kind) does.
