Statistically, large and giant breed dogs tend to have shorter life spans than smaller breeds. A proactive approach is important from puppyhood through adult life to keep your dog healthy and happy throughout different life stages, helping them to live as long as possible. Here are our own guidelines to make caring for your large breed easy.

Proper exercise is essential to a good life. Keep in mind that these dogs are larger and require a larger space as well as encouragement to exercise regularly in order to maintain a healthy lean body condition.

Nutrition is also a key factor in the health and longevity of your pet. Those of us that embrace a more natural and holistic way of life also know that there are certain nutrients that have additional benefits beyond basic nutrition and we look for such advantages in the foods our family consumes and we want the same for our pets because we recognize the advantages.

The ideal holistic and natural diet should contain highly digestible protein fat and carbohydrates. In addition dogs do best when the majority of calories come from fat and protein rather than carbohydrates. These basic ingredients should be derived form whole natural nutrients and not from ingredients that are considered by-products. An ideal holistic and natural diet should be naturally preserved with mixed tocopherols or other natural preservatives rather than BHA, BHT or Ethoxoquin.

Large and giant breeds are especially prone to developing osteoarthritis. Regular exercise and a proper diet that maintains a normal lean body condition are particularly important in preventing and later slowing the process. Diets that contain Glucosamine and Yucca as well as Omega 3 fatty acids are ideal as they all are functional food ingredients that have benefit to the joints of the body. Holistic Select Large and Giant Breed Adult is also supplemented with additional L-Carnitine which encourages lean body mass and a healthy heart.

Omega 6 and Omega 3 Fatty Acids are essential fats. Essential because that cannot be manufactured by the body and therefore need to be in the diet. All Holistic Select formulas are designed to go beyond the minimum daily requirements and provide optimum levels so as to gain additional holistic benefits.

An enhanced skin and hair coat that is far more resistant to damage by dirt, fleas and tick as well as injury. Omega 3 fatty acids are known to have protective benefits to the heart, they are considered anti-inflammatory as noted above. This select active ingredient also can increase the efficiency of the kidneys.

Probiotics or Direct Fed Microbials (DFMs) and Prebiotics: Probiotics are the essential bacteria that play a key role in establishing the normal flora of the gut so that proper digestion is achieved. They have the holistic benefit of also enhancing the immune system. By feeding a diet daily that contains these natural organisms, the digestive system and immune system are at optimum efficiency all the time.

Prebiotics are the essential foods necessary to keep the probiotics or DFMs healthy and happy. They are natural ingredients that have benefit specifically to the good bacteria as well as additional advantages for the pet. Holistic Select Large and Giant Breed Adult formula uses beet pulp and inulin to provide ideal nutrients to these good bacteria that produce other short chain fatty acids necessary for a healthy intestinal tract. Some beet pulp is retained in the digestive tract to assure adequate stool volume to keep the digestive contents moving along.

Holistic Select diets all contain other natural ingredients that have functional benefits that together enhance the health and well being of our four legged companions.

Natural Digestive Enzymes are also added to our diets to help improve digestibility.

The Vitamins and Minerals are very important ingredients in pet food, especially for large and giant breeds. Look for a complete and balanced vitamin and mineral selection that is highly bio-available. Holistic Select diets contain all of the necessary vitamins and minerals in optimum levels to assure proper maintenance of all systems of the body. The trace minerals are coated and protected from the acids of the stomach through an exclusive process known as sequestering (SQM®).

Additional Taurine and L-Carnitine (two essential amino acids) are added to the Holistic Select Large and Giant Breed Adult formula to support the heart and encourage a lean body mass.

Holistic Select Large and Giant Breed diets (both the puppy and adult formulas) have passed the test of time and have proven to be one of the most successful natural and holistic formulas designed specifically to meet the challenges and nutritional requirements of large and giant breeds.