It is important to take great care of your pet and make sure their diet is well observed. This article discusses how much a Mastiff should eat and what amount it should eat.
How much should a Mastiff eat?
Fully grown Mastiffs should eat between 6-10 cups of dry food everyday – however, the amount can vary according to your dog’s appetite, preference and personality. Older Mastiffs have a lower food requirement whereas growing puppies need to be fed a lot in order to grow and develop properly.
Table of Contents
The nutritional needs and requirements of a Mastiff puppy can change very quickly within one to two years of its growth phase. As a puppy, Mastiffs require a large amount of food, but that reduces as the Mastiff gets older.
Older Mastiffs require 2.6 lbs. of food everyday split into two meals – they do not have high protein demands unlike the puppies.
Puppies on other hand have high demand for protein and other nutrients since they are still in the growth phase. Therefore, the puppies need to be fed more in order to make up for the high energy demands and sufficient calories for your puppies.
The diet of each Mastiff may vary based not only on their age, but their gender, personality and type of food as well.
The food fed to a Mastiff should be rich in protein, minerals, fats and other necessary vitamins and nutrients that are essential to ensure a healthy increase in weight and good development of their bone structure.
Since Mastiff’s diet consists largely of meat-based food, human food-grade sources of meat should be sufficient to provide for their calorie demands.
While picking a dog food, make sure to check the ingredients and nutritional facts to check whether it meets all the necessary nutrient demands – avoid any food that has artificial coloring or preservative on them.
Additionally, fibers are also an essential part of your dog’s diet since they regulate the correct functioning of the digestive system. But overfeeding fibrous food can be bad to your Mastiff as well and might exhibit allergies and other health issues.
Below listed are the feeding specifications for your mastiff along with their age, weight and other necessary details:
2–3-week-old Mastiff:
Mastiff puppies that are 2 to 3 weeks old need to have between 3 to 4 meals per day, each meal weighing 3.5 oz: 2 – 3 cups of dog food should be sufficient.
They should have a weight between 13 – 16 pounds and minimum 450 calorie intake daily. Mastiff puppies should be fed food that are high in protein and other nutrients to encourage faster growth.
4–5-week-old Mastiff:
Mastiff puppies that are 4 to 5 weeks old need to have between 3 to 4 meals per day, each meal weighing 3.5 oz: 2 – 3 cups of dog food should be sufficient.
They should have a weight between 15 – 20 pounds and minimum 450 calorie intake daily. You should include meat into your Mastiff puppy’s diet since they need a rich source of protein and carbohydrates.
6–7-week-old Mastiff:
Mastiff puppies that are 6 to 7 weeks old need to have between 3 to 4 meals per day, each meal weighing 3.5 oz: 2 – 3 cups of dog food should be sufficient.
They should have a weight between 17 – 24 pounds and minimum 750 calorie intake daily.
You need to take note of the nutrients they are consuming to make sure they are maintaining a balanced diet.
8–9-week-old Mastiff:
Mastiff dogs that are 8 to 9 weeks old need to have between 4 to 6 meals per day, each meal weighing 4.5 oz: 4 – 6 cups of dog food should be sufficient.
They should have a weight between 23 – 33 pounds and minimum 750 calorie intake daily. As Mastiff dogs mature, they do not have high protein demand like the puppies, so regular dog food would suffice.
10–11-week-old Mastiff:
Mastiff dogs that are 10 to 11 weeks old need to have between 3 to 4 meals per day, each meal weighing 4.5 oz: 3 – 5 cups of dog food should be sufficient. They should have a weight between 32 – 40 pounds and minimum 1000 calorie intake daily.
3-month-old Mastiff:
Mastiff dogs that are 3 months old need to have 3 to 4 meals per day, each meal weighing 6.3 oz: 6 – 8 cups of dog food should be sufficient. They should have a weight between 39 – 45 pounds and minimum 1250 calorie intake daily.
4-month-old Mastiff:
Mastiff dogs that are 4 months old need to have 2 to 3 meals per day, each meal weighing 12.6 oz. 6 – 8 cups of dog food should be sufficient. They should have a weight between 50 – 60 pounds and minimum 1500 calorie intake daily.
5-month-old Mastiff:
Mastiff dogs that are 5 months old need to have 2 to 3 meals per day, each meal weighing 12.6 oz. 8 – 10 cups of dog food should be sufficient. They should have a weight between 65 – 80 pounds and minimum 1500 calorie intake daily.
6-month-old Mastiff:
Mastiff dogs that are 6 months old need to have 2 to 3 meals per day, each meal weighing 12.6 oz. 8 – 10 cups of dog food should be sufficient. They should have a weight between 80 – 100 pounds and minimum 1500 calorie intake daily.
7-month-old Mastiff:
Mastiff dogs that are 7 months old need to have 2 meals per day, each weighing 17.6 oz. 8 – 12 cups of dog food should be sufficient. They should have a weight between 90 – 125 pounds and minimum 2100 calorie intake daily.
8-month-old Mastiff:
Mastiff dogs that are 8 months old need to have 2 meals per day, each weighing 17.6 oz. 8 – 12 cups of dog food should be sufficient. They should have a weight between 100 – 140 pounds and minimum 2300 calorie intake daily.
9-month-old Mastiff:
Mastiff dogs that are 9 months old need to have 2 meals per day, each weighing 17.6 oz. 8 – 12 cups of dog food should be sufficient. They should have a weight between 110 – 155 pounds and minimum 2500 calorie intake daily.
10-month-old Mastiff:
Mastiff dogs that are 10 months old need to have 2 meals per day, each weighing 17.6 oz. 8 – 12 cups of dog food should be sufficient. They should have a weight between 112 – 165 pounds and minimum 2500 calorie intake daily.
Mastiff feeding chart:
| Age | Expected dog Weight (pounds) | Recommended amount of food per day (cups) | Daily calorie intake | Feeding frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 week | 13 – 15 | 2 – 3 | 450 | 3 – 4 times |
| 3 week | 14 – 16 | 2 – 3 | 450 | 3 – 4 times |
| 4 week | 15 – 18 | 3 – 4 | 450 | 3 – 4 times |
| 5 week | 16 – 20 | 3 – 4 | 450 | 3 – 4 times |
| 6 week | 17 – 22 | 3 – 4 | 450 | 3 – 4 times |
| 7 week | 20 – 24 | 3 – 4 | 750 | 3 – 4 times |
| 8 week or 2 month | 23 – 29 | 4 – 6 | 750 | 3 – 4 times |
| 9 week | 29 – 33 | 4 – 6 | 750 | 3 – 4 times |
| 10 week | 32 -36 | 4 – 6 | 1000 | 3 – 4 times |
| 11 week | 36 – 40 | 4 – 6 | 1000 | 3 – 4 times |
| 12 week or 3 month | 39 – 45 | 6 – 8 | 1250 | 3 – 4 times |
| 4 month | 50 – 60 | 8 – 10 | 1500 | 2 – 3 times |
| 5 month | 65 – 80 | 8 – 10 | 1500 | 2 – 3 times |
| 6 month | 80 – 100 | 8 – 10 | 1500 | 2 – 3 times |
| 7 month | 90 – 125 | 8 – 12 | 2100 | 2 – 3 times |
| 8 month | 100 -140 | 8 – 12 | 2300 | 2 – 3 times |
| 9 month | 110 – 155 | 8 – 12 | 2500 | 2 – 3 times |
| 10 month | 112 – 165 | 8 – 12 | 2500 | 2 – 3 times |
Are you overfeeding your Mastiff or not feeding enough?
There are several symptoms that can be used to spot whether your Mastiffs are overfed or underfed.
One of the easiest ways to spot an overfed Mastiff is if they look overweight – a dog that ate too much would have a swollen waist and you cannot feel their ribs, hips or spine if you try to manually inspect.
If you need to apply significant pressure to feel the ribs, it is most likely that the fat layer is preventing you from feeling the ribs – which indicates that your dog has been overfed.
Another common sign of overfeeding is if your Mastiff is facing from bowel issues, digestion problems as well as discomfort. Overfeeding puts excess stress on their digestive system and thus it makes their bowel irregular.
If your dog is underfed, they will be more prone to gas formation and result in issues with flatulence – this would result in frequent smells.
How frequently to feed your Mastiff?
In case of Mastiff puppies, their feeding frequency is much different and keeps constantly changing as their nutritional demands keep changing every week as they grow.
You should feed your puppies multiple times during the day since the puppies will spend most of their time playing or running – which would consume a large amount of their calories.
For puppies aged between 3 weeks or less to around 3 to 4 months, you should feed them highly nutritious food alongside dog food for 3 to 4 times a day.
For dogs aged between 5 or 6 months to over a year and so on, you should feed them regular dog food 2 to 3 times a day.
Recommended feeding time:
There is no specific feeding time for Mastiffs, however feed them at least twice a day – once in the morning and another in the evening. Other additional meals can be fed throughout the day according to your dog’s activities and calorie usage.
However, do not let your dog’s stomach be empty for more than 8 hours, keeping them empty any longer would trigger hyperacidity and starvation.
Final thoughts
Fully mature Mastiffs should consume 6 to 10 cups of dry food each day, although the exact amount will depend on your dog’s appetite, preferences, and nature. While growing pups need a lot of food to grow and develop appropriately, older Mastiffs have a lesser feeding requirement.