Mastiffs - Puppies - General Puppies Care
Mastiffs need a lot of care, which includes the proper choice of foods, living conditions, exercise types, and other important aspects. Mastiffs are not recommended for inexperienced owners. Thus, a piece of advice from a breeder is quite indispensable. Discuss what foods the puppy has been accustomed to eating. It will make the ration shift milder. Talk to other Mastiff owners and try to participate in a breed club's activities. It will give you a chance to learn more about Mastiff puppy care and find solutions to possible problems.
Mastiffs - Puppies - Coat Care
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Photo courtesy of
The Mastiff Sweet Spot
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Mastiffs are easy to care for in terms of coat care. They do not need long-lasting procedures to keep their coat clean and healthy. Shedding does occur in Mastiffs but it can be handled by regular brushing. Pay special attention to wrinkles that are formed by loose skin. These areas tend to accumulate dirt, which is instrumental in bacteria spreading. Mastiffs - Puppies - Feeding Puppies
Mastiff puppies need a considerable amount of foods preferably a few times a day. The number of meals should be gradually reduced to two a day by the age of one year old. Most Mastiff owners prefer to use commercially prepared dry foods that were produced with the fundamentals of the dog's digestion and size characteristics in mind. Commercially prepared foods seem to be a better choice than other products because they do not accumulate toxic elements unlike fresh meat or milk products. It is safety that makes them rather popular with most dog owners.
However, there is a growing trend to use whole foods for Mastiffs and other dogs. The adherents of this sort of diet argue that commercially prepared foods are exposed to cooking which reduces the amount of useful nutrients to significant numbers.
A Mastiff owner has to solve a difficult task when choosing foods for his pet. Nutrition is an extremely complex matter, yet of paramount importance. Your Mastiff puppy diet will depend on a great deal of factors such as activity level, living conditions, and even the season. Consult a veterinarian on the issue of right foods for your dog and appropriate amounts your dog is supposed to consume. Make sure the Mastiff receives necessary nutrients to keep it healthy. At the same time, do not overfeed your dog. Mastiffs can be prone to obesity, which leads to health problems and premature aging. Besides, overweight is an additional load on the Mastiff's joints.
Any Mastiff owner should be aware of dangers that await a puppy outside. A curious little Mastiff will investigate surroundings and try everything that comes up. Do not allow your puppy to lick products found on the street or take garbage.
Mastiffs - Puppies - Health Problems
One of the most common Mastiff health problems is elbow dysplasia. In fact, this condition is often seen in large breeds of dog and those dogs that show fast growth in the first 12 months. The symptoms of elbow dysplasia can be seen in Mastiff puppies at the age of 6-9 months old. Lameness in a puppy should put a Mastiff owner on his guard. The sooner the disease is discovered the better.
Nowadays, elbow dysplasia is diagnosed with the help of x-rays. It is treated either medically or surgically. Overall, elbow dysplasia is considered a lifelong problem that can recur as the dog ages.
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Photo courtesy of
Dogomania
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X-rays are also necessary when diagnosing hip dysplasia. The OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) uses Penn-Hip methods of interpreting the radiographs when the dog is about 2 years old. It also educates breeders on a variety of issues connected with hip and elbow dysplasia. The OFA offers statistics concerning the risk of these conditions by breed. Note that the Dogue de Bordeaux, the Neapolitan Mastiff, and the Cane Corso Mastiff make up the first ten among the breeds that are mostly susceptible to hip dysplasia.
It is interesting to know that researchers are making some progress in the understanding of hip dysplasia. Their aim is an effective method of diagnosing this condition in puppies at the age of 8 weeks. They suggest that veterinarians should use ultrasound method to find out health problems in dogs. Early diagnosis and consequently treatment will help to better improve a dog's health. Besides, potential buyers will know if Mastiffs are affected.
Mastiffs - Puppies - Related Links
Advice You Can Trust - Neapolitan Mastiffs - FAQ, advice on training, and links to other sites.
Discover Dogs - Neapolitan Mastiff - Standard and related publications.
Dogue De Bordeaux - General information on the breed.
Dogue De Bordeaux Breeders - Links to Dogue De Bordeaux breeders.
Dogue De Bordeaux Info - History, description, and characteristics of the breed.
English Mastiff Online Community - Devoted to English Mastiffs. Discusses various topics, pictures, and more.
General Info - Mastiff history, description, personality, maintenance, and other valuable information.
Guide To The Neapolitan Mastiff - Dr. Barry Reder's collection of Neo info includes rescue, history, foreign and US breeders, FAQs, standard, and care of the new puppy.
Dogstop: Mastiffs - Breeder listing, AKC breed standard, a mailing list, and chat room.
Mastiff Books - Books on housebreaking, obedience, dog care, dog shows, training, grooming.
Mastiff Diet - Advice on how to feed your puppy, or an adult dog.
Mastiff Gallery - Pictures of Mastiff puppies and adult dogs.
Mastiff Info - General information about the breed. Also books, and other links.
Mastiff Puppies For Sale - General information on the breed, kennels, rescue organizations, clubs, breed standard, names for Mastiff puppies, and other information.
MCOA Mastiff Breed FAQ - Extensive set of FAQ and their answers. Also, history, publications, list of clubs, questions for breeders, and more.
Molosserworld - History of the breed, upkeep, and links.
Molosses - A photo gallery.
Neapolitan Mastiff Breed - Size, proportion, trainability, and other information on the breed.
Neapolitan Mastiff Breed Profile - History, description of the breed, and advice in care.
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Photo courtesy of
The Mastiff Sweet Spot
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Neapolitan Mastiff Breeders - Find breeder of Neapolitan Mastiffs listed by state.
Neapolitan Mastiff In Brief - History of the breed, related links, and photo gallery.
Neapolitan Mastiff Links - Links to Neapolitan Mastiff related sites.
Neapolitan Mastiff Pictures - Grown dogs and puppies.
Neapolitan Mastiff WebRing - The original Neapolitan Mastiff webring. All Neapolitan Mastiff breeders and owners are invited to join the ring.
Neapolitan Mastiffs - Description, health issues, advice on upkeep, etc.
Old English Mastiff - History of the breed, characteristics, health issues, personality, and more.
Operation K9 Rescue - Neapolitan Mastiff - Description of the breed, exercise needs, training, health problems, and more.
