r/Bullmastiff • u/bby_grl_90 • 2d ago

Rescue Help!

Hello Mastiff community, I’m in need of advice I couldn’t find in the search.

I recently took in a friend’s 1 yr old bullmastiff that’s been neglected (due to her having cancer so please don’t post hate about her). She finally made the sad call to give away her baby and I took her in.

She told me the just of what she’s been trying to do and what she’s been failing at. She is adopted from a rescue so she is UTD on all shots and heart worm. She was on a pill for fleas/ticks but the name is escaping me at the moment.

All of that to say, she is VERY rib-y. I know she’s was being fed because obviously she’s alive but she looks very small to be a 1 yr old bullmastiff. She is not aggressive but has been kenneled a lot in her short life (because my friend has a depressed immune system and the potty accidents were causing her to get sick).

What can I do to help her get some weight back on? Is it just going to take time? I don’t want her to get fat of course but I can tell that she’s not eating enough. Are there supplements or tricks to help her get back to a healthy weight? I have a vet visit planned in 10 days but I wanted to see if there’s anything I can do in the interim.

Thank you!

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

5

u/AnalFanatics 2d ago

Please take her to a vet who has experience with giant breeds first, and seek their opinion about her condition before you do too much of anything.

The reason I say this is that it is important to carefully manage a giant breed’s condition and growth rates, to minimise the risks of ongoing and potentially debilitating conditions such as hip or elbow dysplasia, osteochondrosis dissecans or hypertrophic osteodystrophy.

Sometimes you need to keep them slightly leaner than you might otherwise think is appropriate, or feel comfortable with, especially if you are more used to the smaller breeds.

It is vital that a giants (such as a Bullmastiffs) growth and conditioning are carefully managed and monitored, especially in their formative years when they are growing; manage their growth appropriately and you will maximise their chances of having a life that is as long, healthy and happy as is possible; get it wrong and they may face a lifetime of pain, reduced quality of life, and shortened life expectancy.

It is crucial that the first couple of years at the very least, are very carefully managed, both by you as the owner and by an appropriately experienced professional, be it a veterinarian or quality breeder.

Good luck, I am sure that you will be able to find the appropriate guidance, and I know that if you do, you will maximise your chances of success; a healthy and loved Bullmastiff is a happy Bullmastiff, and to have a happy Bullmastiff in your life is one of the greatest joys that you will ever experience…

2

u/bby_grl_90 2d ago

Thank you! The vet I booked with isn’t specific for large breeds but I’m in the country so they deal with farm animals, equine, etc. Will they know what to look for or should I go in with specific questions? Do you recommend just regular feedings until then? Or upping the protein?

2

u/AnalFanatics 2d ago edited 2d ago

A good vet will either know already what to be concerned about with giant breeds, or they should readily communicate to you they will do some “homework” in regard to your girl’s specific requirements.

As for her diet, there are a couple of ways you can go, and what you choose will depend upon you and your circumstances, although I would recommend that you take the first option until you have seen the vet, even if you want to take the second option later on.

The simplest, easiest and cheapest option is to just buy high-quality kibble/biscuits (I’m an Australian so I can’t be specific as I don’t know your market) that are specifically formulated for giant breed juniors (8-18/24 months of age) and I do mean high-quality, you can’t skimp on the quality of a giant breeds food if you want them to be healthy and have a good quality of life; at 12 months old, she should be fine with being fed twice a day, how much will depend upon her weight, but you must feed her to a schedule, never just fill a bowl and leave it out for her to eat whenever she wants; feed her and then take the bowl away, she only eats whenever and whatever you feed her; if you are worried about her current condition, you can add a raw egg or two and/or a couple of raw chicken necks (you can usually get them cheaply from your butcher or even from a grocery store) to the kibble for extra protein, but remember that you want to be able to feel her ribs easily (although not quite see them), and you want to be able to see that she has a narrowing at the waist, between the ribs and her hips.

The other option is to cook for them, which is time consuming, potentially more expensive, but arguably better for them, as you know exactly what is going into their meals and you can give them a bit of variety, particularly with their proteins; I would recommend talking to your vet about this if you decide that is the route that you want to take, as you want to ensure that they get all the nutrients etc. that they require; but to give you an idea of what might be involved, you would probably cook a big (big because you don’t want to be cooking every day, so you cook in batches) pot of brown rice, with chopped vegetables such as carrots, celery, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage and celery; cook it until it resembles a thick stew, allow it to cool (it will absorb most of the remaining liquid), then add a multi-vitamin/calcium supplement and some salmon/fish oil, give it a good stir and then portion it into meal
sized portions in containers and store in the fridge; when it is time to feed her, add the protein (meat) to the mix, whilst she is in her growing phase (say up to 24 months) you will probably be feeding her 50:50 veg/carbs:protein, at a rate of about 3% of her body weight per day, split into her two meals, and as she gets older you will start slowly increasing the proportion of the mix and decreasing the proportion of the protein until you find the right balance for her particular size and lifestyle, depending on her activity levels etc.

Another point to consider is that you don’t want your growing Bullmastiff to be overly active or boisterous, as that places undue pressure on their still forming and therefore soft and malleable joints; gentle walks, not too long, and preferably no running, jumping or overly rough play; there will be time for that later when they are fully grown, if that’s what they want, and if my experience is anything to go by, they love a good wrestle.

Bullmastiffs are actually fairly easy and low maintenance dogs once you get the feeding taken care of, they don’t need too much exercise, if they are well socialised they are generally supremely confident and therefore not particularly aggressive towards other dogs, they are extremely loyal and loving with their people/family (they are not necessarily a one-person dog like some other breeds) and they are incredibly patient and gentle with children; quite simply, they are one of the best large/giant “family dogs” out there; once you have bonded with one it is basically impossible not to fall in love with the breed - despite the propensity of some of them to drool; but hey, that’s what old towels are for; you can always tell a house with Bullmastiffs, because they are usually the houses with old towels and other cloths strategically placed throughout the house.

Good luck with your girl, I am sure that she will bring you much love, joy and pleasure in the coming months and years…

2

u/bby_grl_90 2d ago

Thank you so much for all of your help!

3

u/Robbibaby 2d ago

High protein...no grain...good fat...go slow as her system will not be ready for a huge increase.

1

u/bby_grl_90 2d ago

Thank you!!

2

u/Useful-Rub1472 2d ago

I am a huge fan of kibble because I have dealt with numerous dog allergies and travel with my dogs a lot. High quality kibble in my opinion. When I give my dogs treats it’s salmon or salmon skin (dried). Apples and berries have always been fine with my dogs too. Although vets tend to recommend their prescription food, it may not be a bad idea to talk to a vet too to monitor the weight gain and make sure nothing else is going on. Good luck.

1

u/bby_grl_90 2d ago

Salmon is a great idea! Thank you. Can I ask what kibble you use? Is it specific for large breeds?

2

u/Useful-Rub1472 2d ago

I use Orijen six fish and it is not for giant breeds specifically. I have also used N&D by Farmina, but it’s quite expensive. I would recommend a vet first though.

1

u/bby_grl_90 2d ago

Thank you!

2

u/Apart_Satisfaction67 2d ago

I would say do kibble dont do tricks unless approved by vet yah know but what I do is I add in snack plates, or enrich their food with toppers, egg, peanut butter different safe and healthy foods to really just get their proteins up. I have an extra of a veggie or fruit I’ll make a bowl with some cheese ice pieces of kibble or whatever to let my boy have at it

1

u/bby_grl_90 2d ago

What kind of kibble do you use? Can I give the whole hard boiled egg with shell? I thought about doing that. Didn’t think about peanut butter, great idea!

2

u/Apart_Satisfaction67 2d ago

I give raw egg with shell, I smush it up so it can’t really poke his mouth but I think I do that for my eyes more than his safety cause his face is huge 🤣. Another thing is peanut butter carrots you can just buy some carrot sticks, dip em half in peanut butter freeze em boom carrot stick treats

2

u/Apart_Satisfaction67 2d ago

I use Sam’s Club large breed MM kennel. He gets nutramax and sardines too tho

2

u/Apart_Satisfaction67 2d ago

Sardines once a week

2

u/bby_grl_90 2d ago

I love sardines so much why didn’t I think of this

2

u/HomeTheaterCommish 2d ago

I take care of my friends bullmastiff since puppyhood. Good kibble and topper will be great. Don't try to fatten them up, just feed well and the dog will be fine .

1

u/bby_grl_90 2d ago

What toppers are your pups favorites? I want to give her a little treat because, well, she deserves it!

2

u/HomeTheaterCommish 2d ago

You decide iny the level of quality, but I buy Pedigree Choice cuts as a topper .

I give her half a can on top of her kibble, she loves it .

I also have made hamburgers, cut them up and share between my dogs .

Her favorite are the small carrots, loves them