When Do Great Danes Stop Growing?

Video Transcript

"Hello, my name's Dr. James Dee, I'm with Hollywood Animal Hospital in Hollywood, Florida. Great Danes are a great breed. These rascals tend to grow until they're close to eighteen months of age, some a little longer, some a little shorter. But, it takes at least that long for growth weights to close on these dogs. They are a large breed with a, not major care. Unfortunately, any of the large dogs with the large fast growing bones, they have concerns about orthopedic problems. Certainly in some Great Danes we'll see hip dysplasia, which is an arthritic type situation that occurs, we may see some elbow, or some cervical neck problems that can develop. The vaccination history, or vaccination protocol for these dogs is the same as virtually any of the other puppies. The heart worm preventatives for these dogs again, they should be started early in life according to the recommendation by your veterinarian. Nutritionally, we'll see more problems with the Great Danes orthopedically on those dogs that we push nutritionally. The supplementation normally is not called for, and it's contraindicated. As we said, if we take two litters of puppies, divide them, keep one litter a little hungry and take the other litter and just really push the nutrients, the second litter will tend to have a higher percentage of orthopedic problems. But, by two years of age, both litters will be about the same size. So, be cautious about your feeding. One additional concern about the Great Dane, or any of the deep chested breeds is the concern about gastric torsion, or gastric dilatation. This always should be a concern for any deep chested breed. And, if you have one, you should look up and read a little bit about it."