Newfoundland Feeding Guide (Everything You Should Know)

Hello, pet parents! Welcome to my ultimate guide on feeding Newfoundlands.

In this guide, I will cover how much to feed a Newfoundland, how often to feed your Newfoundland, when to feed your Newfoundland, what foods to feed your Newfoundland, what foods to avoid feeding your Newfoundland, and other questions you may have about your Newfoundland’s nutrition.

You can read the article to the end, or go through the table of contents below and jump to the section that answers the questions you have on your mind.

Newfoundlands are popular for their calm nature and mild temperament. They are strong, muscular dogs with big skeletal frames that need proper exercises for physical and mental stimulation.

They’re happiest when they’re with a human family and shouldn’t be kept in the backyard or kennel for extended periods.

I have created this ultimate guide to feeding your Newfoundland’s to curious and new pet parents to solve your dog’s nutrition problem. I will go into details from my knowledge working for a vet on every feed question you might have.

Let’s jump into the article.

Newfoundland Nutritional Requirement

Newfoundlands are large sized dogs that require the proper nutrients in their specific amount to grow healthy. Like other dog breeds, if some of these nutrients are present in excess amounts or less, it would end up endangering the overall health of your dog.

Your Newfoundland’s meal should majorly consist of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamins to meet their nutritional requirements for a healthy lifestyle.

The large size of a Newfoundland will require adequate and quality nutrients to maintain its body weight and strong bones to support its massive frame. Anything short of this, can result in many health problems and prevent your dog from reaching its peak size.

Your Newfoundland’s protein source must be from animal protein like chicken, turkey, lamb, and beef. Their fat source can be from fish oil or vegetables. Their source of fiber can come from wholesome healthy vegetables like cabbages, carrots, sprouts, and broccoli.

Nutritional Requirement for a Newfoundland Puppy

The diet of a Newfoundland puppy and adolescent should consist of 22% protein, 8% fat, and 6% fiber. Newfoundland puppies are incredibly energetic and have a high metabolism. They grow very fast and will require quality nutrients to keep up. They require protein for building healthy muscles and minerals for strong bones; carbohydrates for energy; and fats for maintaining a healthy fur.

Nutritional Requirement for an Adult Newfoundland

The meal plan for mature and adult Newfoundlands should consist of 18% protein, carbohydrate, 5% fat, and fiber. At this stage, Newfoundlands are most active and will need protein and carbohydrates to keep their weight and energy level optimal. However, you should avoid overfeeding your pet at this stage, as Newfoundlands are prone to obesity and will develop health complications.

Nutritional Requirement For Senior Newfoundland

Your Newfoundland is less active at this stage than at previous stages. Your pet’s food at this stage of life should ideally consist of 28-32% protein, 5% fat, and fiber. Senior Newfoundlands will need more minerals and vitamins in their food to keep their immune system and bones healthy.

The Factors Affecting The Feeding Of a Newfoundland

Some factors will affect the diet of your Newfoundland, such as the size of the breed, its age, its activity level, and its underlying health conditions.

Let’s take a quick look at those factors before we jump into the quantity of food to feed your dog.

Size consideration

The average length of a Newfoundland for Males is 71cm (28 inches) and for Females is 66cm (26 inches) from the sole of its feet to its shoulder. The weight of a Male’s Newfoundland is 65-80 kg and Females 55-65 kg.

Male Newfoundlands are generally bigger than female Newfoundlands, which means that the male will require a larger intake of calories than the female to stay healthy and strong.

Age consideration

Newfoundland puppies will require more calories during their growing stage due to their high metabolic rate. They need to be fed a lot if you want them to grow into strong, healthy dogs.

Adult Newfoundlands should not be fed more often than puppy Great Danes. The adults have a slow metabolism that can lead to stomach bloating and indigestion if they’re fed excessively.

Your senior Newfoundland will be less active and require fewer calories than when they were younger. Doing otherwise might lead to obesity and other serious health problems.

Activity Level

Athletes are required to maintain a strict diet compared to non-athletes, so you should also keep your Newfoundland away from certain foods if you want to maintain its athletic abilities.

You wouldn’t want to feed your Newfoundland a meal high in fat and sodium, like cheap fast food, which would make him sluggish and lethargic.

These fast foods don’t contain the nutrients that would make your dog perform to the best of their abilities and make them slow to learn new tricks or obey your commands.

Health Consideration

Newfoundlands are prone to certain health conditions which should be taken into consideration in their diets if you wish to manage or prevent them from those issues.

Some health issues that affect Newfoundlands include gastric torsion, subaortic stenosis, cystinuria, canine hip, elbow dysplasia, von willebrand disease, cataracts and osteochondrosis dissecans. 

These health problems could be avoided or mitigated by eating or avoiding certain foods from the start, rather than treating them as they arise.

It might be tempting to cut corners and go for the cheapest food. But engaging in such an act in the long run could lead to pain, seeing your Newfoundland sick, frequent visits to the vet, and thousands of dollars in expenses.

Newfoundland Feeding Amount

Your Great Dane, just like any other dog breed, will require different amounts of food according to their stage of development. The amount of food a puppy will need will be different than the amount of food an adult will need to meet their nutritional requirements.

On average, feed your puppy Newfoundland 1.5 to 6 cups of food that has 405 to 2250 Kcal per day; feed your adult Newfoundland s 5 to 6 cups per day that has 1912.5 to 2365.5 Kcal per day; and feed your senior Newfoundland s 3-4 cups per day, that has 981-1308 Kcal per day.

I will provide you with charts below to help you plan your dog’s meals from its puppy years to its senior years. However, this meal plan is not one-size-fits-all. It’s just a general guideline that should be followed based on your dog’s needs and recommendations from your vet or dog nutritionist.

How Much To Feed a Newfoundland Puppy

For your Newfoundland puppy to grow into healthy adults, the meal should be high in protein and low in fat, which can be obtained from animal meat.

A Newfoundland puppy should be given 1.5 to 6 cups of food per day that contains 405-2250 kcal of nutrients based on its age, weight, size, gender, and physical activity.

The feeding requirement of your Newfoundland puppy is given in detail in the charts below:

Following the guidelines above will aid in bone development and muscle growth, and strengthen their immune system to fight off common bacteria and viruses that can lead to some health complications.

How Much To Feed an Adult Newfoundland

The nutritional requirements of an adult Newfoundland differ from those of a puppy. The diet of an adult Newfoundland should have a lower percentage of proteins and fats to prevent obesity. This is done by reducing the feeding frequency to two times per day.

A mature and adult Newfoundland puppy should be given 5 to 6 cups of food per day that contain 1912.5 to 2365.5 kcal of nutrients based on its age, weight, size, gender, and physical activity.

The chart below will give you an understanding of the daily consumption needs of adult Newfoundland to help you with their meal plan.

How Much To Feed a Senior Newfoundland

Senior Newfoundlands are generally less active than their younger counterparts due to fragile bones and joints. This means their meals will contain fewer calories, protein, and fat.

Geriatric Newfoundlands are often plagued with health issues. Some of these issues can be alleviated by supplementing your senior Newfoundland’s diet with vitamins and minerals to help revive his or her weakened immune system and fragile bones.

Senior and geriatric Newfoundlands should be given 3-4 cups of food per day that contains 981–1308 kcal of nutrients based on their age, weight, size, gender, and health issues.

The table below gives you some details about the meal plan of an older Newfoundlands.

However, you must still ensure they get the essential nutrients.

You can continue giving your senior dog the same food you gave them as an adult, only in a smaller quantity as they don’t need as many calories as adult dogs. However, you should still consult your vet or pet nutritionist to be on the safe side.

Newfoundland Feeding Frequency

Your Newfoundland’s meal frequency will vary the same as the feeding amounts, which is majorly dependent on its age. Below is a list of how often to feed your Newfoundlands:

How Often Should You Feed Your Newfoundland Puppy?

•         During the weaning process or at 8 weeks old and below: feed them four times a day at equally spaced intervals.

•         8 weeks to 3 months old: feed them four times a day at equally spaced intervals.

•         4 months to 12 months old: gradually transition to feeding them three times a day with equally spaced time intervals.

How Often Should You Feed Your Adult Newfoundland?

You should feed your adult Newfoundland two times a day, with 12 hours of spacing between meals. One in the morning and one in the evening is ideal.

How Often Should You Feed Your Senior Newfoundland?

You should feed your senior Newfoundland two times a day except given a specific schedule by a vet.

Newfoundland Feeding Frequency

•             Newfoundland’s puppies should be free-fed or fed in the morning, afternoon, evening, and night due to a faster metabolism in comparison to their adult colleagues

•         Adolescent Newfoundland s should be fed in the morning, afternoon, and evening to help them transition properly into an adult.

•         Adult and Senior Newfoundland s should also be fed in the morning and the evening unless stated differently by your vet or pet nutritionist.

As a general rule, you should feed your Newfoundland a few hours before going to bed in the evening, so they have enough time to digest the food before going to sleep.

In total, we shouldn’t spoil our companions with treats as they may grow too attached to them. Treats should be heavily used as a reward when training your Newfoundland.

The Kind of Food To Feed Your Newfoundland

The food you feed your Newfoundland should specifically cater to large breeds and contain the required nutrients necessary for a strong and healthy dog.

The kind of food to feed your Newfoundland includes dry dog food, wet dog food, home-cooked food, and Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) to ensure your dog eats a balanced diet.

Let me touch on these few points to help you understand what to feed your dog:

Dry Dog Food: Dry dog food, or kibble, is a portion of commercial pet food made by grinding and mixing up ingredients like meats, grains, and nutritional additives, which are then shaped into little kernels and cooked at high temperatures to remove the water content. Dry dog food contains more carbs, less fat, less water, and sometimes less protein. Dry dog food is often recommended by vets due to its lower cost, dental health benefits, convenience, weight loss support, and playtime perks.

Wet Dog Food: Wet dog food, or canned food, is made by mixing up and cooking the ingredients before adding or extracting varying amounts of water. Unlike dry dog food, wet dog food contains more water, fewer carbs, more fat, and often more protein. They are recommended by veterinarians due to their high water content, taste, ease of eating, and high nutritional profile.

Home-Cooked Diet: Home-cooked diets are a great option for pet parents who are not into commercial dog food and want to go the extra length to prepare a meal for their furry companion. Feeding your dog a home-cooked meal gives you control over its nutrition and can put your mind at ease knowing that you are always providing the best care for your dog.

BARF Diet: Biologically Appropriate Raw Food is a diet that includes raw meat, raw eggs, crushed animal bones, fruits, vegetables, probiotics, and other natural ingredients. BARF diets are used as a substitute for processed foods with preservatives. However, consult your vet before feeding your pet a raw diet to avoid health complications from harmful substances.

The Food To Avoid Feeding Your Newfoundland

We should take caution before giving whatever food we’re eating to our Great Dane. They have large appetites, which makes it tempting to hand them whatever we find ourselves eating.

There are certain human foods, fruits, and vegetables to avoid feeding your Newfoundland because these foods contain toxins that are harmful to your pet that could lead you to frequent trips to the vet.

Human food to avoid feeding your Newfoundland includes chocolates, coffee, gums, peanut butter, candies, cooked bones, etc.

The fruits and vegetables to avoid feeding your Newfoundland include grapes, avocado, garlic, onions, etc.

You should always check the ingredients on the food label to see if these ingredients are present in the food. Or you can simply consult a vet or pet nutritionist to check the ingredients with them.

When to Transition Your Newfoundland From Puppy Food To Adult Food

You should transition your Newfoundland puppy from puppy food to adult food when he’s around 10–12 months old.

Transitioning your adolescent Newfoundland from puppy food to adult food is an important stage in your dog’s development. Puppy food contains more calories and nutrients than adult food to meet the nutritional requirements at that stage of life.

Transitioning needs to be gradual by introducing adult feed bit by bit until you get to 100% adult feed.

However, feeding your adult Newfoundland puppy food will fill them with more protein and fat than their body requires and will lead to obesity due to the high fat content the body doesn’t need for optimum growth.

Why Your Newfoundland Is Always Hungry

Your Newfoundlands will not eat if it has one or a combination of the factors listed below:

Illness, dental problems, teething, medication, constipation, time of day, spoiled food, dehydration, and stress.

Newfoundlands are not picky eaters, so when they are eating it might be a sign of some underlying illness that needs to be treated by the vet. Sometimes it can be something mild as stress which can resolve itself after some time. However, you need to see the vet immediately if your dog is not drinking water and eating,

Why Your Newfoundland Is Always Hungry

Great Danes, like other large dog breeds, are big eaters. Other reasons may be a deficiency in some nutrients, learned behaviors, too much stress, or a lack of food training.

Excessive exercise will make your dog’s body burn faster, thus making them hungry after such exercises. Worms could be another reason your dog is always hungry.

Frequently Asked Questions on Feeding a Newfoundland

Final Thoughts

Newfoundlands are gentle and mild mannered dogs, they make excellent family dogs, although due to their size, they need to be supervised around children. They are healthy dogs and if placed on strict dietary guidelines, most of the health problems associated with feeding will be avoided.  

Options such as dry, wet, raw, and homemade diets are all great for them. You can free-feed your Newfoundland puppies, but you have to draw up a strict plan as they grow. It is also essential to know what foods are healthy and should be avoided, as some are toxic.

However, if you desire more information on how to take care of your Newfoundland, you should contact the nearest vet for information on essential nutrients, and you can also see a pet nutritionist for a regimen schedule for your pet.